Slavery, Disunion, and Reconstruction

1. Slavery, Disunion, and Reconstruction APUSH – Mr. Hesen

2. “King Cotton” • Slavery was profitable – Cotton Gin (1793) • Cotton trade fostered business in North • Britain heavily dependent on U.S. cotton • Accounted for 57% of exports by 1860

3. The Three Souths • Further North – cooler climate – fewer slaves • Further South – warmer climate – more slaves • Mountain whites sided with North • Southward flow of slaves continued from 1790s to 1860 • NOT A UNIFIED SOUTH – unless talking about states’ rights

4. Border South – DE, MD, KY, and MO • Plantations scarce • Grain production • Tobacco stripped land of nutrients • 1850 – 17% of population slaves – 22% of families owned slaves • Produced over 50% of South industrial products

5. Lower South – SC, FL, GA, AL, MS, LA, TX • “Cotton Belt” and “Black Belt” • Deep South along rivers and deltas • Plantations were prevalent – cotton was king! • 1850 – slaves made up 47% of population

6. The “Peculiar Institution” • Planter Aristocracy • South was ruled politically by rich landowners • 1850 – 1,733 families owned more than 100 slaves • Least democratic region in country • Huge gap between rich and poor • Elitist culture – genteel-class emerged

7. The “Peculiar Institution” Plantation System Risky – slaves might die of diseases or escape One crop economy – cotton or tobacco Southerners resented North’s large profits at their expense Resented being so dependent on North Repelled large-scale European immigration Slave labor cheaper NO JOBS

8. The “Peculiar Institution” Plantation Slavery 4 million slaves by 1860 – 4x more than 1800 Legal importation ended in 1808 Population increase due to natural reproduction Slaves seen as valuable assets to owners Source of wealth and stature Punishment was often brutal Deep South was the most brutal

9. The “Peculiar Institution” African American Culture Develops Elements of African culture Family ties and oral traditions Religion – blend of Christianity and Voodoo Book of Exodus – “exodusters” Music – “Call and Response” – led to the development of jazz, blues, and rock n’ roll

10. Burdens of Slavery

11. Slave Revolt Nat Turner (1831) • Most significant • 60 Virginians slaughtered – mostly women and kids • Largest slave revolt in South • Over 100 slaves killed throughout South • Created paranoia in plantation owners and harsh laws were created in response

12. The White Majority 75% of whites in South owned no slaves Mostly subsistence farmers Believed in white superiority – defended slavery Poor – suffered from malnutrition and no education Ending slavery would mix the races – not good

13. Mountain Whites Lived in Appalachian Mountain chain Independent small farmers Hated wealthy planters and aristocracy During Civil War – mostly pro-Union

14. Abolitionism American Colonization Society (1817) Recolonization – manumission Liberia – created for freed slaves – Monrovia Blacks and whites could not coexist in society Dominant form of reform in U.S.

15. Radical Abolitionism Immediate and uncompensated manumission William Lloyd Garrison – Liberator (1831) Symbolized beginning of radicalism “Virtuous” North secede from “Wicked” South Inspired American Anti-Slavery Society

16. American Anti-Slavery Society Wanted to organize for more political influence Theodore Dwight Weld – American Slavery As It Is (1836) Wendell Phillips Grimke Sisters Tappan Brothers

17. Frederick Douglass Greatest of the black abolitionists Published North Star – abolitionist newspaper Former slave – escaped when he turned 21 Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass Depicted his life as a slave Looked to politics to end slavery – unlike Garrison Flexibly practical

18. Underground Railroad Chain of antislavery homes Harbored slaves from South to Canada Harriet Tubman (Moses) Ex-slave from MD! – Led 19 expeditions to Canada Rescued 300 slaves Served as a spy in Civil War South demanded stronger fugitive slave laws for escapees

19. Impact of Abolition on South 1820s – southern abolition societies outnumbered North Post-1830s – many groups silenced (Nat Turner) Abolitionist propaganda banned throughout South Pro-slavery whites launched massive campaign against North George Fitzhugh – “northern wage slavery” “Gag Resolution” (1836) – any appeals regarding slavery are illegal in Congress

20. Impact of Abolition on North Unpopular in many areas in North Slavery was protected by the Constitution – states’ rights Northern industry depended on South for cotton 1850s – abolition influenced the northern mind against the South Saw slavery as morally evil and undemocratic

21. “Popular Sovereignty” • People in sovereign areas could decide the fate of slavery Election of 1848 • Whigs – Zachary Taylor “Old Rough and Ready” • Democrats – Lewis Cass – embodied popular sovereignty • Free-Soil Party – Martin Van Buren – against slavery in new territories • Taylor – 163 to Cass – 127 • Foreshadowed Republican Party in 1852

22. California Gold Rush (1848) Sutter’s Mill (Sacramento) “49ers” – mostly men moved to CA Mass migration to West Coast Paved way for RAPID economic growth in CA CA applied for statehood under no-slave clause State constitution denied slavery South went nuts – NM and UT leaned towards free status as well

