apush chapter 13.
Dred Scott v. Stanford
A Supreme Court case brought by Dred Scott, a slave demanding his freedom based on his residence in free territories, though brought there as a slave
Panic of 1857
A banking crisis that caused a credit crunch in the North; it was less severe in the South, where high cotton prices spurred a quick recovery.
Crittenden Compromise
A last-ditch effort at a compromise to amend the Constitution to protect slavery in states where it existed (Wanted to preserve Union by extending Missouri Compromise Lincoln refused to consider compromise Did not want to abolish slavery completely, but did not want to extend it further)
Kansas Nebraska Act
A law passed in 1854 creating the Kansas and Nebraska Territories but leaving the question of slavery open to local residents (popular sovereignty) *directly contradicted Missouri Compromise* Southerners supported, but North did not.
Fugitive Slave Act
A law that was part of the Compro-mise of 1850. It created a new set of federal agents to help track runaway slaves and required authorities in the North to assist Southern slave catch-ers and return runaway slaves to their owners
Mason-Dixon Line
A line surveyed by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon between 1763 and 1767 that settled the border between the then colonies of Pennsylvania and Maryland and came to be seen as the dividing line between North and South
republican party
A new political party created in 1854 that was dedicated to stopping the spread of slavery in any place in the nation where it did not exist
Harper's Ferry
Frederick Douglass - powerful Maryland speaker, escaped slave John Brown - played role in violence in Kansas Met and planned a slave rade Harper's Ferry Lightly guarded federal arsenal stood bettwen rivers Had army of 16 white and 5 black men Oct. 16, 1859 Attack began Confident that slaves would rise up to join them Cut telegraph lines and took hostages, but attacked by by federal troops led by Robert E. Lee Found guilty when tried and sentenced to hang on Dec. 2 1859 Brown spoke out about the raid and some thought him insane, but eventually Northerners began to believe that violence was needed to end slavery
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom's Cabin published 1851 and 1852 Bestselling book of century Described slavery to Northerners and enraged South
Election of 1860
Lincoln not first nomination, many other choices before, but eventually was the Republican candidate Several different splinters of the main 2 parties elected candidates as well (Constitutional Party was faction of old Whig party) Democrats could not come up with candidate Had two meetings, and eventually nominated Douglas and took up a popular sovereignty platform Others nominated John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky Republican ticket was not offered on some Southern ballots, and not a single electoral vote was given for Republicans in the South, but Lincoln still won Secession of the South
compromise of 1850
Proposals that hoped would pass Congress and avert sectional crisis: 1 - CA admitted as state, and NM as territorial gov with no restriction on slavery 2 - Give more land to New Mexico and giving TX $10 mil to pay off debts of Republic of Texas -- established border 3 - abolished slave trade in District of Columbia 4 - law enhancing slaveholders' rights to reclaim slaves who fled to North and federal agents to help Balanced both sections fo Union, but many disliked it
Lecompton Constitution
Proslavery state constitution drafted in 1857 by Kansas territorial delegates elected under questionable circum-stances; it was decisively rejected by Congress
Image: Slave being beaten by white person with slaves in background
Slavery was a very violent practice, and slaves worked and were beaten if they did not do something right to scare them and keep them working on the farm. Harriet Beecher Stowe? Throughout the South, slaves were used as workers to export goods, like cotton, for economic benefits. Throughout the mid-1800s, however, people in the North began to oppose slavery and did not like how slaves were being treated. Some wanted to get rid of it completely (northerners), while others just wanted to keep it from spreading.
Image: Forcing slavery down the Throat of a Freesoiler
Slavery was being pushed on the North, and despite Northern beliefs and wants, was spreading to new U.S. States and Territories. This is in favor of the Free-Soiler party and was most likely written by a Northerner. They believe that the South is forcing slavery to spread, despite Northern resistance (most likely through Popular Sovereignty and possibly the Fugitive Slave Act) Kansas Nebraska Act was the time of the Free Soil Party (eventually developed into the Republican Party) Popular Sovereignty - passionate people would go to Kansas to vote to make it a slave state Opportunity for slavery to spread exists
DOCUMENT EXCERPT: Dred Scott, A Slave Sues for Freedom, 1857 "Chief Justice Taney delivered the opinion of the Court. The question is simply this: Can a Negro, whose ancestors were imported into this country, and sold as slaves, become a member of the political community formed and brought into existence by the constitution of the United States, and as such become entitled to all the rights, and privileges, and immunities, guaranteed by that instrument to the citizen? One of which rights is the privilege of suing in a court of the United States in the cases specified in the Constitution...Now, as we have already said in an earlier part of this opinion, upon a different point, the right of property in a slave is distinctly and expressly affirmed in the Constitution. The right to traffic in it, like an ordinary article of merchandise and property, was guaranteed to the citizens of the United States, in every state
Slaves, such as Dred Scott, should be viewed as property, and are not U.S. citizens, so they can not have the same rights as U.S. citizens. To finalize the Dred Scott case, and make it clear that slaves as a whole were not to be given any rights. They were not to be considered free people, even if they escaped, and this would upset the North.
