Drifting Toward Disunion, 1854-1861 Chapter 19
Stowe & Helper: Literary Incendiaries Harriet Beecher Stowe Uncle Tom s Cabin Revealed evil in slavery Rallied North around abolitionism Hinton R. Helper The Impending Crisis of the South Argued that non-slave owning whites suffered most from slavery Raised Southern anger and fears
North-South Contest for Kansas North sends abolitionists to Kansas Beecher s Bibles South responds by sending well-armed slave owners Missouri slave owners voted in Kansas election Slavery passed (fraudulent election) Slave owners established gov t at Shawnee Mission Free-soilers established gov t at Topeka
Kansas in Convulsion John Brown abolitionist Leads attacks on proslaveryites 1856 Civil war in Kansas 1857 Kansas applies for statehood (slave state) Lecompton Constitution Problems in Washington prevent Kansas from becoming a state Pres. Buchanan s support for Kansas (slave) breaks Democratic Party
Bully Brooks & His Bludgeon Charles Sumner berates slavery & the South in speech to Senate Preston S. Brooks (SC) beats Sumner with cane on Senate floor Speech published in North South angered
Old Buck Versus The Pathfinder & Electoral Fruits of 1856 D James Buchanan, R John C. Fremont, Nativists Millard Fillmore All try to avoid Kansas issue Buchanan elected Seen as compromise candidate
Dred Scott Bombshell 1857 Dred Scott Case Dred Scott slave living in IL & WI territories Sues for freedom because living on free land Loses, slaves are not citizens & cannot sue Slaves are property & can be taken anywhere by their owners 5 th Amendment prohibits Congress infringing on private property Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional Slavery can exist in any territory South angered by North s dismissal of ruling
Financial Crash of 1857 Causes: CA gold, too much grain, land & railroad speculation North more affected than South Argument for free land in West North demands higher tariffs for protection
Illinois Rail-Splitter Emerges Republicans choose Abraham Lincoln to run against Douglas in Illinois
The Great Debate: Lincoln versus Douglas Freeport Doctrine Douglas proclaims that popular sovereignty overrules Supreme Court (voting on slavery) Douglas defeats Lincoln in election Lincoln emerges as possible Republican presidential candidate Douglas further splits Democrats
John Brown: Murderer or Martyr? Harpers Ferry (1859) John Brown seizes federal arsenal (kills 7) Brown intended to lead massive slave revolt in South (Slaves fail to rise up) Captured by Robert E. Lee Hung for treason Reveled in role of abolitionist martyr Further splits North & South
Disruption of the Democrats Democrats split over presidential nominee Southerners secede from party North - Stephen A. Douglas South John C. Breckinridge Constitutional Union Party John Bell
Rail-Splitter Splits the Union Lincoln more universal than Seward Republican party has national appeal South threatens secession if Lincoln is elected Lincoln opposed slavery but was not an abolitionist
Electoral Upheaval of 1860 November 1860 Lincoln wins election 60% of voters did not vote for Lincoln Lincoln did not appear on Southern ballots Lincoln wins North & Northwest South & democrats still control Supreme Court, Senate & Congress
Secessionist Exodus Dec 1860 SC secedes AL, MS, FL, GA, LA, TX soon follow 4 more would eventually (11 total) Feb 1861 Formally create Confederate States of America Jefferson Davis President Lincoln does not take office until March Buchanan blamed for not holding country together
Collapse of Compromise Crittenden amendments Proposes popular sovereignty Lincoln refuses North awaits Southern response Does not want to appear as aggressor
Farewell to Union South didn t fear retribution South didn t view secession as wrong Viewed Declaration of Independence & example of colonies as validation for secession