The Nation Breaks Apart ( )

Transcription

1 UNIT The Nation Breaks Apart ( ) CHAPTER 15 A Divided Nation ( ) CHAPTER 16 The Civil War ( ) CHAPTER 17 Reconstruction ( ) 446 UNIT 6 The Nation Breaks Apart

2 IN HISTORY Young Soldiers During the Civil War, 15-year-old Union soldier Thomas Galway described a fierce battle. Now we are close to the enemy. They rise up in the sunken lane and pour deadly fire into us. Our men drop.... We go forward on the run, heads downward as if under a pelting rain.... We are kneeling in the soft grass and I notice for a long time that almost every blade of grass is moving. For some time I supposed that this is caused by the merry crickets; and it is not until I made a remark to that effect to one of our boys near me and notice him laugh, that I know it is bullets that are falling thickly around us! Galway was one of the thousands of youths who fought in the Civil War. Both the North and the South tried to keep boys out of their armies. However, many teenagers lied about their ages in order to join. Elisha Stockwell s father would not let his 15- year-old son enlist. So, Elisha told his parents that he was going to a dance in town. Instead, he joined the Union army. Although young Stockwell did not return home for two years, he thought of home often. One such time was during his first battle, kneeling on the ground in the middle of exploding shells. I thought what a foolish boy I was to run away and get into such a mess as I was in. Other boys joined the army as drummers. The beat of the drum was an important way to communicate orders to soldiers. Therefore, drummer boys often found themselves the target of enemy fire. Johnny Clem went from Young Union soldiers relax between battles. drummer boy to fighting soldier during the Battle of Shiloh. After his drum was shattered, 11-year-old Clem picked up a gun and began firing. Within two years, Clem was promoted to sergeant. If You Were There How would you view the war? LEFT PAGE: Members of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry attack Confederate soldiers at Fort Wagner.

3 CHAPTER A Divided Nation ( ) GE R LL CO TI EC YOR K UNITED STATES 1848 The Free-Soil Party is formed on August 9. ANGER COLLEC TION, N R AN EW Harriet Beecher Stowe was the daughter of Lyman Beecher, a prominent minister and reformer. THE GR TH E G ON,N EW YO RK Martin Van Buren and Charles F. Adams were the first presidential and vice presidential candidates of the Free-Soil Party. Zachary Taylor is elected president on November On September 9 California enters the Union as a free state. Congress passes the Fugitive Slave Act on September Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes Uncle Tom s Cabin Revolutionary movements sweep across Europe Hundreds of thousands of peasants and workers in China join the Taiping Rebellion against the Manchu dynasty LouisNapoléon declares himself Emperor Napoléon III of France. WORLD In 1848 German revolutionaries demanding a new republican government fought soldiers in the streets of Frankfurt Franklin Pierce is inaugurated as president The Crimean War begins. Build on What You Know fter winning the Mexican War, the United States gained the Mexican Cession. Settlement of these lands renewed heated debate between northerners who opposed the expansion of slavery and southerners who supported it. Some southerners threatened to support secession if the government tried to block the westward expansion of slavery. A 448 Chapter 15

4 Caption 2 On February 4, 1861, delegates from the seceding states met in Alabama to form the Confederate States of America. The Charleston Mercury issued a special broadside to announce the secession of South Carolina In the Sack of Lawrence, pro-slavery forces attack the town of Lawrence, Kansas, on May 21. On May 24 abolitionist John Brown and his followers kill five pro-slavery settlers in the Pottawatomie Massacre The Lincoln- Douglas debates begin in Illinois John Brown takes control of the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia Abraham Lincoln is elected president on November 6. On December 20 South Carolina votes to secede from the United States THE GRANGER COLLECTION, NEW YORK 1856 British and French forces defeat Russia in the Crimean War Indian soldiers in the British army begin the Sepoy Mutiny against British control of India. If you were there... How would you try to solve the country s conflicts? You Be the Historian What s Your Opinion? Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Support your point of view in your journal. Geography Expansion often leads to conflict within a country. Citizenship The Supreme Court must protect all individuals rights. Constitutional Heritage States should be able to legally leave the Union. 449

5 The Debate over Slavery The Debate over Slavery Read to Discover 1. How did the outcome of the Mexican War affect the debate over the expansion of slavery? 2. What were the major provisions of the Compromise of 1850, and what reasons were given for supporting or opposing it? 3. Why was the Fugitive Slave Act controversial in the North? Reading Strategy MAPPING CAUSE AND EFFECT Make a two-column chart. Label the columns Cause and Effect. As you read this section, look for cause-and-effect relationships between events. List causes and their effects in the appropriate columns. Define sectionalism popular sovereignty Identify Wilmot Proviso Free-Soil Party Henry Clay Daniel Webster Compromise of 1850 Fugitive Slave Act Anthony Burns Uncle Tom s Cabin Harriet Beecher Stowe This illustration shows the U.S. Capitol as it looked in the 1800s. The Story Continues On August 8, 1846, the members of the U.S. House of Representatives slowly returned from dinner. They resumed their talk of the ongoing war with Mexico. It was one of the hottest nights of the summer. Ice water and fans were in heavy demand. As the representatives began to talk about the possible outcomes of the war, a congressman from Pennsylvania asked to speak. David Wilmot held the floor for 10 minutes and changed the course of history. The Expansion of Slavery Victory in the Mexican War in 1848 added more than 500,000 square miles to the United States and renewed the bitter debate over the expansion of slavery. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 had let Missouri enter the Union as a slave state. The Compromise divided the rest of the Louisiana Purchase into free and slave territory. Slavery was not allowed north of latitude 36 30'. President James K. Polk and others now wanted to run the 36 30' line to the Pacific coast, dividing the Mexican Cession into free and slave territory. 450 Chapter 15

6 Some northerners wanted to prohibit slavery in all parts of the Mexican Cession. During the war, Representative David Wilmot had proposed a plan known as the Wilmot Proviso. It stated that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in any part of [the] territory. The House of Representatives, which had a northern majority, passed the proviso, but it died in the Senate, where the South had more power. Although the Wilmot Proviso never became law, the debate over the plan showed the growing sectionalism of the country. Sectionalism happens when people favor the interests of one region over the interests of the country as a whole. Senator Lewis Cass of Michigan hoped to solve the conflict over slavery in new territories. He pushed for popular sovereignty, which would allow voters in a territory to decide whether they wanted to ban or allow slavery. They would make their choice by electing antislavery or pro-slavery representatives to their territorial legislatures. Based on the will of the majority, these legislatures then would pass laws either to ban or to allow slavery. The debate over slavery in the Mexican Cession dominated the presidential campaign of However, neither the Democrats nor the Whigs took a clear position on slavery in the West. For this reason, thousands of antislavery northerners formed a new political party. In August 1848 in Buffalo, New York, they formed the Free-Soil Party. The Free-Soilers supported the Wilmot Proviso. They chose former president Martin Van Buren of New York as their candidate. The new party won 10 percent of the popular vote. This helped Whig candidate Zachary Taylor, a Mexican War hero, win a narrow victory over Democratic opponent Lewis Cass. The California Gold Rush caused a population boom that allowed California to skip the territorial stage and apply directly for admission into the Union. This raised the issue of whether California would join as a free state or a slave state. Most Californians did not want slavery and hoped to enter the Union as a free state. However, doing so would upset the balance between free and slave states. To many southerners such a step was unacceptable. We are about permanently to destroy the balance of power between the sections, warned Senator Jefferson Davis of Mississippi. He and many other southerners declared that they would oppose the admission of California to the Union as a free state. Reading Check: Contrasting How were the Wilmot Proviso and the principle of popular sovereignty different? Interpreting Political Cartoons Balancing act The controversy over the Wilmot Proviso forced President Zachary Taylor to try to balance antislavery and pro-slavery interests. How does the cartoonist show Taylor s efforts to preserve peace? General Taylor Never Surrenders is the motto of this 1848 Zachary Taylor campaign button. A Divided Nation 451

