Chap 19

Know-Nothings

The Constitutional Union Party was formed by former Whigs and Know-Nothings. They nominated John Bell as their presidential candidate.

Crittenden amendments (Compromise)

The Crittenden amendments to the Constitution were designed to appease the South. The amendments prohibited slavery in territories north of 36030', but it permitted slavery in the territories south of this line. Future states (north and south of this line) would get to vote on the issue of slavery. President Lincoln rejected the amendments.

Shawnee Mission/Topeka

The New England Emigrant Aid Company, a group of abolitionists, paid some people to move to Kansas to make it a free state. (The Kansas and Nebraska territories had popular sovereignty in choosing slavery, according to the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Nebraska was so far north that its future as a free state was never in question.) In 1855 when Kansas was having its legislature elections, many pro-slavery people came from Missouri to vote. They sought to elect pro-slavery officials. The slavery supporters won the elections and set up their own government at Shawnee Mission. The abolitionists then set up their own government in Topeka, giving the Kansas territory two governments. In 1856, the civil war in Kansas started when a group of pro-slavery riders burned down part of the abolitionist's town of Lawrence.

public domain

The Republican platform appealed to nearly every part of the nation. For the West, they supported internal improvements at federal expense. For the farmers, they supported free homesteads (plots of land) from the public domain.

Apportionment

The allotment or distribution of legislative representatives in districts according to population. In the general election that followed the debates, more pro-Douglas members were elected than pro-Lincoln members but thanks to inequitable apportionment, the districts carried by Douglas supporters represented a smaller population than those carried by Lincoln supporters.

border state

The northernmost slave states contested by north and south; during the civil war the four border states (Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, and Missouri) remained within the Union, though they contained many Confederate sympathizers and volunteers.

"border ruffians"

When the day came in 1855 to elect members of the first territorial legislature of Kansas, proslavery "border ruffians" poured in from Missouri to vote early and often. The slavery supports triumphed then set up their own puppet government there.

James Buchanan

A Democrat, succeeded Pierce as the President of the United States in the election of 1856. He had a strong southern influence and approved of the Lecompton Constitution. Meeting in Cincinnati, the Democrats chose James Buchanan as their presidential candidate to run in the election of 1856 because he wasn't involved with the divisive Kansas-Nebraska Act. The Democratic platform campaigned for popular sovereignty. ames Buchanan won the election of 1856. It was a good thing that the Republican Party did not win the election because some southerners said that if a Republican had won, then they would secede.This election was a small victory for the Republican Party because the party was just 2 years old, yet it put up a fight for the Democrats.

"Black Republicans"

A bland Buchanan, although polling less than a majority of the popular vote, won handily; his tally in the Electoral College was 174 to 114 for Fremont and 8 for Fillmore. Why did the rousing Republicans go down in defeat—Fremont lost much ground because of grave doubts as to his honesty, capacity, and sound judgment. The violent threats of the southern "fire-eaters" that the election of a sectional "black Republican" would be a declaration of war on them, forcing them to secede.

Simon Legree

A slave driver who is main villain of the classic anti-slavery propaganda novel Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Stowe.

Affidavit

A sworn, written testimony, usually attested to by a notary public or legal officer

Roger Taney

Chief Justice Roger Taney said that no slave could be a citizen of the U.S. in his justification.

"Second American Revolution"

Civil War transformed American into a complex modern industrial society of capital, technology, national organizations, and large corporations.

Lecompton Constitution

Civil war flared up in Kansas in 1856, and continued until it merged with the nation's Civil War of 1861-1865 . In 1857, Kansas had enough people to apply for statehood. Its citizens were going to vote again on whether or not to have slavery in the state of Kansas. To keep the abolitionists from creating a free state, the pro-slavery politicians created the Lecompton Constitution. The document stated that the people were not allowed to vote for or against the constitution as a whole, rather, they could vote on whether the constitution would be "with slavery" or "without slavery." If slavery was voted against, then one of the provisions in the constitution would protect those who already owned slaves in Kansas. Many abolitionists boycotted voting, so the constitution was approved to include slavery.

Bleeding Kansas

Civil war flared up in Kansas in 1856, and continued until it merged with the nation's Civil War of 1861-1865.

puppet government

Crisis conditions in Kansas rapidly worsened; when the day came in 1855 to elect members of the first territorial legislature, proslavery "border ruffians" poured in from Missouri to vote early and often; slavery supporters triumphed and set up their puppet government at Shawnee Mission and the free-soilers established a regime in Topeka.

"Beecher's Bibles"

Deadly new breech-loading Sharps rifles that were carried by the two thousand people sent to Kansas by the New England Emigrant Aid Company.

