Changing Political Scene

1. Changing Political Scene Chapter 6, Section 3

2. The Shifting Political Scene • Millard Fillmore was the last Whig president. The party collapsed when he angered Northerners by supporting the Fugitive Slave Act, and angered Southerners by supporting California as a free state. • The changing make-up of the country’s population gave rise to the Know-Nothing Party. • Their platform consisted of anti-immigration and pro-slavery ideas, even though a large number of anti-slavery Whigs had joined. • The Republican Party attracted anti-slavery Dems, Whigs, Know-Nothings and Free-Soilers. • The rise and fall of political parties demonstrated the opposing viewpoints on slavery.

3. Sectional Divisions Intensify • In 1857, the Supreme Court ruled on the case of Dred Scott v. Sandford. • Dred Scott, a slave sued for his freedom when his slavemaster took him to the free territories of Illinois and Wisconsin. • In these areas, slavery was banned, so Dred Scott argued he had become a freedman. • The court ruled that slaves and their descendants were property and therefore were not entitled to sue in courts like a citizen. • It also declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional.

4. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates • In 1858, Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln had a series of debates while vying for the Illinois Senate seat. • The two had opposing views of slavery– Douglas was sympathetic to slavery, while Lincoln was against both popular sovereignty and the Dred Scott decision. • While Douglas won the Senate seat, Lincoln gained a widespread reputation for his honesty.

5. John Brown’s Raid • John Brown continued his violent methods to end slavery by leading a group of men to the arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, VA. • He hoped to recruit local slaves to join his efforts. • He chose Harper’s Ferry because it was a transportation hub, and its proximity to PA and MD. • Brown was captured and while some viewed him as a martyr, others viewed him as fanatical and Southerners started preparing for war.

6. The Last Straw Chapter 6, Section 4

7. The Election of 1860 • In the election of 1860, there were 4 candidates vying for the presidency. • Though he only won the electoral votes of the free states, Lincoln received enough electoral votes to become president. • He won without receiving a single electoral vote– demonstrating the divide between North and South, free and slave.

8. Secession • Southerners were angry that a president could be elected without the support of the South. • To them, it was if they had no voice in their government. • South Carolina was the first state to secede from the U.S. • Soon, 6 other Deep South states followed (GA, FL, AL, MS, LA and TX). • These 7 states formed the Confederate States of America.