7 The Compromise of 1850 Henry Clay had helped settle the Missouri crisis of and the nullification crisis of This senator from Kentucky, nicknamed The Great Compromiser, now stepped forward with another plan. Clay s proposal had five main parts. 1. He urged Congress to let California enter the Union as a free state. 2. He called for the rest of the Mexican Cession to be organized as a federal territory. In this territory already called New Mexico popular sovereignty would decide the status of slavery. 3. He addressed a border dispute between Texas and New Mexico. He called on Texas to give up its claim to all land east of the upper Rio Grande. In exchange, the federal government would pay Texas s old debts. These debts remained from its days as an independent republic. 4. He called for an end to the slave trade but not slavery in the country s capital. 5. He called for a new, more effective fugitive slave law. Almost immediately, Clay s plan came under fire. Senator William Seward of New York spoke for antislavery northerners. He demanded the admission of California directly, without conditions, without qualifications, and without compromise. Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina spoke for many in the South. Near death, Calhoun was so weak that another senator had to read his speech. Calhoun argued that letting California enter as a free state would destroy the balance African American Population in 1850 Interpreting Maps African Americans made up 15 percent of the total U.S. population in However, in slave states African Americans accounted for a much higher percentage. Skills Assessment 1. Human Systems In what states did African Americans make up more than 50 percent of the population? 2. Analyzing Information What was the trend in African American population heading from the South to the North and the West? Percentage of Population CA More than 50 percent percent OREGON TERRITORY UTAH TERRITORY Miles Kilometers Albers Equal-Area Projection NEW MEXICO TERRITORY UNORGANIZED TERRITORY Disputed percent percent MINNESOTA TERRITORY TX INDIAN IA MO AR LA WI IL MS MI IN TN AL KY Less than 10 percent Data unavailable OH GA VA SC FL NH VT NY PA NJ MD NC DE DC ME MA CT RI 452 Chapter 15

8 Interpreting the Visual Record Clay s compromise In 1850 Senator Henry Clay once again urged Congress to compromise on the issue of slavery in the territories. How does the image indicate that Clay was a central figure in the debates over slavery? THE GRANGER COLLECTION, NEW YORK between the two sections of the country. The slave states could not remain in the Union consistently with their honor and their safety, he said. Calhoun asked that they be allowed to separate and part in peace. Others, such as Senator Daniel Webster of Massachusetts, were in favor of Clay s plan. Although Webster himself was opposed to the expansion of slavery, he argued that preserving the Union was more important than any regional differences. History Makers Speak I wish to speak today, not as a Massachusetts man, nor as a Northern man, but as an American.... I speak today for the preservation of the Union. Hear me for my cause. Analyzing Primary Sources Drawing Inferences and Conclusions How did Senator Webster avoid sectionalism in his speech? Daniel Webster, quoted in Battle Cry of Freedom, by James M. McPherson Webster criticized northern abolitionists and scolded southerners who spoke of breaking away from the Union. He also argued that fighting over slavery in the West was unnecessary. Because of the soil and climate in this region, he claimed, the kinds of crops for which slave labor was used would not grow. The Compromise of 1850 became law in September of that year. It accomplished most of what Clay had wanted. California entered the Union as a free state. The rest of the Mexican Cession was divided into two territories. In these territories Utah and New Mexico the status of slavery would be decided by popular sovereignty. Texas agreed to give up its land claims in New Mexico. In exchange, the federal government gave Texas the financial help it needed. Finally, the compromise outlawed the slave trade in the nation s capital and produced a new fugitive slave law that replaced the previous law of Reading Check: Summarizing How did the Compromise of 1850 attempt to resolve conflicts over the expansion of slavery? Free Find: John C. Calhoun After reading about John C. Calhoun on the Holt Researcher CD ROM, create a political profile of him. Be sure to give details of Calhoun s life and explain his positions on important political issues of the era. A Divided Nation 453

9 BIOGRAPHY Frederick Douglass ( ) Character Trait: Integrity Frederick Douglass was born to an enslaved family in Maryland. At age 20, he escaped to freedom in the North. There he began speaking and writing for the abolition movement. In 1845 he published the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. The detail in this autobiography forced him to leave the country to avoid being arrested as a fugitive slave. He returned in 1847 and bought his freedom. He started an antislavery newspaper, which he named North Star. In the first issue, Douglass called on other former slaves to join his crusade for freedom. In what ways did Frederick Douglass stand up for his beliefs? Analyzing Primary Sources Identifying Points of View How did Delany react to the new fugitive slave law? The Fugitive Slave Act One part of the Compromise of 1850 kept slavery very much on the minds of Americans. The Fugitive Slave Act made it a federal crime to help runaway slaves. The act even let officials arrest runaways in areas where slavery was illegal. Under the new law, slaveholders and their agents could take suspected fugitive slaves before U.S. commissioners. They would then try to prove ownership through documents or through the testimony of white witnesses. In contrast, the accused fugitives could not testify in their own defense. Commissioners who rejected a slaveholder s claim received $5 for their services. Those who returned a suspected fugitive to the slaveholder in the South received $10. Anyone who hid or otherwise helped a runaway slave faced six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. In the 10 years after Congress passed this law, 343 fugitive slave cases came under the commissioners review in the North. The accused fugitive was declared free in only 11 of these cases. Such numbers worried many African Americans living in the North free individuals as well as former slaves. Thousands of African Americans went to Canada to escape potential prosecution under the Fugitive Slave Act. The Fugitive Slave Act upset many northerners. They did not agree with the lack of a trial by jury. These northerners also disliked the higher fee given to commissioners who returned fugitives. This apparent bribe encouraged commissioners to send a suspected fugitive slave back to the South. As expected, abolitionists led the protests against the new law. One abolitionist said it was every citizen s duty to make sure that the new law was resisted, disobeyed at all hazards. Martin R. Delany, a doctor and a leading African American abolitionist, spoke publicly to the mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. History If any man approaches that house in search of a slave I Makers care not who he may be... if he crosses the threshold of my Speak door, and I do not lay him a lifeless corpse at my feet, I hope the grave may refuse my body a resting place, and righteous Heaven my spirit a home. Martin R. Delany, quoted in The Negro Caravan, edited by Sterling A. Brown, Arthur P. Davis, and Ulysses Lee In general, northerners who resisted the Fugitive Slave Act did so without using violence. However, blood was spilled on several occasions. In 1854, for example, the case of Anthony Burns caught the nation s attention. Burns, a fugitive slave from Virginia, was arrested and jailed in Boston. A group of abolitionists in the city tried to rescue Burns by force. A deputy marshal was killed in the attempt, but Burns was eventually returned to slavery in Virginia. Reading Check: Finding the Main Idea How did many northerners respond to the Fugitive Slave Act? 454 Chapter 15

