Drifting Toward Disunion

Drifting Toward Disunion 1854 - 1861

Stowe • 1852 – Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin which showed the cruelty of slavery • Helped start the war • “So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war.” – Lincoln • South believed it as an “unfair” indictment • Countless readers • Stowe had never witnessed slavery first hand in the Deep South

Hinton R. Helper • 1857 – Wrote The Impending Crisis of the South • Nonaristocratic white from NC • Attempted to prove that nonslaveholding whites were the ones who suffered the most from slavery • Book was banned in the South • Distributed by the Republicans in campaign literature

The Contest for Kansas • Popular sovereignty was not working • New England Emigrant Aid Company sent 2,000 Free-Soilers into Kansas • Pro-slavery “Border Ruffians” crossed the border from Missouri • Southerners had agreed with the Kansas-Nebraska Act believing that Kansas would be slave & Nebraska would be free • Few slaves were brought to Kansas

Kansas Election • 1855 – “Border Ruffians” poured in from Missouri to vote early & often • Slave supporters triumphed • Set up their gov’t at Shawnee Mission • Free-Soilers set up their gov’t in Topeka • One gov’t based on fraud, the other on illegality • 1856 – Problems begin • A gang of proslavery raiders shot up & burned part of the free-soil town of Lawrence • Prelude to a bloodier tragedy

John Brown & Civil War in Kansas • John Brown – obsessively dedicated to the abolitionist movement • “Old Brown” led a band of his followers to Pottawatomie Creek – May 1856 • Hacked to pieces 5 surprised men – proslaveryites • Brought retaliation from the proslavery forces • “Bleeding Kansas” • Civil War in Kansas – 1856 • Continued until it merged with the Civil War 1861-1865

Kansas Applies for Statehood • 1857 – Kansas applies for statehood • Lecompton Constitution • Vote for or against constitution as a whole, but not for the constitution either “with slavery” or “with no slavery” • If they voted against slavery, one of the remaining provisions would protect the owners of slaves already in Kansas • Supported by President/ opposed by Douglas • Divided the Democratic Party • Many free-soilers boycotted the polls • Slaveryites approved the constitution with slavery

Problems in the US Senate • Senator Charles Sumner - Massachusetts • leading abolitionist • Disliked by other senators • Gave a speech, “The Crime against Kansas,” condemning slavery • Referred insultingly to SC & Senator Andrew Butler from SC • Congressman Preston Brooks–SC • Resented the insults to his state & senator

Sumner-Brooks Clash • May 22, 1856 • Brooks beat Sumner over the head with his cane until it broke • No one interfered • House of Rep. could not get enough votes to expel Brooks • He resigned • Later reelected • Sumner – reelected • couldn’t serve for 3½ years

Results of Sumner-Brooks • Increased support for Republican Party • South was angry because Sumner’s speech was applauded in the North • Emotion was displacing thought

Election of 1856 • Democrats – James Buchanan • Penn lawyer & former minister to London • Platform - popular sovereignty • Republicans – John C. Frémont • Platform – against extension of slavery into the territories • Know-Nothing Party – Millard Fillmore • Nativists – antiforeign & anti-Catholic

Electoral Fruits of 1856 • Buchanan won election • Why were the Republicans defeated? • Violent threats of southerners that the election of a sectional “Black Republican” would be a declaration of war on them, forcing them to secede • Many northerners that depended on the South for their financial gain, voted for Buchanan

The Dred Scott Bombshell • March 6, 1857 – Supreme Court ruled • The Case • Dred Scott, a slave, had lived with his master for 5 years in free territory • Sued for his freedom • Basis – because of his long residence on free soil

The Ruling • Scott was a slave & not a citizen. Therefore, he could not sue in federal court • Chief Justice Taney went further: • Slaves were property & could be taken to any territory (5th Amendment) • Can not deprive people of property without due process • Ruled that Compromise of 1820 was unconstitutional • Congress had no power to ban slavery from the territories

Reactions to the Ruling • Republicans were infuriated • Ruling was opinion, not a decision • Southerners were inflamed by all of the defiance by the North • Applauded by pro-slavery southerners

Financial Crash of 1857 • Causes of the crash: • CA gold helped to inflate the currency • Too much grain production • Frenzied speculation in land & railroads • Over 5,000 businesses failed within 1 year

Effects of the Crash • North was hardest hit • South was well off - proof that cotton was king • North demanded free farms of 160 acres from the public domain • Land should be given as a reward instead of sold • Opposed by: • Eastern industrialists – would cause workers to move out West • South – slavery would not flourish/ free farmers would fill up the territories • Homestead Act 1860 – vetoed by Buchanan

Push for higher tariff rates • Tariff of 1857 – reduced duties by 20% • Lowest point since War of 1812 • Many blamed low tariff for problems • Push to increase tariff for protection • Gave the Republicans 2 surefire economic issues for the election of 1860 • Protection for the unprotected • Farms for the farmless

Douglas & Lincoln • Senator Douglas’s term was up & Lincoln decided to run for his seat • Lincoln • Lawyer – “Honest Abe” • Served 1 term in Congress 1847-1849 • After the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, he emerged as one of the foremost politicians & orators of the Northwest. • Why is that?

