PLEASE READ: Anything bolded will be explained later in the notes

House of Representatives

• Directly elected by the people, the greater the population a state has, the more representatives they have.

• Had to be re-elected every two years.

• Article 1, Section 2 (Constitution) allowed for 60% of slave populations to be included, allowing for more representatives.

Senate

• Every state had 2 senators.

• Senators are chosen by assemblies in each state

• Appointed for 6 years

Political system based on checks and balances and separation of powers

Contributions to Sectional Differences - tariffs, a national bank, public investment in canals and railroads, and the power of the federal government over the states. PLUSSSS slavery!

Mason-Dixon Line

• Line on map drawn by two men who were surveying colonial American in the 1760s, the line separated Maryland and Pennsylvania, so north and south, then west and east. The line then became a separation between free and slave states.

The Missouri Compromise of 1820

Over whether or not Missouri would be a free or slave state

Solution:

• Missouri is a slave state

• Maine is a free state (already a state, just outlawed slavery)

• No slavery allowed over 36’30 line

Mexican American War (1846-1848)

Cause: Border disputes when making Texas a state. MANIFEST DESTINY BRU!!!!!

Outcome: Wilmot Proviso AND ALSO rise of tensions over slavery + American VICTORYYY CAWWW

Effect: Treaty of Guadalupe Hildago (ended the war, Mexico gave up 55% of territory including the present-day states California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, most of Arizona and Colorado, and parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming)

Wilmot Proviso

FAILED BUT… Proposed by David Wilmot (congressman) as a solution to slavery. He suggested slavery should not be allowed in the new territories.

• South was pissedddd, they didn’t understand why they would fight a war and then not be able to go to the new land with slaves.

• North felt it was justified, majority of senate was from the south, President Polk fought for Texas more than northern territory. polk really wanted land bru

Political Parties! and what they believed

Democrats

• sovereignty of the people = popular sovereignity

Whigs

• Opposed Andrew Jackson, supported national government

Know Nothings

• Anti-slavery, that’s basically it

Free-soil

• Only opposed the expansion of slavery into new territory

Constitutional Union

• Didn’t want to talk about slavery, just wanted America to stay together 🥺

Nativist American

• Hated immigrants🧍‍♀(anti immigration)

Compromise of 1850

• California FREE STATE

• Stronger Fugitive Slave Act

• Slave trade banned in DC (but still continues slavery)

• New Mexico and Utah will have popular sovereignty

Fugitive Slave Act - required that slaves be returned to their owners, even if they were in a free state.

Election of 1852

• WHIGS DIE

• Franklin Pierce (democrat) president by a sweeping electoral vote

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Cause: California has a LOT of gold, soooo Illinois Senator Stephen Douglas wants to build a transcontinental railroad

Outcome: Popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska / Nullification of Missouri Compromise

Effect: Bleeding Kansas, birth of Republicans

Bleeding Kansas

• Pro-slavery and anti-slavery people came rushing into Kansas to illegally vote (because of popular sovereignty). John Brown was a radical abolitionist among them

• All this led to higher tensions over war, and the Caning of Sumner

Caning of Sumner

• Anti-slavery senator Charles Sumner was like,” Bleeding Kansas was caused by Stephen Douglas and Andrew Butler”

• Preston Brooks (the cousin of Andrew Butler) was like,” You wanna bet????”

• Then Brooks CANED Sumner, and politics were getting CRAZY

Election of 1856

Republicans did pretty well, a trend appeared where the Northerners leaned towards supporting the Republican party.

• James Buchanan (Democrat) won

Dred Scott Case

So basically…

• Dred Scott was a slave whose owner took him to many free territories for work. When his owner died, Dred Scott resided in free land, and so, he tried to sue for his freedom.

• Judge Rodger Taney (but also like the Supreme Court) ruled against him, instead, he was made the property of his previous owner’s sister.

• The effect of this was that slaves are legally declared property now, and slaves can be allowed in free states.

Lincoln Douglas Debates

• Debates between Lincoln and Douglas for senator of Illinois

• Had attention nationally because many of the debates focused on slavery and both were announced to be presidential candidates.

John Brown’s Raid!!!!

• John Brown said, “Hey! we’re gonna raid a federal army, and give the guns to slaves so they can revolt LOL!”

• But this didn’t work… not many slaves showed up. Still, many deaths occurred, and John Brown was executed for treason.

• It became a hot topic in the presidential debates, and the south grew more fearful of the north.

President James Buchanan (1856-60)

Panic of 1857: US went into economic depression, and Buch did nothing (bru) because he thought the government should not interfere with the economy. Republicans had ideas on how to help, and in turn gained more popularity.

Election of 1860

• Lincoln won by a decent amount, but now the country is sectionalized.

• South is NAWT happy

SOUTH IS NOT HAPPY!!! THEY HAVE TO FORM THEIR OWN COUNTRY NOW!!!

Succession

• The first to leave is South Carolina on Dec 20th, 1860

• Mississippi Jan 9th, 1861

• Florida Jan 10th, 1861

• Alabama Jan 11th, 1861

• Georgia Jan 19th, 1861

• Texas Feb 1st, 1861

Battle of Fort Sumter

• Right after SC leaves, Major Robert Anderson positions himself and his men in Fort Sumter. He was pro-slavery , but loyal to the union.

• January 1861, uh oh… supply lines cut!

• April 9th, Lincoln sends food, but no weapons

• Jefferson Davis said nahhhh he didn’t want to attack the ship with supplies, so he tried to convince Anderson to surrender, ofc Anderson said no

• April 12th, Confederacy attacks the fort

• April 13th, Anderson surrenders

CIVIL WAR STARTS APRIL 12TH, 1861