10 Antislavery Literature Abolitionists in the North used the stories of fugitive slaves such as Anthony Burns to help their cause. They also made use of slave narratives, which became popular around Among the best known were the narratives of Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth. Truth s narrative differed from most other slave narratives in two ways. First, its central character was a woman. Second, Truth had been a slave not in the South but in New York. No other literary work, however, had the influence of Uncle Tom s Cabin.This powerful antislavery novel was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Stowe was born into a religious family in Connecticut and moved to Ohio at the age of 21. There she met with fugitive slaves and learned about the cruelty of slavery. The passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 greatly angered Stowe, so she decided to write a book that would show northerners what slavery was really like. Uncle Tom s Cabin was published in The main character is a kindly old slave named Tom, who is separated from his wife and sold. Tom becomes the slave of a cruel cotton planter in Louisiana. The novel sparked outrage in the South and gained praise in the North. Within 10 years, more than 2 million copies of Uncle Tom s Cabin were sold in the United States. The book s popularity caused one northerner to remark that Stowe had created two millions of abolitionists. Reading Check: Analyzing Information How did literature help the antislavery movement? THE GRANGER COLLECTION, NEW YORK Abolitionists protested the arrest of suspected fugitive slaves, such as the capture shown above. THE GRANGER COLLECTION, NEW YORK Section 1 keyword: Review 1 Define and explain: sectionalism popular sovereignty 3 Contrasting Copy the diagram below. Use it to explain how the Compromise 4 Finding the Main Idea 2 of 1850, Fugitive Slave Act, and antislavery literature related to the debate over the expansion of slavery. Identify and explain: Wilmot Proviso Free-Soil Party Henry Clay Daniel Webster Compromise of 1850 Fugitive Slave Act Anthony Burns Uncle Tom s Cabin Harriet Beecher Stowe Compromise of 1850 Slavery Debate Antislavery Literature Fugitive Slave Act 5 SC5 HP15 a. How did U.S. territory change after the Mexican War ended, and how did this change renew the debate over slavery? b. What did the Compromise of 1850 propose? Why did Senator Daniel Webster support it, and why did Senator John C. Calhoun oppose it? Writing and Critical Thinking Supporting a Point of View Imagine that you are a northerner who is opposed to the Fugitive Slave Act. Create a handbill that you would pass out at a town meeting to persuade members of your community to protest the law. Consider the following: lack of trial by jury bribes given to commissioners examples of abolitionist protests A Divided Nation 455

11 CONNECTING TO Literature Uncle Tom s Cabin Harriet Beecher Stowe Like Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe was a local-color writer, concentrating on describing regional culture and language. Stowe wrote mostly about New England. However, she is best remembered for Uncle Tom s Cabin,a powerful novel about slavery. In the following passage, Simon Legree is a northerner who has moved south and become a cruel slaveholder. He has ordered Sambo, a slave driver, to whip Tom. Legree wants to learn what Tom knows about the disappearance of two slaves. Tom, a slave, is one of the main characters of the novel. He has maintained his religious faith despite the brutality he has witnessed and experienced. The scene shows the consequences of slavery both to the suffering slave and to the soul of the slaveholder. The criticism of slavery in the first and last paragraphs is the author s voice. Uncle Tom s Cabin helped convince many Americans of the moral wrongs of slavery. Scenes of blood and cruelty are shocking to our ear and heart. What man has nerve to do, man has not nerve to hear. What brother-man and brother-christian must suffer, cannot be told us, even in our secret chamber, it so harrows up 1 the soul! And yet, oh my country; these things are done under the shadow of thy laws! O, Christ! thy church sees them, almost in silence!... He s most gone, 2 Mas r, 3 said Sambo, touched, in spite of himself, by the patience of his victim. Pay away, till he give up! Give it to him! give it to him! shouted Legree. I ll take every drop of blood he has, unless he confesses! Tom opened his eyes, and looked upon his master. Ye poor miserable crittur! he said, there ain t no more ye can do! I forgive ye, with all my soul! and he fainted entirely away. I b lieve, my soul, he s done for, finally, said Legree, stepping forward, to look at him. Yes, he is! Well, his mouth s shut up, at last, that s one comfort! Yes, Legree; but who shall shut up that voice in thy soul? that soul, past repentance, 4 past prayer, past hope, in whom the fire that never shall be quenched is already burning! Understanding What You Read 1. Literature and History In the opening paragraph, whom does Stowe criticize for allowing slavery to occur? 2. Literature and You What do you think Stowe is asking of the reader? 1 harrows up: frightens or shocks 2 gone: dead 3 Mas r: master 4 past repentance: beyond the ability to turn away from sin; past regret 456 Chapter 15

12 Trouble in Kansas Trouble in Kansas Read to Discover 1. How did different regions of the country react to the Kansas-Nebraska Act? 2. In what ways did people try to settle the conflict over slavery in Kansas? 3. What series of violent events showed growing division over slavery in the United States? Reading Strategy LAYERED BOOK Create the Layered Book FoldNote described in the Appendix. Label the tabs of the layered book Kansas Nebraska Act, Who Supported It, Who Was Against It and Effects. As you read the section, write a definition of the Kansas Nebraska Act under the first tab. Write other information you learn under the appropriate tabs. Identify Franklin Pierce Stephen Douglas Kansas-Nebraska Act Pottawatomie Massacre Charles Sumner Preston Brooks The Story Continues Franklin and Jane Pierce spent the morning taking a peaceful carriage ride just outside Boston, Massachusetts. On their way back to their hotel in the city, they saw a horseman racing toward them. When the rider reached the Pierces carriage, he shouted the news. The Democratic convention in Baltimore, Maryland, had nominated Franklin Pierce for the presidency. The Pierces were stunned. The Election of 1852 As the Democratic convention opened in 1852, there were four leading candidates for the presidential nomination. It soon became clear, however, that no one could win a majority of votes. After nearly 50 ballots, the frustrated delegates chose Franklin Pierce. Pierce was a little-known politician from New Hampshire. However, he and his party promised to honor the Compromise of 1850 and enforce the Fugitive Slave Act. Thus, many southerners saw Pierce as reliable as Calhoun himself on the slavery question. The Whigs also held their convention in Baltimore in The divided party hoped to repeat earlier successes by nominating a well- The Democratic Party nominated Franklin Pierce for president in A Divided Nation 457

13 known soldier for the presidency. They passed over Millard Fillmore, who had become president after Zachary Taylor s death. Instead, the Whigs chose Winfield Scott, a hero from the Mexican War. Although Scott was born in Virginia, many southerners did not trust him because he had not completely supported the Compromise of The Democrats won the election by a large margin. Pierce won 27 of the 31 states. Even Scott s home state of Virginia voted for Pierce. Whig Representative Lewis Campbell of Ohio feared the worst after this painful defeat. We are slayed, he cried. The party is dead dead dead! Reading Check: Identifying Cause and Effect Who won the 1852 presidential election, and how did the election affect the Whig Party? The Kansas-Nebraska Act Since entering Congress in the mid-1840s, Stephen Douglas had supported building a railroad to the Pacific. Douglas wanted a line running from Chicago, in his home state of Illinois. To build this railroad, however, the rest of the Louisiana Purchase had to be made into a federal territory. The Missouri Compromise banned slavery in this region, meaning that the land would eventually become free states. Southerners in Congress did not support Douglas s plan. They wanted a line running from New Orleans across Texas. It would run through the already organized territory of New Mexico and into southern California. However, Douglas was determined to have the railroad start in Chicago. Thus, he asked a few key southern senators to support Compromise of 1850 Kansas-Nebraska Act, 1854 OREGON CALIFORNIA UTAH NEW MEXICO Disputed MINNESOTA UNORGANIZED Missouri Compromise line (36 30'N) INDIAN Disputed WASHINGTON OREGON UTAH NEW MEXICO MINNESOTA NEBRASKA KANSAS INDIAN Disputed Free state Free territory Slave state Slave territory Popular sovereignty Slave and Free Territory in 1850 and 1854 Slave and Free Territory in 1850 and 1854 Interpreting Maps The Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 gave new Learning states and from territories Maps The the Compromise right to vote of on 1850 whether and the to Kansas-Nebraska allow slavery. Act of 1854 gave new states and territories the right to vote on whether to allow slavery. Place Skills How Assessment did the Kansas-Nebraska Places and Regions Act extend How slave did territory? the status and boundaries of the western territories change between 1850 and 1854? 458 Chapter 15