Stephen Douglas

For the election of 1860, the Democrats met in Charleston, South Carolina to choose their candidate. The northern part of the party wanted to nominate Stephen Douglas, but the southern "fire-eaters" saw him as a traitor for his unpopular opposition to the Lecompton Constitution and his unpopular Freeport Doctrine reply. After the delegates from most of the cotton states walked out, the Democrats met again in Baltimore to elect a candidate. This time, Douglas was elected, despite the fact that the southerners again walked out.

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Harriet Beecher Stowe, who was white, published Uncle Tom's Cabin in 1852 as an attempt to show the North the horrors of slavery. The novel was published abroad, including France and Britain. It helped to start the Civil War and for the North to win it. The South cried foul, saying Stowe's portrayal of slavery was wrong and unfair.

Robert E. Lee

He captured John Brown

Harper's Ferry Raid

He developed a plan to secretly invade the South, call upon the slaves to rise, give the slaves weapons, and establish a black free state.John Brown's scheme to invade the South with armed slaves, backed by sponsoring, northern abolitionists; seized the federal arsenal; Brown and remnants were caught by Robert E. Lee and the US Marines; Brown was hanged.

Hinton Helper

Hinton R. Helper, a non-aristocrat from North Carolina, wrote The Impending Crisis of the South in 1857. He hated both blacks and slavery, and he attempted to use statistics to prove that the non-slaveholding whites were the ones who suffered the most from slavery. Published in the North, this book and Uncle Tom's Cabin were both banned in the South, but widely read in the North. They drove the North—South wedge deeper.He was captured and killed by Southerners.

Charles Sumner/Preston Brooks

In 1856, abolitionist Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts gave a provoking speech condemning pro-slavery men. During this speech, Sumner also personally insulted Senator Andrew Butler of South Carolina. Two days later on May 22, 1856, Butler's nephew, Preston Brooks, beat Sumner with a cane to unconsciousness. The speech made by Sumner was applauded in the North, angering the South.The clash between Sumner and Butler showed how violent and impassioned the Northerners and Southerners were for their cause.

Jefferson Davis

In December 1860, South Carolina's legislature met in Charleston and voted unanimously to secede. 6 other states joined South Carolina: Alabama,Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. The 7 seceders met at Montgomery, Alabama in February 1861 and created a government known as the Confederate States of America. The states chose Jefferson Davis, a recent member of the U.S. Senate from Mississippi, as President.

Abraham Lincoln

In Illinois senatorial election of 1858, the Republicans chose Abraham Lincoln to run against Democrat Stephen Douglas. Lincoln served in the Illinois legislature as a Whig politician and he served one term in Congress. The Republican Party met in Chicago and nominated Abraham Lincoln as their presidential candidate. The Republican platform appealed to nearly every part of the nation. For the free-soilers, the Republicans supported the non-extension of slavery. For the northern manufacturers, they supported a protective tariff. For the immigrants, the supported no abridgement of rights. For the Northwest, they supported a Pacific railroad. For the West, they supported internal improvements at federal expense. For the farmers, they supported free homesteads (plots of land) from the public domain.The Southerners said that if Abraham Lincoln was elected as President, the Union would split

Bandwagon

In politics, a movement or candidacy that gains rapid momentum because of people's purported desire to join a successful cause.

Pottawatomie Massacre

In reaction to the sacking of Lawrence by pro-slavery forces, John Brown rode with 4 sons & 2 others to Pottawatomie Creek; dragged 5 pro slavery settlers from beds and murdered them, brought retaliation from the pro-slaveryites.

John Brown

John Brown: fanatical abolitionist who, in May of 1856, hacked to death 5 presumed pro-slavery men at Pottawatomie Creek in response to the pro-slavery events in Lawrence. Civil war flared up in Kansas in 1856, and continued until it merged with the nation's Civil War of 1861-1865.In 1857, Kansas had enough people to apply for statehood. Its citizens were going to vote again on whether or not to have slavery in the state of Kansas. To keep the abolitionists from creating a free state, the pro-slavery politicians created the Lecompton Constitution. The document stated that the people were not allowed to vote for or against the constitution as a whole, rather, they could vote on whether the constitution would be "with slavery" or "without slavery." If slavery was voted against, then one of the provisions in the constitution would protect those who already owned slaves in Kansas. Many abolitionists boycotted voting, so the constitution was approved to include slavery.

