Chapter 18 Renewing the Sectional Struggle

1. Chapter 18Renewing the Sectional Struggle

2. Popular Sovereignty and the Mexican Session • Debate over what to do with the Mexican Cession • WILMOT PROVISO (1848)--sought a Mexican Cession free of slavery • Passed by the House • Block by Southern Senators • SIGNIFICANCE: Brought slavery into the front of American politics from here on until the Civil War

3. “Popular Sovereignty” • Emerged as a possible way to avoid the issue • LEWIS CASS--Became Democratic nominee for election of 1848 • Cass known as the “Father of Popular Sovereignty • Says people of a territory should decide for themselves whether to be slave state or not

4. Election of 1848 • Whigs nominate Zachary Taylor • “Hero of Buena Vista • Neutral on slave issue, but owned slaves • Free Soil Party nominates Van Buren • Mixture of northern antislavery Whigs, Democrats, and Liberty Party members in North • Supported Wilmot Proviso • “Free soil, free speech, free labor, and free men” • Sign of the coming of the Republican Party 6 years later!!!

5. Results of Election of 1848 • Taylor wins the election • Free soilers won no states and did not impact the outcome of the election

6. Issue of California • Gold discovered in 1848 at Sutters Mill • By 1849, masses of people come to northern California • Gold essentially paved the way for rapid economic growth in California • CA drafted a Constitution in 1849 • Excluded slavery • Asked Congress for admission as a state • Southerners opposed CA statehood; free state threat

7. Underground Railroad • Chain of homes that hid slaves escaping to Canada • Harriet Tubman • Most famous person involved in Underground Railroad • Personal Liberty Laws • Passed by many Northern states which prohibited state officials from assisting anyone trying to capture runaway slaves • SIGNIFICANCE: Southerners demand a new stronger fugitive slave law

8. Get them out of the South!!!

9. Why Is the South so Upset??? • Issues of Concern for Southerners • CA would tip balance in Senate • New Mexico and Utah territories look to be free states • Northerners demanded abolition of slavery in Washington DC • Loss of fugitive slaves • When CA applied for statehood, southern “fire-eater's” threatened secession

10. Attempt at Compromise • The Great Triumvirate • Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Daniel Webster make an attempt to end the crisis • Henry Clay • North should pass a more effective fugitive slave law • Supported by Stephen Douglas, the “Little Giant”

11. John C. Calhoun • Felt Clay’s position was inadequate • Leave slavery alone, return runaway slaves, give South rights as a minority, and restore political balance • Daniel Webster • Supported Clay • Gives famous “7th of March Speech” • Urged reasonable concession to the South • Opposed Congress legislating in the territories

12. I won’t show the other side of my face. Why? • SIGNIFICANCE: Turned the North towards Compromise • Abolitionists branded Webster a traitor • William H. Seward • Opposed granting concessions to the South • Stated Christian legislators must obey God’s moral law first • “Slavery shouldn’t be allowed in western territories due to a ‘higher law’ than the Constitution”

13. Compromise of 1850 • Popular sovereignty in Mexican Cession • Fugitive Slave law toughened • Abolition of slave trade in Washington DC • California admitted as a free state • Texas given $10 million for disputed Mexican territory Pop-FACT

14. Election of 1852 • Democrats • Nominated Franklin Pierce • Sympathetic to Southern views • Acceptable to slavery wing of the party • Campaign in favor of Compromise of 1850 • Whigs • Nominate General Winfield Scott • Party fatally split • Southern Whigs supported Fugitive Slave Law but doubted Scotts willingness to hold Compromise • Antislavery Whigs supported Scott but hated his support of the Fugitive Slave Law

15. Expansionism Under Pierce • “Young America” • Pierce wanted to extend “Manifest Destiny” overseas • Wanted to build a canal in Central America • Clayton-Bulwer Treaty--US and GB agreed that neither side would build and monopolize a new canal w/o the others consent • Issues with Asia • Signed trade agreements with China • Sent US ships to force Japan to open up trade with US

16. Cuba • Polk had offered Spain money for Cuba, Spain refused • South wanted Cuba for slavery • OSTEND MANIFESTO--US secretly demanded Cuba for $130 million. If Spain refused, use force • Plan backfired b/c of angry Northerners who saw it as a slaveholders plot

17. Gadsden Purchase • Congress wanted a transcontinental railroad built • Question should it be in the North or South? • Best route seemed to be below the Mexican border • In 1853, US purchased Mesilla Valley (in southern New Mexico and Arizona) from Santa Anna for $10 million

18. Result: • South now had the advantage

19. Kansas-Nebraska Act1854 • Most important short term cause of the Civil War • Stephen Douglas proposed splitting Nebraska territory into two states: Kansas and Nebraska • Slavery issue would be based on popular sovereignty • Kansas would probably be slave, Nebraska free • Problems • 36-30 line created by Compromise of 1820 prohibited slavery • Kansas was above it • Solution? Repeal Compromise of 1820 • Fully supported by Southerners

21. Reaction to Kansas-Nebraska Act? • Northerners shocked; saw Compromise of 1820 as sacred pact • Northern reactions????? • Refused to honor Fugitive Slave Law • Antislavery movement grew stronger • North unwilling to compromise again

22. Birth of Republican Party • Formed in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act • Included Whigs, northern Democrats, Free-Soilers, and Know-Nothings • Lincoln came out of retirement and ran for the Senate • Became nations 2nd major political party overnight • Republican Party not allowed in the South