14 Comparing the Compromises As disagreements over the expansion of slavery divided the nation, congressional leaders tried to find a compromise that would end sectional disagreements. Missouri Compromise No slavery in new states north of line Missouri joins the Union as a slave state Maine joins the Union as a free state Compromise of 1850 California joins the Union as a free state New Mexico and Utah Territories to use popular sovereignty to decide status of slavery Stronger fugitive slave law passed Slave trade ended in Washington, D.C. Border dispute between New Mexico and Texas is resolved Kansas-Nebraska Act Kansas and Nebraska Territories are created No more boundary for slave states Kansas and Nebraska Territories will use popular sovereignty Henry Clay Visualizing History Henry Clay 1. Government What are the main similarities and differences among the three compromises? John C. Calhoun Daniel Webster 2. Connecting to Today Do you think compromise is still an important political tool today? Why or why not? Stephen Douglas his plan. They said they would give up their plans for a southern railroad route. In return, they wanted the new territory west of Missouri opened up to slavery. In January 1854 Douglas introduced what became the Kansas- Nebraska Act. This plan would divide the rest of the Louisiana Purchase into two territories Kansas and Nebraska. In each territory, popular sovereignty would decide the question of slavery. Douglas s plan would remove the Missouri Compromise s restriction on slavery north of the 36 30' line. Antislavery northerners were outraged. Some called the proposal a gross violation of a sacred pledge. They thought it was part of a southern plot to turn free territory into a dreary region...inhabited by masters and slaves. All across the North, citizens attended protest meetings and sent anti-nebraska petitions to Congress. However, the measure carried strong southern support. Douglas and President Pierce also tried to get their fellow Democrats to vote for it. The measure passed the Senate in March and the House two months later. The president signed the act into law on May 30, Lost in the controversy was Douglas s proposed railroad to the Pacific. Congress would not approve the construction of such a railroad until Advertisements like this 1855 poster encouraged settlers to buy land in Kansas. Reading Check: Finding the Main Idea Why were antislavery northerners angry about the Kansas-Nebraska Act? A Divided Nation 459

15 Bleeding Kansas Both northern and southern politicians saw that a contest had begun. As a result, antislavery and pro-slavery groups rushed to get people to Kansas. Senator William Seward of New York spoke on the issue. History Gentlemen of the Slave States, since there is no escaping Makers your challenge, I accept it in behalf of the cause of freedom. Speak We will engage in competition for... Kansas, and God give victory to the side which is stronger in numbers as it is in right. THE GRANGER COLLECTION, NEW YORK Antislavery activist Henry Ward Beecher helped raise money to send weapons to abolitionist settlers in Kansas. William Henry Seward, quoted in The Impending Crisis, , by David M. Potter Elections for the Kansas territorial legislature were held in March To ensure a pro-slavery victory, thousands of men crossed the border from Missouri, voted in Kansas, and then returned home. As a result, the territorial legislature, located at Lecompton, had a huge pro-slavery majority. The new legislature passed a series of strict pro-slavery laws. One law made it a crime to question anyone s right to hold slaves. Another law stated that anyone caught helping a fugitive slave could be punished by death. In protest, antislavery Kansans formed their own legislature 25 miles away in Topeka. By early 1856 Kansas had two governments and an angry population divided into two armed camps. Many of the pro-slavery settlers had brought guns with them to the new territory. Meanwhile antislavery settlers had asked for shipments of weapons from their friends in the East. With both sides heavily armed, violence soon broke out. In May 1856 a pro-slavery grand jury charged the leaders of the antislavery government with treason. A posse of more than 700 men rode to Lawrence, where they destroyed buildings and printing presses. Abolitionist John Brown decided that it was his duty to punish pro-slavery forces for the so-called Sack of Lawrence. He said it was time to Interpreting the Visual Record The Sack of Lawrence A proslavery force came to the town of Lawrence seeking to arrest antislavery leaders. When they could not find these people, they attacked the rest of the town, killing one man. How does this image portray the violence of the pro-slavery settlers? 460 Chapter 15 THE GRANGER COLLECTION, NEW YORK

16 strike terror in the hearts of the pro-slavery people. Brown was a New Englander who moved to Kansas in 1855 with some of his sons. On the night of May 24, 1856, he led a group of seven men along Pottawatomie Creek in eastern Kansas. They killed five pro-slavery men in what became known as the Pottawatomie Massacre. Kansas collapsed into a state of civil war. About 200 people were killed in the months that followed. The events in Bleeding Kansas became front-page stories in many of the country s newspapers. Conflict also swept Congress, where Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts gave a speech called The Crime Against Kansas. In it, he criticized pro-slavery efforts in Kansas and insulted Senator Andrew Pickens Butler of South Carolina. Representative Preston Brooks, a relative of Butler, was greatly upset. On May 22, 1856, Brooks approached Sumner in the Senate chamber and beat him unconscious with a walking cane. A newspaper editor in Virginia praised Brooks s actions. History We consider the act good in conception [thought], better in Makers execution.... These vulgar [rude] abolitionists in the Senate Speak... must be lashed into submission [surrender]. Sumner, in particular, ought to have nine-and-thirty [lashes] early every morning. Richmond Enquirer, June 2, 1856 Preston Brooks was fined $300 by a federal court for his attack on Charles Sumner, who was unable to return to the Senate until after a three-year absence. Analyzing Primary Sources Identifying Bias How can you tell that the speaker supports the spread of slavery? THE GRANGER COLLECTION, NEW YORK Dozens of southerners sent Brooks new canes. In the North Sumner s beating outraged many people, who called the attacker Bully Brooks. Reading Check: Comparing and Contrasting How did northerners and southerners react to events involving Kansas? Section 2 keyword: Review 1 Identify and explain: Franklin Pierce Stephen Douglas Kansas-Nebraska Act Pottawatomie Massacre Charles Sumner Preston Brooks 2 Sequencing Copy the graphic organizer below. Use it to describe the Kansas- Nebraska Act and the conflicts that followed in the order that they occurred. 3 4 Finding the Main Idea Kansas- Nebraska Act SC5 HP15 a. What did northerners and southerners think of the Kansas-Nebraska Act? b. How did antislavery forces hope to prevent slavery in Kansas, and how did pro-slavery groups influence the Kansas territorial elections in 1855? Writing and Critical Thinking Summarizing Imagine that you are a historian writing about the beating of Charles Sumner by Preston Brooks. Write a half-page essay describing the events leading up to the beating and the public s reactions. Consider the following: reasons for the attack northern reactions to the beating southern reactions to the beating A Divided Nation 461

