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Wilmot Proviso
Was a bill that David Wilmot proposed to outlaw slavery in any territory the US may gain from the War with Mexico. Slaveholders believed that Congress had no right to prevent slavery in any of the territories. They claimed that the Constitution gave equal protection to the property rights of all US citizens. The Proviso divided Congress along sectional lines. Even though the bill passed the House of Representatives, the Southerners stopped it from passing the Senate. -
Compromise of 1850
CA wanted to be a free state, but it'd mean there'd be more free states to slave states. Congress was divided about making the desision about making CA a state. Henry Clay thought of a plan to settle their differences; for the North, CA would be a free state and slave trade in DC would be abolished and for the South, Congress wouldn't pass laws for the rest of the territories won from Mexico and Congress would pass a stronger law to help slaveholders. This plan became law by the end of Sept. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act was a law in the Compromise that had accused fugitives held without arrest warrants. With no right to a jury trial, a federal comissioner ruled on each case. The South were happy about the law since they considered slaves to be property. The North were angry about how the law required them to help recapture runaways and punished those had not cooperate with the law. Southern slave catchers were allowed to roam the North and sometimes they captured free African Americans. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe was outraged over the Fugitive Slave Act, so she wrote the book Uncle Tom's Cabin. The book spoke of the cruelty and immorality of slavery. It was popular in the North while the South argued that it presented a false image of the South and slavery. -
Bleeding Kansas
There were more proslavery than antislavery settlers in the KS Territory. After about 5,000 residents of MO came and voted illegally, the legislature of KS was filled with proslavery representatives. Antislavery settlers rejected their government, then settlers on both sides armed themselves. A proslavery mob looted the town of Lawrence, KS. Responding to this, John Brown led seven other abolitionists in a massacre of five of his proslavery neighbors. A civil war broke out, it cont. for 3 years. -
Formation of Republican Party(RP)
When the Whig Party was torn, the Northern Whigs joined other rivals & formed the RP. The RP was an antislavery & sectional party that sought to protect the interest of the North. They quickly gained strength from "Bleeding Kansas" b/c many blamed the violence on the Democrats. With 1856 elections nearing, the RP grabbed the chance 2 gain seats in Congress & win presidency. They nominated John Fremont b/c he wanted CA & KS admitted as free states & he didn't have a contoversial political past. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Senator Douglas had drafted a bill to organize the Nebraska Territtory. The bill became known as the Kansas-Nebraska Act, it suggested to divide the territory in two- Nebraska and Kansas. To gain the South's support, Douglas suggested that popular sovereignty should be used to decide whether a territory becomes either slave or free. The South like the bill because of the popular sovereignty because slavery was banned by the Missouri Compromise. The bill angered the North, but the bill passed. -
Caning of Charles Sumner
Senator Charles Sumner of MA was spoke against the proslavery forces in KS, however, in this speech he insulted AP Butler, Senator from SC. Preston Brooks, Butler's cousin, heard the speech, so he attacked Sumner at his desk in Congress. Brooks beat him unconscious with a cane resulting in severe injuries. The South cheered for Brooks, while the North was shocked by the violence within the Senate. Angry about the events antislavery forces created a new political organization-the Republican Party -
Dred Scott Case
After his owner had died, Dred argued he was free b/c he lived in territories where slavery was illegal. His case reached the Supreme Court in 1856. 2 years later, the Court ruled against him; Chief Justice Taney stated Dred wasn't a US citizen so he couldn't sue in US courts. He also said that Scott was bound by MO's slave code since that's where he lived. The court decided that even if Scott was freed, he still wouldn't be a citizen & that Congress had no power 2 limit slavery. -
Attack on Harper's Ferry
John Brown, who murdered proslavey Kansans 3 years before, wanted to provoke a slave uprising. So he planned to capture weapons in the US arsenal at Harpers Ferry, VA. He & 18 followers captured the Harpers Ferry arsenal. Brown sent out word 2 rally & arm local slaves. However, no slaves joined the fight. US marines attacked Brown. Brown and 6 of his men were captured. He was tried 4 treason & he was hung 4 his actions. Northerns tolled bells & fired guns in his honor on the day he was hung. -
Election of 1860
This election turned into 2 diff. race for presidency- North & South ones. Lincoln & Douglas in the North & Breckinridge & Bell in the South. Lincoln & Breckinridge had the most extreme views on slavery. Lincoln didn't want expansion of slavery into the territories. Breckinridge wanted the federal gov. 2 be required 2 protect slavery in any territory. Lincoln defeated Douglas in the North, & Breckinridge won the South. Since the North has more people, Lincoln won the election. -
Secession
After Lincoln won, SC was the 1st state 2 secede. Other in the deep South considered secession since they depended on slavery & cotton production. The states that seceded met in Montgomery, AL in early Feb. They called themselves the Confederate SoA. They named Jefferson Davis president. President Buchanan believed that states didn't have the right to secede from the Union. The South thought the North would get rid of slavery. They tried to compromise, but compromise only failed.
