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Wilmot Proviso
Wilmot Proviso excluded slavery from new territories. This would’ve upset the compromise of 1820 and delicate balance of 15 free and 15 slave states.
Defeat only intensified sectional feelings. -
Free Soil Movement
Northern democrats and whigs supported Wilmot Proviso and that all African Americans enslaved or freed are excluded from Mexican cession.
Northerners who opposed slavery organized the Free Soil party. To prevent extension of slavery, new party advocated free homesteads. -
Compromise of 1850
Constitution was drafted for their new state that banned slavery.
Henry clays compromise to solve political crisis was, admit California as a free state, divide Mexican cession into two, land in dispute Texas, and ban slave trade in District of Columbia.
Adopted new fugitive slave law and enforced it.
Political tensions abated slightly in the four years. -
Uncle Tom’s Cabin published
Most influenced book, loose network of notrhern free blacks and ex slaves help of white abolitionists, helped escaped slaves reach freedom.
Escaped slave woman, Harriet B. Stowe, made 19 tips south and helped 300 slaves escape.
Abolitionists then organized vigilance committees to protect fugitive slaves.
Civil war broke out, Frederick Douglas and Harriet Tubman worked for emancipation of salves and support black soldiers 8n union. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Democrats control of national policy in White House and congress, new law passed that was to have disastrous consequences.
Douglas planned building railroads and promote western settlement.
For approval, he introduced bill to divide a Nebraska into two, Nebraska and Kansas. North democrat condemned bill, it was a 3 month debate, bill was passed and signed my president pierce.
Effect, it repealed Missouri compromise that kept lid on regional tensions for more than three decades. -
Republican Party formed
Found3d in Wisconsin 1854, was a direct reaction of Kansas Nebraska act. Freee soldiers and anti slavery Whigs and Democrats, purpose was to spread slavery in other territories. Platform in 1854 called for the repeal of Kansas Nebraska act and fugitive slave la.
As violence increased, more people, including some abolitionists, joined the Republican Party, became second largest party. Alienated and threatened south. -
Caning of Charles Sumner
Massachussetts senator Charles Sumner venally attacked Democratic administration in a vitriolic speech, “the crime against Kansas”.
His nephew, Congressman Preston Brooks, beat Sumner over the head with a cane. Brooks actions outraged the north, house voted to censure him.
This was yet another sign of growing passions on both sides. -
“Bleeding Kansas”
Stephen Douglas expected slavery issues to be settled by anti slavery farmers who migrated from the Midwest. Slaveholders from the neighboring state Missouri, set up homesteads, as means of winning control of territory for south.
Northern abolitionists and free soilers responded by organizing New England Emigrant Aid Company in 1855.
Caused a fight between pro slavery and anitslavery. Pros attacked the free soil town of lawrence, killed two and destroyed houses and businesses.John Brown Killed 5 -
Dred Scott v. Sanford decision
Congressional folly and presidential ineptitude contributed to the sectional crisis of the 1850s. Supreme Court worsened it when northerners with controversial pro slavery decision in the case of a slave named dred Scott.
Dred Scott argued that his residence on free soil made him a free citizen. Left Northern Democrats with an almost impossible task of supporting popular sovereignty without repudiating the Dred Scott decision. -
Lincoln-Douglas debates
Stephan Douglas’ campaign for re-election ad senator was chanllenged by a former successful trial lawyer and former member of lesgislature, Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was not an abolitionist but was against the expansion of slavery, spoke of it as a moral issue.
“House divided” speech. Free port doctrine, responded that slavery couldn’t exist in a community of the local citizens that did not pass laws maintaining it. Douglass lost his ground in his own party by alienating southern democrats -
John Brown’s RAID on Harpers Ferry
Souths worst fears of radical abolitionism when he tried to start slavery uprising in Virginia. Republican leaders condemned Brown’s use of violence. Southerners were not convinced and saw the raid as final proof of north’s intentions, to use slave revolts to destroy south. -
Election of Lincoln
Election of Lincoln was all that souther secessionists needed to call for immediate disunion. In 1860, special convention voted unanimously to secede.