17 Political Divisions Political Divisions Read to Discover 1. How did the Kansas-Nebraska Act affect U.S. political parties? 2. Why did Dred Scott sue for his freedom, and how did the Supreme Court rule on his case? 3. How did Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas differ in their views on slavery? Reading Strategy USING SIGNAL WORDS Preview each subsection and look for compare and contrast signal words, such as however, although, difference between and description signal words, such as most importantly and first, second, and third. Use the signal words to help you predict the main ideas of each subsection. Record your predictions. As you read the section, check your predictions and confirm or revise them. Identify Republican Party James Buchanan John C. Frémont Dred Scott Roger B. Taney Dred Scott decision Abraham Lincoln Lincoln-Douglas debates Freeport Doctrine THE GRANGER COLLECTION,NEW This crowd has gathered to hear a speaker at the first Republican National Convention. YORK The Story Continues On July 5, 1854, hundreds of people met at the town of Jackson, Michigan, to form a new political party. We will...be known as Republicans, they declared in their platform. They promised to uphold the principles of republican government. They also said they would fight the spread of slavery until the contest be terminated. New Divisions Political unrest led Whigs, some Democrats, Free-Soilers, and abolitionists to join and form the Republican Party in These different groups united to oppose the spread of slavery in the West. The Kansas- Nebraska Act of 1854 had once again raised this issue and divided the Democratic and Whig Parties. Under pressure from Senator Stephen Douglas and President Franklin Pierce, nearly 60 northern Democrats had voted for the Kansas-Nebraska bill. They suffered politically for their support, however. In the next congressional elections, only seven of the northern Democrats who voted for the bill kept their seats in the House of Representatives. 462 Chapter 15

18 The Kansas-Nebraska Act was even more damaging to the Whigs. Every northern Whig voted against Douglas s bill. Most southern Whigs, however, voted for it. The presidential election of 1856 showed just how divided the country was becoming. Some longtime Whigs and Democrats joined the Know- Nothing Party, which quickly fell apart over the slavery issue. Northern delegates left the convention hall when southerners refused to support the repeal of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Many northerners later supported the Republican Party. Those Know-Nothings who remained behind chose former president Millard Fillmore as their presidential candidate. The Democrats knew that they could not nominate anyone closely associated with the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which ruled out President Pierce and Senator Douglas. They chose James Buchanan of Pennsylvania instead. Buchanan had served roughly 20 years in Congress and as Polk s secretary of state for 4 years. Most importantly, he had not been involved in the Kansas-Nebraska controversy. At their first presidential nominating convention, the Republicans chose John C. Frémont as their candidate. Frémont had little political experience, but his opposition to the spread of slavery appealed to Republicans. Although the Republicans also favored issues such as protective tariffs, they generally were seen as a single-issue party. Their antislavery platform meant the Republicans had almost no supporters outside of the free states. Some white southerners even said that they would not accept a Republican victory in the election. A politician from Georgia made a prediction: The election of Frémont would be the end of the Union. On election day, Buchanan won 14 of the 15 slave states and 5 of the free states, the rest of which went to Frémont. Fillmore, meanwhile, won only one state Maryland. Buchanan won the election. That s Interesting! Watching Every Dime Would you remember to correct the error if you underpaid a bill by three cents? It was everyday policy for James Buchanan to follow such precision in his accounting. Throughout his life, he kept books in which he carefully recorded every penny that he earned or spent. While serving as ambassador to Great Britain, Buchanan recorded such daily details as how much he spent on pins and suspender buttons. One time during his presidency he realized he had underpaid by three cents for some food. Even though the merchant ignored the error, the president made sure the owner received his three pennies. Reading Check: Summarizing How did the Kansas-Nebraska Act affect political parties in the 1856 election? James Buchanan s inaugural parade stretched far down the streets of Washington, D.C. THE GRANGER COLLECTION, NEW YORK A Divided Nation 463

19 THE GRANGER COLLECTION, NEW YORK Dred Scott argued that living on free soil had made him a free man. Analyzing Primary Sources Identifying Points of View What concerned Lincoln about the Dred Scott decision? The Dred Scott Decision Just two days after Buchanan became president, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that threw the country back into crisis. This case involved Dred Scott, the slave of an army surgeon from St. Louis, Missouri. In the 1830s Scott had gone with the surgeon on tours of duty in Illinois and the northern part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1846 Scott sued for his freedom after returning to Missouri. He argued that he had become free when he lived in free territory. The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court in The justices a majority of whom were from the South had three key issues before them. First, the Court had to rule on whether Scott was a citizen of the United States. This ruling would determine if he was able to sue in federal court. Second, the Court had to decide if the time he had spent living on free soil made him free. Third, the Court had to decide whether the ban on slavery in parts of the Louisiana Purchase was constitutional. This last ruling would affect the Missouri Compromise. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was Roger B. Taney (TAW-nee). Taney came from a slaveholding family in Maryland. He wrote the majority opinion in the Dred Scott decision in March Taney said the nation s founders believed that African Americans had no rights which a white man was bound to respect. He therefore concluded that African Americans were not citizens under the U.S. Constitution. Thus, Dred Scott did not have the right to file suit in federal court. Taney then said that living on free soil had not made Scott free. Thus, his status, as free or slave, depended on the laws of Missouri. Finally, Taney said that the Missouri Compromise restriction on slavery north of 36 30' was unconstitutional. He used the Fifth Amendment as support. It said no one could be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. Slaves were considered property, so Congress could not ban someone from taking slaves into a federal territory. Most white southerners cheered the decision. It covers every question regarding slavery and settles it in favor of the South, reported a Georgia newspaper. The ruling stunned many northerners. Republicans were particularly upset by the Court s ruling on the Missouri Compromise. Indeed, some northerners feared that the spread of slavery would not stop with the federal territories. Illinois lawyer Abraham Lincoln warned about the Court s future rulings. History Makers Speak We shall lie down pleasantly dreaming that the people of Missouri are on the verge of [close to] making their state free; and we shall awake to the reality, instead, that the Supreme Court has made Illinois a slave state. Abraham Lincoln, from The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, edited by Roy P. Basler Reading Check: Summarizing What were the three key issues in the Supreme Court s ruling on the Dred Scott case? 464 Chapter 15

20 The Lincoln-Douglas Debates At the time of the Dred Scott decision, few people outside of Illinois knew Abraham Lincoln. A native of Kentucky, he had moved to the Midwest in Lincoln became involved in politics, serving four terms in the Illinois legislature and one term in Congress. A longtime Whig, he joined the Republican Party in He supported the party s efforts to halt the spread of slavery. In 1858 Illinois Republicans nominated Lincoln for a U.S. Senate seat. His opponent was Democrat Stephen Douglas, who had represented Illinois in the Senate since Douglas was well known for the Kansas- Nebraska Act, so Lincoln tried to take advantage of his opponent s fame. He challenged Douglas to a series of debates throughout the state. Thousands of people attended the Lincoln-Douglas debates. In each of the seven debates, Lincoln stressed that the central issue in the campaign involved slavery and its future in the West. Lincoln said that the Democrats wanted to spread slavery across the continent. As a Republican, Lincoln believed that slavery was wrong. Lincoln added that one of the methods of treating it as a wrong is to make provision [ensure] that it shall grow no larger. Lincoln also said that African Americans were entitled to all the natural rights listed in the Declaration of Independence. He specifically named the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Some voters asked Lincoln about his views on racial equality. He replied that African Americans were not necessarily the political or social equals of whites. However, in the right to eat the bread...which his own hand earns, he [an African American] is my equal and the equal of Judge Douglas. Douglas insisted that Lincoln thinks that the Negro is his brother...those of you who believe that the Negro is your equal... of course will vote for Mr. Lincoln. Douglas hoped that these statements would shock many voters and cost Lincoln votes. Free Find: Stephen Douglas After reading about Stephen Douglas on the Holt Researcher CD ROM, imagine that you are hosting one of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Write a speech that introduces Stephen Douglas to the crowd of spectators. Interpreting the Visual Record Political debate The Lincoln- Douglas debates established the reputation of Abraham Lincoln as a gifted public speaker. In this painting of the fourth debate in the series, Lincoln is standing to speak and Stephen Douglas is seated to Lincoln's right. What is the mood of the politicians and audience members shown in this painting? A Divided Nation 465

