Growing Tensions Between North & South

1. Growing Tensions Between North & South Chapter 15

2. Economies developed differently in the early 1800s- • North developed more industry led to rapid growth of Northern cities; population growth from immigrants; roads/canals linked them to the West • South depended on plantation farmingprofits from slave labor; wealth from the exports; a few wealthy farmers controlled Southern society—most farmers were poor and owned no slaves, but supported slavery because it kept them off the bottom of society. North & South Take Different Paths

3. The issue of slavery caused tensions between the North and South. Here were some differences: • Antislavery movement is gaining strength in the North in the 1830s. • Northern workers and immigrants opposed slavery—worried that slaves (who did not work for pay) would take jobs away from them. • White Southerners defended slavery • Argued that slaves benefited from having their food, clothing and shelter provided for them. Antislavery & Racism

4. North and South disagreed whether slavery should be allowed in territories that were not yet states. • In 1846, Congress debated the Wilmot Proviso • This bill proposed to ban slavery in any territory that the United States acquired from the War with Mexico. • Slave-owners argued that slaves were property—and property was protected by the Constitution. • The bill passed the House but not the Senate where the Southerners had more power. • The Wilmot Proviso led to the formation of the Free-Soil party. • They wanted to stop the expansion of slavery. Wilmot Proviso

5. By 1850, California applied for admission to the Union as a free state. • This would make slave states a minority in the Senate—so Southerners opposed the admission of California. • Henry Clay offered a bill to settle the California problem • To please the North, it proposed that California be admitted as a free state; For the South, it included strong laws to help slave owners recapture runaway slaves, and allow some territories to decide for themselves about slavery. • Senators Daniel Webster and Stephen A. Douglas supported this plan and helped it become law—now called the Compromise of 1850

6. FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT • The law that helped slave owners recapture runaways was the Fugitive Slave Act. • People accused of being fugitives could be arrested without a warrant. • They had no right to jury trial • An official was paid $5 for releasing the fugitive and $10 if he turned the fugitive over to a slaveholder. • Fines were charged on those who helped runaways escape. UNCLE TOM’S CABIN • In 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe published the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. • The novel dealt with the moral issues of slavery—described it as cruel and immoral. • Popular in the North—Southerners believed it falsely criticized the South and slavery. Fugitive Slave Act; Uncle Tom’s Cabin

7. In 1854, Senator Stephen A. Douglas proposed a bill that would divide the Nebraska territory into 2 territories—Nebraska and Kansas. • He said the residents of the territory would vote on the slavery issue for their territory. • This would allow slavery in areas where it had previously been banned from the Missouri Compromise. • The bill passed and became knows as the Kansas-Nebraska Act

8. Proslavery and Antislavery people rushed to Kansas. • Each side wanted to have enough people to win the vote over slavery. • 5,000 Missourians came and voted in the election illegally. • Antislavery settlers boycotted the official government in the territories and formed one of their own. • Settlers on both sides armed themselves—and in 1855 a proslavery town attacked the town of Lawrence (Sack of Lawrence). • John Brown, an extreme abolitionists, wanted revenge for the sack of Lawrence—he and 7 other men led an attack the killed 5 proslavery people . • As news of the violence spread a small war broke out that lasted for 3 years and became known as “Bleeding Kansas”

9. The Whig party split over the issue of Slavery— • Many Southern Whigs joined the Democratic Party • Northern Whigs formed the Republican Party • In 1856, Republicans nominated John C. Fremont---because he was against slavery, his name did not even appear on the ballot in the South. Republican Party Forms

10. Democrats nominated James Buchanan—he said little about slavery—and that his goal was to keep the Union together. • Some Northerners supported him because they were afraid the nation would split if Fremont won. • The Know-Nothing Party nominated Millard Fillmore. • The 1856 election became 2 separate races: • North--Buchanan against Fremont • South--Buchanan against Fillmore • Buchanan won the election. • The election showed that the nation was sharply split over slavery and that the Republican Party was gaining strength • Despite losing the election, Fremont has won 11 Northern states for the Republicans. Election of 1856

11. Dred Scott was a slave who had been taken by his master into free states. • Scott claimed that being in free states made him a free man—he sued for his freedom. • His case Dred Scott v. Sandford reached the Supreme Court under Chief Justice Roger B. Taney. • He ruled the Scott was not a US citizen and therefore could not sue in US courts. • He also ruled that slaves were property and property was protected by the Constitution. • Southerners supported the decision; Northerners looked to the Republican Party to stop the growing power of Slaveholders. Case of Dred Scott

12. After the Dred Scott decision, the Republicans charged that the Democrats wanted to make slavery legal in all US states/territories. • They thought that Stephen A. Douglas, a democrat from Illinois, was one of those people. • When Douglas ran for reelection to the Senate in 1858, Republican Abraham Lincoln ran against him. • They held a series of debates about the expansion of slavery • Lincoln said slavery should not be expanded • Douglas said each territory should decide for themselves. • Douglas won the election, but the debates now made Lincoln a national figure. Lincoln and Douglas Debate

13. In 1859, John Brown wanted to inspire slaves to fight for their freedom. • He planned to capture weapons in the US arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia—he hoped this would inspire slaves to rebel against slavery. • On October 16, 1859, Brown and his followers captured the arsenal. Although he sent word to arm the slaves—no slaves joined his rebellion. • He and his followers were captured, convicted in executed. • OUTCOME---Brown was praised by the North for his fight against slavery; Southerners were furious at the reaction of the North to Brown’s execution. John Brown Attacks Harper’s Ferry

14. ELECTION OF 1860: • Republicans nominate Abraham Lincoln • The Democratic Party was split over slavery • Southern Democrats wanted to defend slavery and nominate John Breckinridge • Northern Democrats nominated Stephen A. Douglas • A 4th party called the Constitutional Party nominated John Bell—their one aim was to preserve the Union. • The election turned into 2 different races– Lincoln vs. Douglas in the North, Breckinridge vs. Bell in the South. • Lincoln and Breckinridge had the most extreme (opposing) views on slavery, while Bell and Douglas were moderate on the issue. Political Parties Splinter

15. Lincoln carried the North; Breckinridge won the South. • The North had more people, so Lincoln won the election. • Lincoln stated that he would do nothing about slavery in the South—but Southerners did not trust him & viewed his victory as a threat to slavery and their way of life. Election of 1860

16. Many Southerners warned that if Lincoln was elected the Southern states would secede, or withdraw from the union. • They believed that the states had voluntarily joined the Union and had a right to leave. • In December 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede. • By February 1861, 6 more states seceded and the formed the Confederate States of America—They names Jefferson Davis president of the Confederacy. Southern States Secede

17. Some people tried to find a compromise to stop the South from seceding. • Senator John Crittenden proposed a plan of compromise that became known as the Crittenden Plan—it did not pass. • In his Inaugural address, Lincoln assured the South that he would not abolish slavery—and he spoke strongly against secession. Lincoln’s main goal was to preserve the Union. • He did not want to press the South—or force them to stay in the Union. • There were several forts in the South under Union control—including Fort Sumter in South Carolina. It needed to be resupplied. • The whole nation waited to see what would happen to the fort. Efforts to Compromise Fail