Chapter 15 Section 3

Challenges to Slavery Objectives:

1. Define what the Republican Party and Democratic Party believed in and its effect on the

1854&1856 elections.

2. Identify the points of view of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglass in their debates and its

impact on their political careers.

3. Describe what the Dred Scott case is and how it created sectionalism.

4. Explain what occurred at Harper’s Ferry and how it created more sectionalism.

V. New Political Party

A. The Republican Party

1. Was formed from anti-slavery members of other parties

2. These included Free Soilers, Whigs and Democrats

3. Their goal was to stop slavery in western territories

B. Election of 1854

1. The Republicans showed they were strong in the north

2. During the 1854 elections ¾ of Northern Democrats lost their seats

3. It became clear that Democrats supported slavery

C. Election of 1856

1. There are three candidates

a. John Fremont as a Republican

b. James Buchanan as a Democrat

c. Millard Fillmore as a Know Nothing

2. Fremont wins most of the states in the north

3. Buchanan wins most of the states in the south

4. Fillmore wins only Maryland

5. Buchanan wins a close election

a. Slavery will be a major issue

b. Buchanan supports the idea of popular sovereignty in the west

c. Both of these create more sectionalism

VI. Lincoln-Douglas Debates

A. The debates were during the 1858 Illinois Senate race

B. Lincoln was a Republican

1. Was a unknown

2. Wanted to stop slavery out west

3. Would allow slavery to continue in the South

C. Stephen Douglas was a Democrat

1. Was the incumbent

2. Wanted to allow slavery in the west

3. He stated that if a state wanted to pass a law to regulate slavery the state could

D. Results of Debates

1. Douglas wins the Senate election

2. Lincoln becomes a national leader

3. Both men will be the candidates in the Presidential election of 1860

VII. Dred Scott Case

A. Dred Scott was a slave

1. Owned in Missouri which was a (slave or non-slave)

2. His owner moved to Illinois which was non-slave

3. The owner moved back to Missouri which is (slave or non-slave)

4. The owner dies and leaves Scott to his family

B. The Supreme Court Case (1857)

1. Abolition lawyers sue for Scott’s freedom

a. Believe that he was in Illinois which is a state

b. Scott should be free

2. Slave owner family says they are in Missouri which is a _______________ state

3. The Supreme Court ruling creates more sectionalism

a. They rule that Scott will remain a slave.

b. They also rule that slavery can be out west

c. This ruling says that the Missouri Compromise is repealed

d. Slavery can be anywhere out west

4. The reaction

a. North and Republicans are upset

1. It allows for the spread of slavery

2. It made the South look more powerful

b. The South sees this a win for slavery and the south

c. This creates even more sectionalism

VIII. Harpers Ferry

A. John Brown (from Kansas) attacks a Virginia Arsenal

B. Wants to set slaves free

C. He is found guilty of starting a revolt

D. Dies for his cause which is a martyr