21 Douglas also criticized Lincoln for saying that the country could not remain half slave and half free. He said that the Republicans wanted to make every state a free state. If this happened, he warned, it would only lead to a dissolution [destruction] of the Union and warfare between the North and the South. The second debate was held in the northern Illinois town of Freeport. At this meeting, Lincoln pointed out the difference between the Democrats belief in popular sovereignty and the terms of the Dred Scott decision. He asked Douglas to explain how Congress could allow the citizens of a federal territory to ban slavery if Congress itself could not ban it. Douglas s response became known as the Freeport Doctrine. It matters not what the Supreme Court decides about slavery, responded Douglas. Supporters of Stephen Douglas made this wooden campaign doll. History Makers Speak The people have the lawful means [way] to introduce it or exclude it [shut it out] as they please, for the reason that slavery cannot exist a day or an hour anywhere, unless it is supported by local police regulations. Stephen Douglas, quoted in Stephen A. Douglas, by Robert W. Johannsen The Freeport Doctrine would put control of the slavery question back in the hands of American citizens. The doctrine helped Douglas win the Senate seat. However, Lincoln had made a strong showing in the debates. As a result, he became one of the important leaders of the new Republican Party. Reading Check: Contrasting How did Douglas oppose Lincoln s views on slavery and African Americans? Section 3 keyword: Review 1 Identify and explain: Republican Party James Buchanan John C. Frémont Dred Scott Roger B. Taney 2 Analyzing Information Copy the chart below. Use it to identify examples of deepening political divisions caused by the slavery 3 Finding the Main Idea Dred Scott decision issue. Abraham Lincoln 4 Lincoln-Douglas debates Event Results Freeport Doctrine Election of 1856 Dred Scott decision Lincoln-Douglas debates SC5 HP15 a. How did different political parties respond to the Kansas-Nebraska Act? b. What did Dred Scott claim made him free, and how did the Supreme Court rule in his case? Writing and Critical Thinking Summarizing Imagine that you are an Illinois resident who attended the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Write a letter to a friend in another state explaining the candidates views on the spread of slavery. Consider the following: Lincoln s views on slavery and racial equality Douglas s response to Lincoln the Freeport Doctrine 466 Chapter 15

22 Secession Read to Discover 1. How did Americans react to John Brown s raid on Harpers Ferry? 2. What factors led to Lincoln s victory in the presidential election of 1860? 3. Why did some southern states decide to leave the Union? Reading Strategy PREVIEWING TEXT Preview the section s headings and vocabulary. Write what you already know about the people and topics. What would you like to find out? As you read, look for information that answers your questions. Define secession Identify John Brown s raid John C. Breckinridge Constitutional Union Party John Bell John J. Crittenden Confederate States of America Jefferson Davis The Story Continues After the Pottawatomie Massacre, John Brown was a hunted man. He left Kansas and eventually returned to New England. There Brown was frustrated that most abolitionists wanted to end slavery without using violence. Talk! talk! talk! he said with disgust after attending a meeting of the New England Anti-Slavery Society. That will never free the slaves. What is needed is action action. The Raid on Harpers Ferry In 1858 John Brown worked to start a slave uprising. He wanted to attack the federal arsenal, or military storehouse, in Virginia and seize the weapons stored there. He then planned to arm the slaves in the surrounding area. Brown was prepared to take hostages or kill any white southerners who stood in the way. He urged his fellow abolitionists to give him enough money to recruit, train, and supply a small army. However, after nearly two years of preparation, Brown s band had about 20 men, including three of his sons and himself. On the night of October 16, 1859, John Brown s raid began. Brown and his men entered Harpers Ferry, Virginia. The town lay next to the Potomac River, about 55 miles northwest of Washington, D.C. Brown John Brown believed that violence was the only way to end slavery. A Divided Nation 467

23 CO NECTIONS Reactions to John Brown s Raid News of the raid on Harpers Ferry raised strong emotions across the Atlantic, particularly in Great Britain. British politician William Edward Forster expressed his views. Whatever John Brown may have done toward freeing the slaves... he has exposed the utter [complete] weakness of the slave system. Other Europeans also praised Brown and the abolitionist cause. In early 1860 the French writer Victor Hugo made a prediction. He thought that Brown s execution would lead to the breakup of the United States. Between the North and the South stands the gallows of Brown, Hugo wrote. Union is no longer possible: such a crime cannot be shared. Why might Victor Hugo have said that Brown s raid would lead to the breakup of the Union? first took over the federal arsenal. Then he sent several of his men into the countryside to get slaves to come to Harpers Ferry. Brown hoped enslaved African Americans would join him. None did. They most likely knew they would be severely punished if they were caught taking part in an uprising. Instead, white southerners from Harpers Ferry and the surrounding area armed themselves and attacked Brown. Eight of his men and three local men were killed in the exchange of gunfire. Brown and some of his followers retreated to the safety of a firehouse. Federal troops arrived in Harpers Ferry on the night of October 17. The following morning Colonel Robert E. Lee ordered a squad of marines to storm the firehouse. In a matter of seconds, the marines killed two more of Brown s men. They captured the rest including Brown. Judging John Brown Brown was quickly charged and convicted of treason, murder, and conspiracy to stir up slave rebellion. Some of the men who took part in the raid received death sentences. On the way to his execution, John Copeland a fugitive slave defended his actions. If I am dying for freedom, I could not die for a better cause I had rather die than be a slave! On November 2, convinced that he also would be sentenced to death by the state of Virginia. Brown delivered a memorable speech. History It is unjust that I should suffer such a penalty.... I believe Makers that to have interfered... in behalf of His [God s] despised Speak [hated] poor, is no wrong, but right. Now, if it is deemed [thought] necessary that I should forfeit [give up] my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle [mix] my blood... with the blood of millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enactments, I say, let it be done. John Brown, quoted in John Brown, , by Oswald Garrison Villard John Brown, shown here kissing an African American child, was led to his execution on December 2, THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART As expected, the judge ordered Brown to be hanged. The sentence was carried out a month later, on December 2, Many people in the North mourned the death of John Brown. Novelist Louisa May Alcott referred to him as Saint John the Just. Not everyone who opposed slavery supported Brown s actions, however. Abraham Lincoln said Brown agreed with us in thinking slavery wrong. He continued, That cannot excuse violence, bloodshed, and treason. Most southern whites including slaveholders and non-slaveholders felt threatened. White southerners worried that a John Brown the Second might attack another southern target. One South Carolina newspaper wrote about these fears. We are convinced the safety of the South lies only outside the present Union. Another journal from the same state was more blunt: The sooner we get out of the Union, the better. Reading Check: Summarizing How did northerners differ in their reactions to John Brown s raid and execution? 570

