Impending Crisis

1. Impending Crisis 1854-1861

2. A. Literary Influence • Harriet Beecher Stowe • Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) • Written in reaction to passage of Fugitive Slave Law • Witnessed slavery once, depiction almost as evil as reality • Translated into 20+ languages and millions of copies sold worldwide • Easily could be most politically influential piece of literature ever written. • South condemned it as evil and untrue. • Many northerners pledged NOT to enforce Fugitive Slave Law as a result of having read it. • GB and French people sided with northern cause – may have prevented gov’t intervention on behalf of South

3. Hinton Helper • Impending Crisis of the South (1857) • Helper a white man from NC who hated both slavery and blacks. • Argued that slavery hurt poor southern white worst of all. • Poor southern whites didn’t/couldn’t read book, but aristocratic south freaked – book banned.

4. B. Bleeding Kansas • Popular sovereignty for KN brought settlers with ulterior motives. • Anti-slavery organizations (New England Emigrant Aid Company) sent 2000 ppl(carrying rifles known as “Beecher’s Bibles”) to stall the southern vote for a pro-slave Kansas. • South, in response sent armed pro-slavery settlers. • Very few slaves in either Kansas or Nebraska in 1860. • 1855 – territorial legislative election • Southern “border ruffians” poured in to KS to “vote early and often” – won election and set up gov’t in Shawnee Mission • Free soilers set up a different legislature in Topeka • 1856 – pro-slaveryites shot up and burned part of Lawrence.

5. John Brown • Ardent anti-slaveryite who moved to KS and sought to avenge burning of Lawrence, KS. • Hacked to death (w/ broadswords) 5 pro-slaveryites in 1856 at Pottawatomie Creek. • Became civil war before THE Civil War.

6. Lecompton Constitution • 1857 – KS ready to apply for statehood • Popular sovereignty allowed for a vote • Lecompton Constitution • Tricky move by pro slavery forces to have a vote for constitution “with slavery” or “without slavery” • Regardless of outcome, provision in Lecompton Constitution still allowed for current slave owners in KS to keep slaves. • Anti-slavery forces refused to vote and Lecompton passed. • Stephan Douglas rallied for fair play and free elections and a new up or down vote on Constitution was allowed. • Anti-slaveryites voted in droves against Lecompton and KS failed to become a state (until 1861)

7. C. Brooks v. Sumner on Senate Floor • Charles Sumner • One of few abolitionist politicians • Smart, unliked and furious over debacle in KS • Called the “Crime Against Kansas” • Called pro-slavery men there “hirelings picked from the drunken spew and vomit of an uneasy civilization” • Insulted SC and its popular senator Andrew Butler • SC Congressmen Preston Brooks • felt need to uphold honor of state and its esteemed senator • Approached Sumner on floor and beat him repeatedly with cane until it broke. • Aftermath • Brooks resigned his seat but was re-elected anyway • Southerners sent him canes in support • Sumner left Senate for 3 ½ yrs to receive treatment in Europe • Massachusetts kept re-electing him anyway and his seat remained empty until his return.

8. D. Election of 1856 • Democrats • shied away from weak Pierce and divisive Douglas - both tainted by Kansas. • Chose fancy and “Kansas-less” lawyer James Buchanan • Platform was popular sovereignty • Republicans • By-passed “Higher Law” Seward and went for “Kansas-less” surveyor and western explorer John C. Fremont. • Platform against extension of slavery into territories. • Know-Nothing Party • Results • Buchanan (174) Fremont (114) and Fillmore (8) • Civil War kicked another 4 years down the road • 2 yr old Republican Party has strong showing and becomes 2nd major party overnight. • Anti-foreigner 3rd party • Against influx of Germans and Irish • Chose ex-Prez Millard Fillmore to run. John C. Fremont James Buchanan

9. E. Dred Scott v. Sanford • Dred Scott lived with his master in IL and WI Territory for 5 years – sued for his freedom. • Roger B. Taney – Chief Justice led majority southern SC • Dred Scott not a citizen and cannot sue in federal courts • Ruled that slaves were property and could not be taken away without due process of law (5th Amendment) and could be taken into ANY territory and legally held as slaves. • Made the Missouri Compromise invalid – Congress had no power to ban slavery north of 36’30” • Even made popular sovereignty null and void. • Southerners delighted, northerners horrified and popular sovereigntyites (Douglas) aghast. • Many northerners pledged to defy it – again seen as an act of bad faith by the South. Dred Scott Roger B. Taney

10. F. Panic of 1857 • Causes • CA hold inflating currency • Overspeculation in land because of RR boom. • Results • North hardest hit • Demand for free farmland in west grew • Homestead Act passed by Congress but vetoed by Buchanan. • Clamor for higher tariffs • These two issues will become large part of platform for Republican in 1860. • South protected by high cotton prices abroad – further entrenched King Cotton belief.