How did the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act contribute to the rise of the Republican Party and the demise of the Whigs?
produced a violent uprising known as "Bleeding Kansas," as proslavery and antislavery activists flooded into the territories to sway the vote. Political turmoil followed, destroying the remnants of the old Whig coalition and leading to the creation of the new Republican Party. (more abolitionists)
Lincoln Douglas debates impact on the future of the country?
propelled Lincoln's political career into the national spotlight, while simultaneously stifling Douglas' career, and foreshadowing the 1860 Election really established the two separate parties
Issues that divided the nation before the Civil War
the issue of slavery the balance of power in the federal government economic differences (south agrarian)
Compromises that were attempted but failed ******
- Missouri Compromise (Maine and Missouri admitted, countered by Kansas Nebraska) - Compromise of 1850 (California added as free state, new mexico was not restricted territory, established TX border and gave more funds to help w fees, fugitive slave act, abolished slave trade in D.C.) - Crittenden Compromise (Wanted to preserve Union by extending Missouri Compromise Lincoln refused to consider compromise Did not want to abolish slavery completely, but did not want to extend it further
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
1858 Senate Debate, Lincoln forced Douglas to debate issue of slavery, Douglas supported pop-sovereignty, Lincoln asserted that slavery should not spread to territories, Lincoln emerged as strong Republican candidate 1858 - Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas competed for election for the U.S. Senate in Illinois August 21, 1858 - first of 7 debates held across Illinois Long (each could speak for 2+ hours) and spoken to thousands of Americans Ottawa, Illinois - defined political parties
Second Party system
A system that began when the followers and supporters of Andrew Jackson created the Democratic Party as a political party and Jackson's opponents organized the Whig Party in response
How did John Brown's 1859 raid on Harper's Ferry help radicalize public opinion in both the North and South?
Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry was essential to radicalize public opinion in the North and South because many began to believe that violence was needed to resolve the issues regarding slavery. Although he was considered insane for what he did, after his trial many began to look at his actions as something necessary if each side were to get what they wanted. Scared the South
Why did the Supreme Court ruling in the Dred Scott case make a peaceful resolution of the conflict between the North and South over slavery less likely?
In the Dred Scott case, the Supreme Court's ruling that Scott should be returned to slavery decreased the likelihood that the conflict over slavery between the North and South be solved peacefully because it served to make Northerners more upset and create more abolitionists. In fact, in his decision, Taney declared that Scott, as a slave, had no rights and that Congress could not prohibit slavery in any federal territory. With more Northerners becoming abolitionists, the divide continued to grow, and they became more angry with Southern actions over slavery. Slaves were considered property, and this shattered the Abolitionist's argument. Essentially declared that any compromise made was unconstitutional.
What light does the debate over the admission of territories acquired by the U.S. at the conclusion of the War with Mexico shed on the root issues dividing the North and South in the decades before the Civil War?
It was strongly debated how each territory would be added to the union: whether it would be a slave state or a free state. After the Mexican-American War, New Mexico and Texas became U.S. territories, and the U.S. had to determine how they would be addressed. This was done in the Compromise of 1850, in which California was admitted to the Union as a free state and New Mexico was admitted as a territory with
Why did both pro and antislavery forces believe that victory in Kansas was critical to their cause?
Kansas was not only a large state taking up the modern-day states of Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. Either side making sure this large section of US land would become either Free or Slave would be a large win in the battle for/against slavery. Additionally, another state supporting one of the sides would end the balance of slave to free states, causing one side to have much more political power than the other.
DOCUMENT EXCERPT: South Carolina Declaration of the Causes of Secession, December 24, 1860 "We assert that fourteen of the states [that is, the free states] have deliberately refused for years past to fulfill their constitutional obligations, and we refer to their own statutes for the proof...The states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa have enacted laws which either nullify the acts of Congress [the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850] or render useless any attempt to execute them...Those states have assumed the right of deciding upon the propriety of our domestic institutions; and have denied the rights of property established in fifteen of the states and recognized by the Constitution. They have denounced as sinful the institution of slavery; they have permitted the open establishment among them of societie
South Carolina declared their succession from the Union because they felt they were not represented fairly in the U.S. government. After Lincoln won the U.S. Presidential Election without a single electoral vote from the South, Southern States believed that their ideas were too separate from Northern ones and that the only way to be represented in the government was to succeed and form their own. Another situation was the Compromise of 1850, which many Northern states refused to comply with.
a. Briefly describe ONE element of the Compromise of 1850.
