1850’s: Sectional Conflict

Prelude to the Civil War

America in the 1850’s Agriculture still mainstay of economy

Urban population increased from 6% to 20% Rural population increased from 5 million to 25

million (80% of population) Growth of northwestern states changes politics

Population of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin & Iowa increased from 500,000 to 5 million, 1830-1860

Meant free states had majority in Electoral College Free labor ideology–individualism &

egalitarianism 4 million immigrants enter U.S., 1840-1860

1.4 million Germans 1.7 million Irish

The Election of 1848 Whigs elect war hero

Zachary Taylor without a platform

Conscience Whigs join anti-slavery Democrats & Liberty Party to form new Free Soil Party Nominated Van Buren Received 10% of vote

Democrats nominated Lewis Cass & criticized politicization of slaveryCopyright 2000, Bedford/St. Martin’s

Sutter’s Mill, California

Modern re-creation of the sawmill

John SutterJamesMarshall

The Debate over California California Gold Rush (1848-49) brings over 80,000

white Americans to California Organized free state government, backed by Taylor Clay offered compromise Omnibus Bill William Seward denounced compromise & spoke

of obeying “higher law” Calhoun warned South would leave union if right to

own slaves not guaranteed Taylor died in July 1850, making Millard Fillmore

president Stephen Douglas broke up Omnibus Bill &

engineered Compromise of 1850

The Compromise of 1850 California admitted as a free state New Mexico territory organized on basis of

popular sovereignty; Texas reduced to present size & compensated

Utah territory organized on basis of popular sovereignty

Fugitive Slave Act made federal government responsible for catching & returning escaped slaves

Slave trade (but not slavery) abolished in the District of Columbia

Map: Compromise of 1850

Northern Response to the Compromise of 1850

Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1851)

The Election of 1852 Franklin Pierce won

back Van Buren Democrats

Defeated Gen. Winfield Scott (Virginia Whig) 50.8% - 43.9% in

popular vote 254-42 in electoral vote John Hale (Free Soil

candidate) polled 4.9%

Franklin Pierce Winfield Scott

The End of the Missouri Compromise

Gadsden Purchase (1853) meant to secure southern route for transcontinental railroad Arranged by James Gadsden & Secretary of War

Jefferson Davis U.S. paid $10 million to Mexico for over 45,000 acres

south of the Gila River Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) meant to secure

northern route Stephen Douglas wrote bill organizing remaining

Louisiana Purchase territory into 2 territories on basis of popular sovereignty

Explicitly repealed Missouri Compromise

Rounding Out the Lower 48

Copyright 2000, Bedford/St. Martin’s Press

The Kansas-Nebraska Act

Bleeding Kansas Abolitionist & proslavery forces race

to populate Kansas & write state constitution Both sides stage terrorist attacks Jayhawks led by John Brown

responsible for Pottawatomie Massacre 157 violent deaths, but only 38 definitely

related to slavery conflict Congressman Preston Brooks

savagely beat Senator Charles Sumner in the Senate (May 22, 1856)

John Brown

Brooks Beats Sumner

The Election of 1856 Democrats nominate

Ambassador James Buchanan

Southern Whigs & Know-Nothings form American Party – nominate Fillmore

Conscience Whigs, Antislavery Democrats & Free Soilers form new Republican Party – nominate Fremont

James Buchanan John C. Fremont

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

Dred Scott was slave of Army doctor had lived in free state & territory sued for freedom

Chief Justice Roger Taney ruled: Scott had no standing to bring suit African Americans are not citizens &

have no rights Missouri Compromise was

unconstitutional Any attempt to limit slavery in

territories (even by territorial legislature) unconstitutional

Dred Scott

Roger Taney

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Buchanan backed fraudulent pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution (1858)

Douglas opposed – declared “Freeport Doctrine” in debates with Lincoln

Dred Scott ruling must be respected

Territories could still bar slavery by failing to pass necessary laws

Lincoln pointed out inherent contradiction

John Brown’s Body

Brown was Connecticut native with apocalyptic vision

Led raid on federal arsenal in Harper’s Ferry, VA to start slave rebellion

Convicted of treason against Commonwealth of Virginia & executed

Became martyr to abolitionists

The arraignment of John Brown

Brown’s Last Moments, by Thomas Hovdenden (1884)