Chapter 15 - The Crisis of the Union

wilmot proviso

proposal to ban slavery from any land gained from mexico, ultimately was not put in place

extend the missouri compromise

proposal to extend the missouri compromise line through territory gained from Mexico, with territory north of the line being free and south of the line being slave

popular sovereignty

it should be up to the people in each state to decide if they are a free or slave state

Election of 1848

Zachary Taylor wins for the whig party against Lewis Cass but dies in office, making his vice president Millard Fillmore take over

Compromise of 1850

supported California as a free state, the Texas & New Mexico act, and the Utah Act, with popular sovereignty being supported for T and U acts

Fugitive Slave Act

Much harsher towards fleeing slaves, those refusing to help catch runaway slaves can be sent to jail/fined. Slave trade abolished in DC.

Harriet Beecher Stowe

wrote the book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” to highlight how wrong slavery was, huge impact

Election of 1852

Franklin Pierce (Democrat) wins against Winfield Scott (Whig), campaign motto “we polked you in ‘44, we shall pierce you in ‘52”

Ostend Manifesto

document suggesting Cuba should be a state, nothing finalized

Gadsden Purchase

agreement to buy land from MExico in modern day New Mexico and Arizona, finalizes US borders.

Stephen Douglas

Senator of Illinois, loses presidential election to Lincoln

Kansas Nebraska Act

repealed the Missouri Compromise for Nebraska and Kansas, allowed popular sovereignty for those states to choose if they wanted to be free or slave.

Bleeding Kansas

civil war in Kansas over whether it should be free or slave

Lecompton

pro slavery government in Kansas, “Border Ruffians” from Mo.

Topeka

anti-slavery government in Kansas, pro slavery folks attack Lawrence

Charles Sumner

debate over kansas in congress, “crimes against kansas speech”, anti-slavery, beat with a cane by pro-slavery folks

James Buchanan

wins election of 1856 for democrats, favors popular sovereignty

Lecompton Constitution

pro-slavery document designed to have kansas enter union as a slave state, rejected by voters in kansas causing major conflict

Dred Scott v Sandford

Scott sued for freedom due to residing in a free state, loses case. Ruled that African Americans (Free or Slave) do not have citizenship and cannot be protected by the federal government/represent in court

Panic of 1857

financial panic, South economy slightly better than North, south wants less criticism

John Brown

sons, others, killed 5 at Pottawatomie, very anti-slavery, uses violence to support goal

Freeport Doctrine

allowed states to exclude slavery if local governments failed to put laws in place to support slavery. Result of the Lincoln-Douglas Senate debate

Harper’s Ferry

John Brown raids weapon depo in this area, battle takes place, Brown captured here found with a list of names/money in his pocket, some of his sons/followers die, Brown hanged.

“He shall make the gallows as glorious as the cross”

ralph waldo emerson quote about john brown being hanged

Election of 1860

Lincoln wins taking the stance that slavery cannot spread, South Carolina secedes first “cockpit of confederates”, more states secede

Jefferson Davis

Only president for the confederates

Buchanan’s Reaction to Secession

believes south seceding is illegal, but the north does not have enough military power to coerce them, making it a stalemate

Robert Anderson

general for Union Forces during battle at Fort Sumter

Battle at Fort Sumter

confederates fire on union supply ship “star of the west”, confederates win, lincoln calls for 75,000 militia and blockade of southern ports, causing more states to secede