Task A: Describes one element of the Compromise of 1850 The course framework often allows teachers the flexibility to select their own examples when teaching the course content. As a result, responses may vary. Some examples that would earn credit include: · The Compromise of 1850 consisted of five separate laws passed in September of 1850, first introduced in a series of resolutions from Senators Henry Clay (Kentucky) and Stephen Douglass (Illinois), the elements of which were as follows. · California entered the Union as a free state. · The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was amended to enforce Northern compliance with the law to capture and return fugitive enslaved people to the South. · The slave trade in Washington, D.C., was abolished, but slavery as an institution remained legal in the district. · The Utah Territory and New Mexico Territory were admitted to the Union and allowed to decide, under the doctrine of popular sovereignty, if slavery would be permitted within their borders. · A boundary dispute was settled between Texas and New Mexico, with Texas surrendering its claim to New Mexico and its claims north of the 36⁰30' latitude in exchange for compensation to pay off its debt.
a. Briefly describe ONE major difference between Du Bois' and Litwack's historical interpretations of Reconstruction. b. Briefly explain ONE historical effect of Reconstruction, as described by Du Bois or Litwack. c. Briefly describe ONE way in which the effects of Reconstruction for African Americans, as described by Du Bois or Litwack, compared with the effects of the American Revolution for African Americans in the period from 1776 to 1800.
Task A: Describes one major difference between Du Bois' and Litwack's historical interpretations of Reconstruction Some examples that would earn credit include: · Du Bois argues that African Americans gained little from Reconstruction, fought in the Civil War to protect White Americans' economic interests, and then received little in return. African Americans desired land as a source of economic security but did not receive it. · Litwack argues that African Americans experienced significant gains from Reconstruction, starting with their freedom. As a result, they could take control of their lives in ways that they never could before. Task B: Explains one historical effect of Reconstruction, as described by Du Bois or Litwack. The course framework often allows teachers the flexibility to select their own examples when teaching the course content. As a result, responses may vary. Some examples that would earn credit include: · Land redistribution to newly free African Americans was extremely limited. · Both Southern and Northern White people sought to establish systems such as sharecropping to utilize African American labor. · Many formerly enslaved people became sharecroppers or tenant farmers. · Many formerly enslaved people moved around the country in search of separated family members or new opportunities. · The Freedmen's Bureau established schools and job agencies to help formerly enslaved people as well as White people living in poverty. · Some African Americans found political opportunities by being elected to local, state, and a few federal offices. Task C: Describes one way in which the effects of Reconstruction for African Americans, as described by Du Bois or Litwack, compared with the effects of the American Revolution for African Americans in the period from 1776 to 1800 The course framework
b. Briefly explain ONE specific historical reason why the United States government agreed to the Compromise of 1850.
Task B: Explains one specific historical reason why the United States government agreed to the Compromise of 1850 The course framework often allows teachers the flexibility to select their own examples when teaching the course content. As a result, responses may vary. Some examples that would earn credit include: · The compromise provided a temporary solution to the sectional crisis regarding the political balances of power between free states and slave states. They disputed the issue of the expansion of slavery in new territories and states, particularly the territory acquired by the United States at the end of Mexican-American War known as the Mexican Cession. · With the Congressional compromise in place, the United States government deferred having to take a constitutional stance on the expansion of slavery and the legality of the system. Instead, under the direction of Congress, the decision about the expansion of slavery remained largely relegated to the states and territories. · Although Southern states disliked some of the terms in the compromise, it prevented the adoption of the Wilmot Proviso (1846), which would have banned slavery in all the territory acquired from Mexico in order to preserve it for free White labor, thus preserving the balance of slave states in Congress. · The Northern states disliked some of the terms in the compromise, particularly the amended Fugitive Slave Act, which allowed the capture of escaped former enslaved people in the North. However, they agreed to it because California would become a free state, and Utah and New Mexico would most likely be free territories, thus expanding or promising to expand the balance of free state representation in Congress. · The compromise averted state secession from the Union and prevented the outbreak of civil war, while allowing the economies
wilmot proviso
The amendment offered by Pennsylvania Democrat David Wilmot in 1846, which stipulated that "as an express and fundamental condition to the acquisition of any territory from the Republic of Mexico . . . neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in any part of said territory"
c. Briefly describe ONE key historical similarity or difference between the Compromise of 1850 and the Missouri Compromise.