Freeport Doctrine

Lincoln challenged Douglas to a series of seven debates that were arranged from August to October 1858 (Lincoln-Douglas debates).The most famous debate happened in Freeport, Illinois. Lincoln asked Douglas, "What if the people of a territory should vote down slavery?" The Supreme Court in the Dred Scott decision had said that the people could not do this. Douglas's reply to him became known as the "FreeportDoctrine." Douglas argued that no matter how the Supreme Court ruled, slavery would stay down if the people voted it down. Laws to protect slavery would have to be voted on by the territorial legislatures. Douglas won the senatorial election, but Lincoln won the popular vote.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Lincoln challenged Douglas to a series of seven debates that were arranged from August to October 1858 (Lincoln-Douglas debates).The most famous debate happened in Freeport, Illinois. Lincoln asked Douglas, "What if the people of a territory should vote down slavery?" The Supreme Court in the Dred Scott decision had said that the people could not do this. Douglas's reply to him became known as the "FreeportDoctrine." Douglas argued that no matter how the Supreme Court ruled, slavery would stay down if the people voted it down. Laws to protect slavery would have to be voted on by the territorial legislatures. Douglas won the senatorial election, but Lincoln won the popular vote.

Constitutional Union party

Made of all the old Whigs and the rest of the Know Nothings; they fear the disunion of the Union; they nominate John Bell of TN in the 1860 election

Charleston convention

Meeting at Charleston in December 1860, South Carolina unanimously voted to secede and during the next six weeks, six other states of the lower South, followed the leader over the precipice: Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas; four more were to join them later, bringing the total states up to eleven. The seven seceders, formally meeting at Montgomery, Alabama, in February 1861, created a government known as the Confederate States of America. As their president, they chose Jefferson Davis, a dignified and austere recent member of the U.S. Senate from Mississippi (former cabinet member with wide military and administrative experience but he suffered from chronic ill-health).

John Fremont

Meeting in Philadelphia, the Republicans chose Captain John C. Fremont because he was also not influenced by the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The Republican platform campaigned against the extension of slavery. Fremont was hurt by the rumor that he was a Roman Catholic. First presidential candidate of a major party to run on a platform in opposition to slavery.

"Nebrascals"

Northerners who wanted to abolish slavery in both Kansas and Nebraska.

Impending Crisis of the South

Novel written by Hinton R. Helper. It used statistics that proved indirectly the non-slaveholding whites were the ones who suffered most from slavery.

Reapportionment

Occurs after each census according to growth or loss of population.

Martyr

One who is tortured or killed for adherence to a belief. Abolitionist John Brown developed a plan to secretly invade the South, call upon the slaves to rise, give the slaves weapons, and establish a black free state. In October 1859, he seized the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry. Because many of his supporters failed to show up, he was caught and sent to death by hanging. When Brown died, he lived on as a martyr to the abolitionist cause.

Dred Scott

Dread Scott, a slave who had lived with his master for 5 years in Illinois and the Wisconsin Territory, sued for his freedom on the basis of his long residence on free soil. In Dred Scott vs. Stanford, the Supreme Court first ruled that because Scott was a black slave and not a citizen, he could not sue in Federal courts. The Court also ruled that because a slave was private property, he could be taken into any territory and legally held there in slavery. The Fifth Amendment forbade Congress from depriving people of their property without the due process of law. The Court went further and stated that the Missouri Compromise of 1820 was unconstitutional and that Congress had no power to ban slavery from the territories, no matter what the territorial legislatures themselves wanted. This victory delighted Southerners, while it infuriated Northerners and supporters of popular sovereignty.

"lame duck"

During this time of secession, Buchanan was still the "lame duck" president, because Lincoln was not sworn in until 1861. President Buchanan did not hold the seceders in the Union by force because he was surrounded by pro-southern advisors and he could find no authority in the Constitution to stop them with force. Another reason that force was not used was because at the time, the Union's army was needed to control the Indians of the West. The Northerners were not eager to use force against the Southerners because that would have ended the possibility of peaceful negotiations

Panic of 1857

The panic of 1857 was caused by over-speculation in the West and currency inflation due to the inrush of Californian gold. The North was the hardest hit, while the South continued to flourish with its cotton. Northerners came up with the idea of the government giving 160-acre plots of farming land to pioneers for free. Two groups opposed the idea: Eastern industrialists feared that the free land would drain its supply of workers, and the South feared that the West would fill up with free-soilers who would form anti-slavery states, unbalancing the Senate even more. Congress passed a homestead act in 1860, making public lands available at $0.25/acre, but it was vetoed by President Buchanan.The Tariff of 1857 lowered import taxes to about 20%. The North blamed it for causing the panic, because they felt they needed higher duties for more protection. This gave the Republicans two economic issues for the election of 1860: protection for the unprotected and farms for the farmless.