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Slavery in the South
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Wilmot Proviso
David Wilmot was a antislavery congressman from Pennsylvania. He proposed a ban on slavery in any territories gained from the Mexican-American war. The House of Representatives passed the bill since it was mostly Whigs and antislavery Democrats. However, the Senate did not pass it since many of its members thought that it could end the Union by splitting North and South. -
Free-Soil Party and movement
When the Senate rejected the Wilmot Proviso, many saw it as the South controlling the nation. They formed the Free Soil Party to oppose them. The Free Soil movement did not emphasize the evils of slavery and its cruelty. Instead, its members saw slavery as a threat to a true republic. Since slave owners became wealthy through plantations, it caused common people to see it as unfair. They wanted to abolish slavery to promote a more even distribution of wealth and land. -
Compromise of 1850
The compromise of 1850 resolved a dispute on whether California should be a slave or free state, and also slavery in future western states. Henry Clay and other Whig and Democrat leaders passed 5 separate laws: The Fugitive Slave Act better supported slave catchers. New Mexico won a border dispute with Texas. California was admitted as a free state. The slave trade was ended in DC. Lastly, Mexican cessations were organized in territories whose slave status was determined by popular sovereignty. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
In 1852, the abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe published a novel called "Uncle Tom's Cabin." This book depicted the horrible realities of slavery faced by millions of people, and it carried a strong abolitionist message. The book sold 310,000 copies in the US very quickly. This prompted a nationwide discussion on slavery and race. The discussion caused personal-liberty laws to be passed in the North that guaranteed all residents, even supposed fugitive slaves, to be granted a fair trial. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Stephan Douglas wanted to build a continental railroad linking Chicago and California. He proposed organizing a free territory called Nebraska. The South opposed this. To win their support, he officially repealed the Missouri Compromise line. New territories in the Great Plains would be subject to popular sovereignty. He also formed 2 new territories, Kansas and Nebraska. The new version of the bill passed. -
Formation of Republican Party
The Kansas-Nebraska act ended the Whig party, as they saw it as too extreme. A new party was then formed by former Whigs, Free-Soilers, Abolitionists, and a few anti-slavery Democrats. This new Republican party was very diverse in opinion, but they all agreed on one thing: Slavery must be abolished. They thought that it negatively impacted free workers, and stopped middle-class farmers from succeeding without slaves. -
Bleeding Kansas
Thousands of settlers went to Kansas after the Kansas-Nebraska act. Pro- and anti- slavery leaders encouraged their followers to move there in order to vote (with popular sovereignty) on slavery. Most of the residents ended up being free-soil. In 1856, violence erupted from both sides. A proslavery army of 700 burned the free-soil town Lawrence. This caused John Brown and other free state supporters to attack 5 proslavery people in Pottawatomie. This mini-war continued for several years. -
Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott was a slave who had been living with his master in the free state of Illinois for years. He tried to sue for freedom on the basis that since he had been in a free state for years, he could no longer be considered a slave. He lost the case at the Supreme Court 7-2. A main argument, given by Roger B. Taney, was that a black person could not be a citizen, and therefore could not sue. He also considered slaves property, so they could not be taken by the government. -
Lincoln-Douglas debates
The Republican Abraham Lincoln was running against Democrat Stephan Douglas for Illinois senator. Lincoln said that slavery was a cancer that needed to be removed to preserve the Union and its morals, and that the US could not be half slave and half free. He also said "a house divided against itself cannot stand." Douglas said that he supported white supremacy, and that the country was made for the benefit of white men. He also attacked Lincoln's Negro Equality. In the end, Douglas won, barely. -
Radical Democrats and Republicans
As Republicans continued gaining power, the Democrats split into moderates and fire-eaters. Moderates advocated permanent political protections for slavery. Fire-Eaters directly promoted secession. Northerners also took strong stances, saying that slavery and freedom were a dangerous conflict. John Brown led an attack on an arsenal in Harpers Ferry, VA to try to arm slaves and mount a rebellion to end slavery. This fueled more conflict between the parties, and John Brown was eventually hanged.