The Great Debate • Lincoln challenged Douglas to a series of debates • Debate in Freeport, Ill • Most famous • Lincoln asked the following: • “Suppose the people of a territory should vote down slavery? The Supreme Court in the Dred Scott decision had decreed that they could not. Who would prevail, the Court or the people?” • (Freeport Question) • What was the response?

Douglas’s Response • Freeport Doctrine • “No matter how the Supreme Court ruled, slavery would stay down if the people voted it down.” • Territorial legislatures could keep slavery out despite Supreme Court’s decision. • Douglas defeated Lincoln • Senators were chosen by state legislatures at this time. • Lincoln emerges as a possible presidential candidate • Douglas’s opposition to the Lecompton Constitution & defiance of the Supreme Court at Freeport, hurt his chances of being president • Review – what is LeCompton Const?

John Brown • Involved in “Bleeding Kansas” • His scheme: • Invade the South secretly with a handful of followers • Call on slaves to rise up • Furnish slaves with weapons • Establish a black state as a sanctuary

Raid at Harper’s Ferry • October 1859 • John Brown & his followers seized the federal arsenal in Virginia • Killed 7 innocent people and injured several others • Slaves did not rise up. Why? • John Brown & his followers were captured by the Marines under the command of Robert E. Lee • Brown was convicted of murder & treason • Was put to death

In the South: Viewed as a murder & an apostle of treason How could the South remain in the Union while a “murderous gang of abolitionists” were financing armed bands to “Brown” them. Believed that the abolitionists views were shared by all Northerners In the North: Many openly deplored the raid Abolitionists & other free-soilers were upset about Brown’s execution Effects of Harpers Ferry

John Brown: Murder or Martyr? Crazy or Sane?

Democratic National Convention • Met in Charleston, SC • Stephen Douglas was the leading candidate • Regarded by southerners as a traitor because of his stand on the Lecompton Constitution & Freeport Doctrine • Delegates from the cotton states walked out • Remaining delegates could not decide and convention fell apart

Democrats try again in Baltimore • Northerners were still set on Douglas • Cotton states walked out • Remaining democrats select Douglas • Platform: • Popular sovereignty • Against obstruction of the Fugitive Slave Law

Southern Democrats • Southerners organized a rival convention in Baltimore • Selected John C. Breckinridge • Platform: • Extension of slavery into the territories • Annexation of slave-populated Cuba • Where else will they want to annex?

Minor Party • Constitutional Union Party • “Do Nothing” / “Old Gentlemen’s Party” • Made up of former Whigs & Know-Nothings • Nominated John Bell from Tennessee • Compromise candidate to prevent breakup of the union at any cost

Republican Party • Gathered in Chicago • William H. Seward was the best candidate • Too many enemies • Abraham Lincoln was selected • Fewer enemies • Platform: • Nonextension of slavery – (Free-soilers) • Protective tariff – (Industrialists) • No abridgement of rights – (immigrants) • Pacific Railroad – (Northwest) • Internal improvements at federal expense – (West) • Free homesteads from the public domain – (farmers) • Who are they leaving out?

Election of 1860 • Lincoln’s victory- Result of: • Split in the Democratic Party • Formation of a third party • Divided the southern vote & gave Lincoln 40% of the vote • all in the north

Electoral Upheaval of 1860 • Lincoln was a minority president • He was a sectional president • Not allowed on the ballot in 10 southern states • The election was virtually 2 elections • One in the North & one in the South • Gave SC a reason to secede • Douglas campaigned for himself • very unusual

Election of 1860 • Was the South really that bad off after the election? Politically? Economically?

The South & Secession • South still had political advantages • 5-4 Supreme Court majority • Democratic control of Congress • 15 slave states could block any constitutional amendment to abolish slavery (requires 2/3 vote) • December 1860 – SC seceded from the union, followed by 10 other southern states over the next 6 months

First capital Montgomery, Alabama President Jefferson Davis from Mississippi South Carolina Alabama Mississippi Florida Georgia Louisiana Texas Virginia Tennessee Arkansas North Carolina The Confederate States of America

The Crisis • Deepened by the “lame duck” interlude • Period between Lincoln’s election & when he took office • Pres. Buchanan believed that the southern states could not legally secede but he could find no authority in the Constitution for stopping them with guns • Wanted to hold on to any hope of reconciliation

The Collapse of Compromise • Senator James Henry Crittenden of KY • Proposed the Crittenden Amendments (Designed to appease the South) • Slavery in the territories - prohibited north of 36°30’ • South of the line – slavery would be protected • Future states – north or south of the line, could come into the union with or without slavery, as they should choose • Slavery would be protected in southern territories regardless of popular sovereignty • Rejected by Lincoln – would result in war against every people, tribe, & state owning land

Reasons for Secession • Lack of political balance • Upset with the success of the Republican Party • Weary of free-soil criticism, abolitionist nagging, & northern interference • Underground Railroad & Harpers Ferry ********* All reasons related to slavery*********

Farewell to Union • Most southerners supported secession • Believed that the Yankees would not fight • Why? • View as a way to end their vassalage to the North • Could now establish their own banks & shipping/ trade industry with Europe • Impulse of nationalism • Principles of self-determination • Few if any southerners believed they were doing anything wrong • The states voluntarily entered the Union & they could voluntarily leave the Union. Do you think they were right?

Drifting Toward Disunion