Chapter 14 notes

Abolition

The majority of Americans didn't care either way
Slavery seemed immoral, but abolitionists seemed crazy and unwilling to compromise
The Constitution allows for slavery, but compromises kept it secluded to the South
Should slavery spread to new territories?
Missouri Compromise: no slavery allowed in states above 36-30'
With the Mexican Cession, more southern states were being admitted than northern states
Wilmont Proviso: plan to ban slavery in territories acquired from Mexico
Never passed
Led to the “Free Soil” movement

Election of 1848

Democrats—mostly southern
Against the Wilmont Proviso
Thought new territories could decide on slavery when they became states
Ran Cass for President, who proposed “Squatter Sovereignty” to appeal to the South's states' rights beliefs
Whigs—mostly northern
Supported the Wilmont Proviso
Ran Zachary Taylor, Mexican War hero, slaveholder

Free-Soil Party

Were against expanding slavery but not slavery itself
Democrats that had Whig support
Van Buren, a Democrat, ran for President and lost

Compromise of 1850

Thought up by Henry Clay, the same senator who thought up the Missouri Compromise

For North:
-California became a free state
-Texas debt would be assumed by Federal Government
-Slave trade banned in DC
For South:
-Mexican Cession territories wouldn't decide on slavery
-New Mexico would take some Texas land
-Stronger Fugitive Slave Law: no trials for alleged runaway slaves
-Both Democrats and Whigs supported the Compromise in the next election

Very Bad Things

The emergence of the Free-Soil Party threatened the old Whig Party, taking away much of their northern base
The Compromise of 1850 meant the 2 main parties seemed almost the same
Franklin Pierce (Democrat) was elected in 1852 with northern and southern support
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) by Stephen Douglass
Repealed the Missouri Compromise
Left slavery up to popular sovereignty in the territory
Thought it would get more support for the Whigs
Instead, the Whigs disagreed over it

The Know-Nothing Party

Whigs were temporarily replaced by nativists
Nativism: belief that pre-existing inhabitants deserve preference over immigrants
The group began in secret, hence the name
Later became the American Party and opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, though not entirely
In the West, “Republicans” had some of the same ideas as Know-Nothings but focused on stopping the spread of slavery, not immigration
Strong stances on moral causes
Thought slavery would hurt “free labor”
Predominantly Protestant and nativist

Bleeding Kansas

Kansas became a territory in 1854. To sway the vote over slavery, people out of state quickly settled, leading to several years of violence
Many from Missouri moved to make mostly “Free-Soil” Kansas pro-slavery. Riots break out
Pro-slavery men raided Lawrence. As revenge, John Brown led a group to kill five people in the Pottawatomie Massacre. John Brown would later be known for raiding the armory at Harper's Ferry
In all, about 200 died from guerilla warfare
“Bleeding Sumner:” they beat that dude with a cane. Unable to serve but re-elected

Division

Election of 1856:
The new Republican party lost to the popular sovereignty Democrats. Former President Fillmore ran for the almost-dead Know-Nothings
Was there a “slave power conspiracy” in America?
Churches began to split into North and South
Presbyterians, Methodist, Baptists
Slavery was a political and moral issue

Dred Scott v. Sandford, 1857

Scott was a slave in Missouri but moved to Wisconsin, where slavery was illegal. Was he free? SCOTUS:
Scott had no case because he was not a citizen
No blacks could be citizens of the US
Congress had no power to prohibit slavery anywhere
THEREFORE, the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional

To the tune of Battle Hymn of the Republic:

John Brown's body lies mouldering in the grave,
John Brown's body lies mouldering in the grave,
John Brown's body lies mouldering in the grave,
His soul is marching on!

He captured Harper's Ferry with his nineteen men so true,
And he frightened old Virginia till she trembled through and through,
They hung him for a traitor, themselves the traitor crew,
But his soul is marching on!

Lecompton Controversy

Pro-slavery citizens wanted to approve a pro-slavery state constitution
They put it up to a vote: allow slavery, or not allow future imports of slaves?
Anti-slavery people could not choose “No Slavery At All, Ever” and boycotted. The constitution passed
The anti-slavery majority then set up a second referendum to stop it, and won
In US Congress, the Lecompton plan passed the Senate but failed the House
The debate split Congress between the Republican North and Democrat South