24 Population Distribution in 1860 Population of the West African American 1% White 89% American Indian, Mexican American, & other 10% Rural 86% Urban 14% Interpreting Graphs The vast majority of people in each region lived in rural areas. Skills Assessment Population of the North African American 2% White 98% other <1% Rural 74% Urban 26% 1. Human Systems Which region had the highest percentage of urban residents? 2. Comparing Which regions of the country were predominantly white and rural? Population of the South African American 37% other <1% Urban 10% White 63% Rural 90% Source: Historical Statistics of the United States The Election of 1860 In this mood of distrust, Americans prepared for another presidential election. The Democrats were the first party to meet to nominate a presidential candidate in They met in Charleston, South Carolina, in late April. Yet the northern and southern members of the party could not agree on a candidate. When they could not agree, the party split in two. The Democrats met again six weeks later in Baltimore. Northern Democrats chose Senator Stephen Douglas. Southern Democrats backed the current vice president, John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky. Breckinridge strongly supported slavery in the territories. He did not believe, however, that a Republican victory in the election would give states the right to break up the Union. Meanwhile, in early May some northerners and southerners many of them former Whigs decided to form a new political party. Called the Constitutional Union Party, its platform was simple. It recognized no political principles other than the Constitution of the country, the Union of the states, and the enforcement of the laws. Members of this new party also met in Baltimore, Maryland. They selected John Bell of Tennessee as their presidential candidate. Bell was a slaveholder, but he had been against the Kansas-Nebraska Act in A Divided Nation 469

25 Political parties Crowds gathered at the 1860 Republican National Convention, the second time the Republicans had fielded a presidential candidate. The 1850s had seen the rise and fall of several political parties as Americans struggled to address the slavery issue. The Free-Soil, Know-Nothing, and Whig Parties had all collapsed or been greatly weakened during this period. Shortly before the Republican convention met, yet another political party the Constitutional Union Party had formed. Voters thus faced many choices but seemingly few solutions to the divisions that plagued the nation. Why do you think women would have attended the Republican convention although they did not yet have the right to vote? In mid-may the Republicans held their convention in Chicago. Senator William Seward of New York was the leading candidate. However, many Republicans worried that his strong antislavery views made him a poor choice. Thus, Abraham Lincoln won the nomination on the third ballot. Lincoln was a moderate who was against the spread of slavery. He said, however, that he would not try to abolish slavery where it already existed. The four-man election contest was really a pair of two-man contests. Lincoln challenged Douglas for the North s electoral votes. Bell and Breckinridge competed for those of the South. Douglas, Bell, and Breckinridge each knew he might not win the election. However, they hoped to win enough votes to prevent Lincoln from winning in the electoral college. Such an outcome would send the election to the House of Representatives. In this they failed. Lincoln won the race. Although he gained less than 40 percent of the overall popular vote, he won 180 of the 183 electoral votes in the free states. Breckinridge and Bell split the electoral votes of slave states, with the exception of Missouri. Douglas had the second-highest number of overall popular votes. However, he won only one state Missouri outright. He finished with just 12 electoral votes. The election results angered many southerners. Lincoln did not carry a single southern state, yet he would be the next president. This election was a strong reminder of how the South was losing its political power on the national level. THE GRANGER COLLECTION, NEW YORK Reading Check: Finding the Main Idea How did Lincoln and the Republican Party win the presidential election of 1860? 470 Chapter 15

26 Breaking with the Union Many southern whites believed that once in power, Lincoln would move to abolish slavery in the South. They feared this action would destroy the South s economy and society. Lincoln insisted he would not change slavery in the southern states. He had said, however, that slavery had to end at some point in the future. That was enough to greatly concern many southerners. A man in Mississippi urged white southerners to act quickly to protect their interests. Let us rally... before the enemy can make good his promise to overwhelm us. Just four days after Lincoln s election, South Carolina s legislature called for a special convention. There delegates met to consider the question of secession, the act of formally withdrawing from the Union. The convention opened in Charleston on December 17, After three days of speeches, all of the delegates voted to secede. They wanted to dissolve the union now subsisting [existing] between South Carolina and other States. The Constitution does not directly address the issue of secession. Therefore, southerners who wanted to secede believed that there was no constitutional barrier to a state leaving the Union. They pointed out that each of the original states had voluntarily joined the Union. Each of these states had held a special state convention to ratify the Constitution. Surely, southerners reasoned, states could also leave the Union by the same process. This banner supports Republican candidates Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin. CA 4 WASHINGTON TERRITORY OR 3 UTAH TERRITORY NEW MEXICO TERRITORY NEBRASKA TERRITORY Electoral Popular Vote Vote Lincoln Douglas Breckinridge Bell ,865,593 1,382, , ,906 UNORGANIZED TERRITORY KANSAS TX 4 MN 4 INDIAN Disputed * New Jersey cast four electoral votes for Lincoln and three for Douglas. Source: Historical Statistics of the United States IA 4 % of Pop. Vote MO 9 AR 4 LA 6 WI 5 IL 11 MI 6 IN 13 MS AL 7 9 OH 23 KY 12 TN 12 GA 10 NH 5 VT 5 PA 27 VA 15 NC 10 SC 8 FL 3 NY 35 Electoral Winner by State 4 ME 8 MA 13 RI 4 CT 6 NJ 7* DE 3 MD 8 Lincoln (Republican) Douglas (Northern Democrat) Breckinridge (Southern Democrat) Bell (Constitutional Union) Electoral votes The Election of 1860 Interpreting Maps The division between North and South was clearly reflected in the election of Lincoln s victory increased tensions between the regions, and secession soon followed. Skills Assessment 1. Places and Regions Which state had the most electoral votes, and which candidate won this state? 2. Analyzing Information Which candidate finished second to Lincoln in the electoral and popular votes? A Divided Nation 471

27 TO NECTING CO MATH Just the Facts Slave and Free States in Congress Number of Representatives Year Slave states Free states Source: Historical Statistics of the United States Using Mathematical Skills 1. What was the largest gap between representatives of free and slave states? 2. Create a line graph that illustrates the statistics in the chart above. Label the x- axis Number of Representatives, and label the y-axis Year. 3. Imagine that you are a southern politician in Write a speech describing the trend that has taken place in the House between 1820 and 1860 and what it means to southern politics. Critics of secession flatly rejected this idea. President Buchanan said that the Union was not a mere voluntary association of States, to be dissolved at pleasure by any one of the contracting parties. President-elect Abraham Lincoln agreed. He said, No State, upon its own mere motion, can lawfully get out of the Union. Lincoln added, They can only do so against [the] law, and by revolution. While South Carolina representatives were meeting, Congress reviewed a plan to preserve the Union. Senator John J. Crittenden of Kentucky proposed a series of constitutional amendments to satisfy the South. One would extend the line created by the Missouri Compromise to the Pacific coast. It would allow slavery in all territories now held, or hereafter acquired south of this line. Another would use federal money to pay slaveholders who could not recover their fugitive slaves in the North. Crittenden hoped his plan would address the chief fears of slaveholders. He also hoped that the country would avoid secession and a civil war. President-elect Lincoln did not agree with this plan. To express his views, he sent many letters to Republicans in the Senate. In these letters he asked Congress to vote against Crittenden s plan. Entertain [consider] no proposition for a compromise in regard to the extension of slavery, Lincoln wrote. The tug has to come and better now than later. A Senate committee voted on the Crittenden Compromise. Every Republican on the committee rejected it, as Lincoln had requested. Reading Check: Identifying Points of View Why did South Carolina decide to leave the Union, and how did politicians react? The Confederate States of America By February 1, 1861, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas had seceded from the Union. Their actions did not mean that everyone in these states supported secession, however. Some public figures even tried to slow or stop the march toward secession. However, such individuals quickly suffered the consequences of opposing the public will. In Texas, for example, Governor Sam Houston was removed from office for standing in the way of secession. On February 4, delegates from six of the seven seceding states met in the town of Montgomery, Alabama. They established a new nation the Confederate States of America, also known as the Confederacy. The delegates passed their new constitution on February 8. The document closely resembled the U.S. Constitution in many ways. However, the constitution of the Confederacy guaranteed that its citizens could hold slaves. 472 Chapter 15