23. Nashville Convention Southern fire-eaters – June 1850 Discussed southern rights and secession Should California be admitted to Union? Many saw as a sign of disunion No compromise reached – until Henry Clay (again)

24. Compromise of 1850 Henry Clay North should pass stricter fugitive slave laws John C. Calhoun Demanded that abolitionists leave slavery alone Thought Clay’s compromise was inadequate Daniel Webster Supported Clay “Reasonable concessions” in South Abolitionists saw Webster as a traitor – turned North towards compromise

25. William Seward – young radical “Higher Law” Seward Opposed to granting concessions to the South Deep Christian beliefs Slavery shouldn’t exist in western territories due to “higher law” than Constitution

26. War Fever President Taylor was swayed by Seward Taylor was willing to start Civil War in Texas if Texans tried to expand to NM Taylor dies in 1850 VP Millard Fillmore follows Taylor Supported compromise Stephen Douglas – most instrumental at getting Compromise of 1850 passed in Congress

27. Compromise of 1850 California admitted as free state Abolition of slave trade in Washington, DC New Mexico and Utah – popular sovereignty More stringent Fugitive Slave Laws Texas received $10 million over its dispute with NM North got the best of the deal

28. Fugitive Slave Law Became the most frictional issue between North and South Abolitionist movement given boost Slaves could not testify on own behalf Heavy fines and jail for those who broke law Some states did not accept FSL – “personal liberty law” Ableman v. Booth (1859) – SCUS upholds FSL

29. Election of 1852 Democrats nominated Franklin Pierce (NH) Sympathized to southern views Whigs nominated Winfield Scott Split the Whig Party Scott – anti-slavery Southern Whigs – supported FSL Pierce wins 254-42 Marked the end of the Whig Party

30. Expansion Under Pierce • “Young America” – sought to extend Manifest Destiny • Southerners wanted to gain land (Cuba) to spread slavery • Ostend Manifesto (1854) – Take Cuba by force if they did not accept $130 million • Nicaragua and Asia • Expand trade – especially with Japan (Commodore Matthew Perry)

31. Gadsden Purchase (1853) • U.S. sought transcontinental railroad • Should TCRR run through North or South? • Congress purchased Mesilla Valley from Mexico - $10 million • After purchase – U.S. below Canada is complete • Northerners rushed to gain Nebraska – South blocked them

33. Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) • Most important short-term cause of the CW • Stephen Douglas – proposed splitting Kansas in two (Kansas and Nebraska • Kansas – slave / Nebraska – free • Slavery based on popular sovereignty • KS was above the 36 30’ line – Missouri Compromise of 1820 • Bill passed in 1854 – Douglas guided it through

35. Birth of the Republican Party Republican Party forms in response to K-N Act Included Whigs, northern Democrats, Free-Soilers, and Know-Nothings Emerged as 2nd national political party Was NOT allowed in South!

36. Bleeding Kansas New England Emigrant Aid Company Sent 2,000 men to KS Stop slavery from forming “Beecher’s Bibles” Southerners furious over North’s betrayal of K-N Act Kansas heavily split territory – some free, some slave 1860 - only two slaves occupied KS

37. Caning of Charles Sumner - 1856 Preston Brooks Charles Sumner

38. Pottawatomie Massacre (1856)

39. Lecompton Constitution (1857) Kansas applied for statehood under popular sovereignty Denied statehood until Civil War – entered as a free state Splits Democratic Party Split between Buchanan, Douglas, Whigs, EVERYONE!

40. Hinton R. Helper (1857) Anti-Slavery Literature Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852)

41. Election of 1856 Democrats nominated James Buchanan Republicans nominated John Fremont (Pathfinder of the West) American Party (Know-Nothings) nominated Millard Fillmore – nativists Buchanan won 174-114-8 Fear of disunion and secession aided in Buchanan’s election

42. Dred Scott v. Sandford 1857

43. Decision Scott is a slave not a citizen All slaves were no longer citizens Could not be taken from owners without due process Missouri Compromise ruled unconstitutional

44. Impact Contributed to the further split in the Democratic Party Split North and South even further Taney’s “opinion” NOT law – Northerners undermined it – Southerners claimed that North was unwilling to compromise

45. Panic of 1857 Causes Overspeculation of land...again Influx of California gold caused inflation Overproduction of grain Results North was hardest hit Westerners demanded free farms Higher tariffs

46. Lincoln Douglas Debates 1858

47. John Brown – Harper’s Ferry

48. Election of 1860 R CU D John Breckinridge Abraham Lincoln John Bell Lincoln wins 180-123 South Carolina secedes from Union

49. The South Secedes!!! SC is first – within six weeks MS, FL, AL, GA, LA, and TX All during Buchanan’s lame-duck period – HE DID NOTHING! Confederate States of America – Montgomery, AL Jefferson Davis – chosen as president in 1861

50. Reasons for Southern Secession Political balance favored North (so they thought) Hated sectional politics Demanded states’ rights Hated free-soil criticisms and abolitionism Wanted to end dependence on North Southerners thought they had “moral high ground”