11. G. Abraham Lincoln • Born in 1809 to impoverished Kentucky family • Grew up wrestling, weight lifting, splitting rails and reading. • Self taught – mostly law. • Married above his social class into influential Todd family. • One of a handful of well known trial lawyers in IL. • Rose like a meteor through republican ranks – earned 110 votes for VP in 1856. • Decides to challenge Dem Stephen Douglas for IL senate seat in 1958.

12. H. Lincoln – Douglas Debates • Lincoln challenged Douglas to a series of 7 debates throughout IL (Aug–Oct, 1858) • Freeport Doctrine • Lincoln backed Douglas into a corner by questioning if ppl count vote against slavery if Supreme Court ruled that they could not (Dred Scott Case) • Douglas held fast to his popular sovereignty doctrine thus upsetting the southern contingent of Democratic Party. • Douglas won Senate seat, but divided national Democratic Party and hurt his chances of winning 1860 Presidential Election.

13. I. John Brown: Murderer or Martyr? • Brown hatched a plan to secretly invade South, arm slaves and incite a revolution. • Slaves, ignorant of the plan, failed to rise. • Brown and 20 men seized arsenal at Harper’s Ferry incidently killing 7 innocent ppl. • Was wounded and quickly captured by US Marines led by Robt E. Lee. • Convicted of murder and treason • Defense tried to plead insanity (much evidence to support this) but Brown saw he was worth more to cause dead than alive – sentenced to hang. • Results • South convinced North was full of “John Browns” inciting slaves to rise against their masters. • Moderate northerners denounced Harpers Ferry raid • Aboltionists hailed him a hero and a martyr – Emerson compared him to Jesus. • “John Browns Body”

15. J. Election of 1860 • Democrats • Southern Dems do not want “Freeport” Douglas – walk out of convention in Charleston • Dems try again in Baltimore – nominate Douglas, although many southern states walked out again • Platform of popular sovereignty and non-obstruction of Fugitive Slave Law. • Southern Democrats • Host convention of their own after walking out • Nominate John Breckinridge • Platform of extension of slavery into territories and annexation of Cuba.

17. Constitutional Union Party • Former Whigs and Know-Nothings • Nominate John Bell of TN • Pro-Union • Republicans • Seward the natural leader, but too many enemies • Lincoln nominated oon 3rd ballot • Platform had broad appeal. • For free-soilers - Nonextension of slavery • For northern manufacturers - A protective tariff • For immigrants – protection of rights • For the Northwest – a northern transatlantic RR • For the West – Internal improvements • For the farmers – free homesteads

18. Results • Lincoln won but not with plurality. • Not on ballot in 10 southern states • Democrats amassed more popular votes than Lincoln – but Lincoln still had more EC votes than all 3 opponents combined. • Republicans held Presidency, but not House, Senate or Supreme Court.

19. K. Secession • South Carolina threatened to secede if Lincoln elected • Rejoiced at his win for it gave them the excuse • Dec. 1860 – SC convention voted unanimously to secede. • 6 more states secede in following 6 weeks – 4 more later. • New government • 7 original seceders meet in Montgomery, AL in Feb 1861 and form Confederate States of America. • Choose MS Senator Jefferson Davis as President • “Lame Duck” period • Lincoln elected in Nov but can’t take office until March • Buchanan a Unionist, but saw no constitutional authority to make southern states “stay” in Union with force.

21. L. Crittenden Compromise • KY Senator James Crittenden successor of Great Compromiser Henry Clay. • Makes one last ditch effort at compromise • Slavery still prohibited north of 36’30’’ in territories. • Slavery federally protected south of line in existing territories or those to be acquired. • When ready for statehood, slavery issue still determined by popular sovereignty. • Lincoln flatly rejected the compromise

22. M. Farewell to Union • Reasons for Secession • Worried about political imbalance. • Feared new republican Party and their plans for slavery • Aggravated by northern agitators like Underground Railroad and John Brown – wanted to be left alone. • Thought their departure would be unopposed. • Hoped to NOT have to pay back northern creditors • Hoped to establish their own banking and trade networks • Planned on a lower tariff • Feelings of Southern nationalism swept through • Principles of self-determination, as laid out in the Declaration of Independence, seemed to apply perfectly to them.