28 Jefferson Davis of Mississippi was elected president of the Confederate States of America. Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia became vice president. Davis was a graduate of West Point and a veteran of the Mexican War. He had been secretary of war under President Pierce and had served in the Senate until Mississippi left the Union. Davis had opposed secession as late as 1860, although he believed that states had the right to secede. But his loyalty to the South outweighed his hopes for peace. With his military background, Davis hoped to be appointed general in command of Mississippi s troops. He did not seek the presidency of the Confederacy. He greeted the news of his election with silence. Davis s wife, Varina, wrote about his reaction. History Makers Speak He looked so grieved that I feared some evil had befallen [happened to] our family. After a few minutes painful silence he told me [what the telegram contained], as a man might speak of a sentence of death. Varina Davis, Jefferson Davis: A Memoir Davis was a highly intelligent and hardworking politician. He also was very loyal to his friends. However, he tended to involve himself in details that would have been better left to his staff. Furthermore, his devotion to his friends often clouded his judgment. These personal qualities would increase the difficulty of the challenges he would face as president of the Confederacy. Reading Check: Summarizing What did the seceding states do in 1860 and 1861 after leaving the Union? As an officer during the Mexican War, Jefferson Davis had led U.S. forces to victory in the Battle of Buena Vista. THE GRANGER COLLECTION, NEW YORK Section 4 keyword: Identify and explain: John Brown s raid John C. Breckinridge Constitutional Union Party John Bell John J. Crittenden Confederate States of America Jefferson Davis Review 1 Define and explain: secession 3 Summarizing Copy the graphic organizer below. Use it to identify the causes of 4 Finding the Main Idea 2 the secession of southern states in 1860 and Causes Secession 5 SC5 HP15 a. Describe the northern and southern reactions to John Brown s raid on Harpers Ferry. b. How did the four-way race for president help Lincoln win the election of 1860? Writing and Critical Thinking Supporting a Point of View Imagine that you are a foreign ambassador witnessing the conflicts over slavery in the United States. Write a speech for your home country that responds to South Carolina s secession from the Union. Consider the following: reasons for secession whether or not the Constitution mentions secession your support for or opposition to South Carolina s secession A Divided Nation 473

29 Chapter Review The Chapter at a Glance Examine the visual summary of the chapter below. Make notes about each topic listed in the image. Then use the notes to create a simple board game to be played with a partner. Each player must explain the topics he or she lands on to continue proceeding along the pathway to secession. The Balance Is Broken Northern Complaints Secession Southern Complaints Fugitive Slave Act Kansas-Nebraska Act Bleeding Kansas Dred Scott decision Westward expansion of slavery The United States Compromise of 1850 o f Am e r ica Uncle Tom s Cabin Bleeding Kansas John Brown s raid Lincoln s election Growing power of the North Identifying People and Ideas Use the following terms or people in historically significant sentences. 1. sectionalism 7. John Brown s raid 2. Free-Soil Party 8. secession 3. Daniel Webster 9. Confederate States of 4. Stephen Douglas America 5. Republican Party 10. Jefferson Davis 6. Dred Scott Understanding Main Ideas Section 1 (Pages ) 1. What were the parts of the Compromise of 1850? 2. How did the Fugitive Slave Act affect free and enslaved African Americans? Section 2 (Pages ) 3. How did pro-slavery and antislavery forces oppose each other in Kansas? Section 3 (Pages ) 4. Why was the Republican Party created, and what goals did it promote? Section 4 (Pages ) 5. How did each of the four presidential candidates in 1860 view the slavery issue? 6. What led many of the southern states to leave the Union? You Be the Historian Reviewing Themes 1. Geography Why did the Mexican Cession renew tensions about slavery between northern and southern states? 2. Citizenship How did the Dred Scott decision affect African Americans, and what was the response to the decision? 3. Constitutional Heritage What legal argument did South Carolina s officials use to justify secession? Thinking Critically 1. Summarizing What roles did the politicians John C. Calhoun, Henry Clay, and Daniel Webster play in the compromise efforts prior to the Civil War? 2. Comparing and Contrasting How were the Compromise of 1850 and the Missouri Compromise similar, and how were they different? 3. Analyzing Information How did both congressional conflicts and efforts to compromise contribute to greater divisions within the United States? 474 Chapter 15

30 Interpreting Maps Study the map below. Then use the information on the map to help you answer the following questions. Washington Terr. CA OR Free states Slave states Territories Utah Terr. New Mexico Terr. Unorganized Terr. Nebraska Terr. MN Kansas Terr. Indian Terr. TX IA MO WI LA IL MI IN OH KY TN AR MS AL GA PA VA NC SC FL NH VT The United States in in NY ME MA CT RI NJ DE MD 1. How many slave states and free states were there in 1860? a. 13 slave states, 20 free states b. 15 slave states, 16 free states c. 14 slave states, 18 free states d. 15 slave states, 18 free states 2. What would the total number of senators have been for the slave states and for the free states in 1860? a. 30 and 36 b. 28 and 36 c. 30 and 34 d. 30 and Based on the map and your knowledge of the period, where do you think southern politicians hoped to add additional slave states to the Union? Analzying Primary Sources Read the following quote by a reader of Harriet Beecher Stowe s Uncle Tom s Cabin and answer the questions that follow. My Dear Mrs. Stowe, I sat up last night until long after one o clock, reading and finishing Uncle Tom s Cabin. I could not leave it any more than I could have left a dying child.... I thought I was a thoroughgoing abolitionist before, but your book has awakened so strong a feeling of indignation and of compassion that I seem never to have had any feeling on this subject till now. But what can we do? Alas! Alas! what can we do? 4. Which of the following statements best describes the letter writer s feelings about Uncle Tom s Cabin? a. The criticism of slavery offended her greatly and made her angry. b. The book made her want to do even more to try to abolish slavery. c. The book changed her mind about slavery, which had not bothered her before. d. The book does not matter because nobody can do anything about slavery. 5. Based on your knowledge of the period, why would such reactions to Uncle Tom s Cabin have been important to the relationship between the North and the South? Alternative Assessment Building Your Portfolio Cooperative Learning As a group, prepare a chart showing the political parties that were formed from 1848 to The chart should include information on the year the party was formed (and ended, if applicable), the party s platform, presidential candidates, and region of strongest support. Add appropriate images to your chart and write a paragraph to explain the importance of third parties in political elections. Internet Activity: go.hrw.com keyword: SC5 CF15 Choose a topic on the Divided Nation to: Understand the causes and effects of the European revolutions of Create a newspaper on John Brown and resistance movements against slavery. Research Supreme Court decisions regarding slavery. A Divided Nation 475