Northern Resistance

• "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriett Beecher Stowe (1852)

• Inspire many northerners to resist the Fugitive Slave Act

• Brought morality argument to the slavery debate

  • Exposed the horrors of slavery to a Northern& European audiences

• Lincoln: "So you' re the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war."

Result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act

• It was assumed that Kansas would become a slave state and Nebraska would be a free state

• Pro slavery and anti- slavery flood into Kansas

  • New England Emigrant Aid Company: sent free soil settlers to the area

  • From Missouri pro slavery "border ruffians" come into Kansas

• Two rival governments set-up

  • Topeka-free soil

  • Lecompton- slave government

• Republican Party is formed as a response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act

Bleeding Kansas

• Sack of Lawrence 1856- Free Soil town attacked by pro- slavery forces

• Pottawatomie Creek - John Brown and his homies attack pro slavery forces

• By 1856 Civil war in Kansas between pro slavery and anti-slavery forces

The Beat Down

• Charles Sumner (Senator from Mass.) gives a speech condemning events in "Bleeding Kansas"

  • Insults Senator from South Carolina Andrew Butler

• Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina enters Congress and beats Sumner with a cane.

• Violence over slavery in Kansas had spread to Congress

Election of 1856

• 1st time Republican party runs a candidate for the Presidency

  • John C. Fremont

• Democrats pick James Buchanan

  • Picked because he had nothing to do with Kansas-Nebraska Act

• Know Nothing Party picked Millard Filimore

  • Anti-immigrant and Anti Catholic

Lecompton Constitution

• 1st challenge for President Buchanan

• Lecompton Constitution

  • Pro-slavery

  • Free Soilers boycott the election

• Supported by President Buchanan

  • Rejected by Congress

Dred Scott Case

• Dred Scott was a slave who sued for his freedom

• Dred Scott case goes to Supreme Court in 1857

• Roger Taney was the Chief Justice (a Southern Democrat)

  • African Americans are not citizens of the United States

    • Could not sue

  • Since slaves are property, they could not be taken away (Constitution)

  • Congress could not makes laws regarding slavery in the territories

    • Missouri Compromise unconstitutional

Lincoln Douglas Debates

• Abe Lincoln (Republican) debates Stephen Douglas (Democrat) for the Illinois Senate in 1858

• 7 debates held

• Lincoln challenges Douglas on Dred Scott decision: Could slavery be prevented in the territories

  • Dred Scott decision said no

  • Douglas takes the position (Freeport Doctrine) that territories could limit slavery

    • Southerners are pissed

• Results

  • Douglas keeps Senate seat

  • Lincoln becomes national figure

  • Southerners are angry

    • Democrats will be split in 1860

John Brown at Harper’s Ferry

• John Brown hopes to spark a slave revolt in 1859

• Attempts to seize the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry

• It does not go well

  • Charged with treason and hung

• Impact

  • South is outraged

  • Brown becomes a martyr to abolitionist

  • Immediate cause of secession

Election of 1680

Democrats Split

• The issue of slavery had divided the Democrats

  • Northern Democrats favor Stephen Douglas

    • Popular sovereignty & enforce Fugitive Slave Act

• Southern Democrats favor John C. Breckinridge

  • Allow slavery in the territories

  • Annex Cuba

Republican Party

• Lincoln and the Republican party platform

  • For the free-soilers: no extension of slavery in territories For the northern manufacturers: a protective tariff

  • For the Northwest: a Pacific railroad

  • For the farmers: free homesteads (land)

• Southern secessionist threaten to leave Union if Lincoln wins

Results

• Republican party wins the Presidency for the 1st time But Lincoln is a “minority" President

  • Southerners see him as a sectional President

    • Not on ballot in 10 southern states

Secession

• South Carolina votes to secede in December 1860

• Eventually 7 southern states leave the union before Lincoln even takes office

  • See him as a sectional President hostile to slavery

• Confederate States of America is formed Jefferson Davis chosen as President

• Lame Duck President Buchanan does nothing to stop secession

  • From November 1860 to March 1861

  • Does not believe secession is legal

Crittenden Compromise

• Last ditch attempt to avoid a major crisis

• Hope to calm southern fears:

  • The return of the Missouri Compromise idea

    • Slavery prohibited in territories north of 36'30

    • Slavery allowed in territories south of 36 300

  • Lincoln rejects this Position of Republican party was no extension of slavery in the territories

• Before Lincoln even takes office 7 southern states have left the union!