Task C: Describes one key historical similarity or difference between the Compromise of 1850 and the Missouri Compromise The course framework often allows teachers the flexibility to select their own examples when teaching the course content. As a result, responses may vary. Some examples that would earn credit include: Key historical similarities between the Compromise of 1850 and the Missouri Compromise · Both defused sectional conflict by providing temporary solutions to the issue of slavery and its expansion into new territories or states. · Both averted potential state secession and the potential outbreak of armed conflict and civil war between the North and the South. · Both represented efforts of the United States Congress to create compromise and defuse tensions between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions. · Both established or reinforced 36⁰30' latitude, the line drawn across the former Louisiana territory, as laid out in the Missouri Compromise, above which slavery should not expand. · Both deferred the United States government having to take a constitutional stance on the expansion of slavery and the legality of the system. Instead, under the direction of Congress, the decision about the expansion of slavery remained largely relegated to the states and territories. Key historical differences between the Compromise of 1850 and the Missouri Compromise · In 1850, the addition of new territory to the United States and the adoption of the concept of popular sovereignty made the issue of slavery and its expansion more explosive. In just four years' time, the 1850 compromise was undone by the 1854 Kansas and Nebraska Act, which allowed the territories applying for statehood to determine the fate of slavery within their borders. In contrast, the Missouri Compromise provided a temporary solution to the
DOCUMENT EXCERPT: Daniel Webster, Speech to the U.S. Senate in Favor of the Compromise of 1850, March 7, 1850 "Mr. President,—I wish to speak to-day, not as a Massachusetts man, nor as a Northern man, but as an American, and a member of the Senate of the United States...It is not to be denied that we live in the midst of strong agitations, and are surrounded by very considerable dangers to our institutions and government...I speak to-day for the preservation of the Union...Now, Sir, upon the general nature and influence of slavery there exists a wide difference of opinion between the northern portion of this country and the southern...Slavery...did exist in the States before the adoption of this Constitution, and at that time. Let us, therefore, consider for a moment what was the state of sentiment, North and South, in regard to slavery, at the time this Constitution was adopted. A remarkable change has taken pla
The Compromise of 1850 was good because it preserved the Union and maintained both the ideas of the Founding Fathers and present ideas. The Senate, specifically those opposing the Compromise of 1850, in order to try and persuade them to be in favor of it.
How did the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 affect public opinion about slavery in the North? How would you explain the impact of the law?
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 created a much more negative view of slavery in the North. They felt that this was an extension of the South's power and that in a way it was a way to expand slavery, which many of them opposed. Eventually, they began to put nullifications in place, which meant that they refused to enforce it. The Act, which essentially declared that all escaped slaves be returned to their owners, only created more abolitionists, and although The Compromise of 1850 meant to keep the peace between the North and the South overall, it only resulted in further division of Northern and Southern ideas.
What light do the Lincoln-Douglas debates shed on Lincoln's views on slavery and race in 1858?
The Lincoln-Douglass debates were drawn-out discussions between Lincoln (a Whig who would eventually become a Republican) and Douglass (a Democrat), in which both discussed their political affiliations thoroughly. In Lincoln's speeches, it became clear that he believed in preserving the Union, and although he was against slavery, he did not want it to come to an end throughout America. He was against the spread of slavery into new U.S. territories (although he did believe that slaves had certain rights as well).
DOCUMENT EXCERPT: Abraham Lincoln, Debate at Galesburg, Illinois, 1858 "I believe that the right of property in a slave is not distinctly and expressly affirmed in the Constitution, and Judge Douglas thinks it is. I believe that the Supreme Court and the advocates of that decision may search in vain for the place in the Constitution where the right of property in a slave is distinctly and expressly affirmed...And I do think—I repeat, though I said it on a former occasion—that Judge Douglas and whoever, like him, teaches that the negro has no share, humble though it may be, in the Declaration of Independence, is going back to the era of our liberty and independence, and, so far as in him lies, muzzling the cannon that thunders its annual joyous return; that he is blowing out the moral rights around us, when he contends that whoever wants slaves has a right to hold them; that he is penetrating, so far as lies in
The topic of slavery is destroying the Union, and it is not something clearly stated to be legal in the Constitution. Disagreeing with the Dred Scott decision To prove in a debate that Judge Douglas' opinions are wrong, and that slavery is something that must be debated peacefully, as there is no right or wrong explicitly written in the Constitution. Popular Sovereignty could give way to slave owners and lead to the spread of slavery continuing
Bleeding Kansas
Violence between pro- and antislavery forces in Kansas Territory after the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854 that led to significant bloodshed and national attention for Kansas
