Chapter 19 Drifting Toward Disunion 1854 1861 I

Chapter 19 Drifting Toward Disunion, 1854– 1861

I. Stowe and Helper: Literary Incendiaries • Uncle Tom’s Cabin—Harriet Beecher Stowe – Goal to awaken the North to the wickedness of slavery • Impending Crisis of the South by Hinton Helper – Anti-slavery book based on statistics

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II. The North-South Contest for Kansas • Kansas slavery to based on popular sovereignty – Both sides ‘assisted’ • Crisis conditions in Kansas rapidly worsened – Disputed 1855 election for the territorial legislature – Proslavery attack on town of Lawrence (1856) – John Brown - Pottawatomie Creek revenge attack

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Tragic Prelude by John Steuart Curry

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III. Kansas in Convulsion • Civil war erupted in Kansas in 1856 • Kansas applies for statehood (1857) – Lecompton Constitution: A proslavery document • The scene shifted to Washington – POTUS Buchanan supports Lecompton Constitution • Democratic Party splits – Congress voted against Lecompton Constitution • Kansas stays a territory

IV. “Bully” Brooks and His Bludgeon • Bleeding Kansas (Kansas Territory War) • Blood also splattered on the Senate floor (1856) – Senator Sumner (MA) beaten by Preston Brooks (SC) • House could not muster enough votes to expel Brooks

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V. “Old Buck” Versus “The Pathfinder” • Democrats chose James Buchanan • Republicans final choice was John C. Frémont • ‘Know-Nothing party’ Nominated Fillmore VI. The Electoral Fruits of 1856 Buchanan Electoral vote 174 Popular vote 1, 832, 955 Freemont 114 1, 339, 932 Fillmore 8 871, 731 • Many feared a Republican vote = civil war

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VII. The Dred Scott Bombshell • Dred Scott v. Stanford decision (March 1857) – Said Dred Scott was property, not a citizen – Said Congress had no power to ban slavery • Republicans were defiant of SCOTUS – Southerners upset that northerners were upset

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VIII. The Financial Crash of 1857 • Causes of the ‘Panic of 1857’ – Caused by gold inflation, land & RR speculation • The Tariff of 1857 despised by the South – The north wanted higher tariffs

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IX. An Illinois Rail-Splitter Emerges • The Illinois senatorial election of 1858 – Democrat nominee Senator Stephen A. Douglas – Republicans nominated Abraham Lincoln • Not well educated, but an avid reader

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X. The Great Debate: Lincoln Versus Douglas • Lincoln-Douglas debates led to the… • Freeport Doctrine – Popular opinion would rule – Laws against popular opinion would fail • State legislature selected Douglas over Lincoln • Lincoln emerged as a potential POTUS nominee

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XI. John Brown: Murderer or Martyr? • John Brown – Raid of Harpers Ferry failed (Oct 1859) • The effects of Harper Ferry were inflammatory – To the South, Brown was a treasonous murderer – To the North, Brown was a free-soile martyr

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XII. The Disruption of the Democrats • In the Election of 1860 – Democrats were split • Douglas (north) & Breckenridge (south) • Constitutional Union party – Belittled “Do Nothing” or “Old Gentleman’s” party – Nominated John Bell of Tennessee.

XIII. A Rail-Splitter Splits the Union • Lincoln Republican nominee on beat third ballot • Republican party had an appeal for everybody – Free-soilers, manufacturers, immigrants, farmers – Covered Northeast, Midwest, West, Northwest

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XIV. The Electoral Upheaval of 1860 Lincoln Douglas E. C. 180 12 Pop 1, 865, 593 1, 382, 713 Breckenridge 72 846, 356 • Lincoln wins the 1860 election – Lincoln was a minority president (39. 7%) Bell 39 592, 906

XV. The Secessionist Exodus • South Carolina secedes 4 days after election – Then Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, left before Lincoln took office • Confederate States of America (Feb 1861) – Selected Jefferson Davis as their president • POTUS Buchanan “lame duck” interlude – Said no authority for stopping succession

CSA unofficial flag 1861 “Bonnie Blue”

CSA Flag 1861 -1863 “Stars and Bars”

CSA Flag 1863 -1865 “Stainless Banner”

CSA Flag 1865 “Blood Stained Banner”

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XVI. The Collapse of Compromise • Crittenden amendments – Designed to appease the South – Slavery prohibited north of the 36 -30 latitude – Given federal protection in all territories south • Lincoln flatly rejected the Crittenden scheme

XVII. Farewell to Union • Secessionists left for a number of reasons – Most related to the issue of slavery – Southerners upset at triumph of Republican party – They were weary of free-soil criticism/attacks – Many thought succession would be unopposed – South tired of vassalage to ‘moneyed’ North – South believed in principles of self-determination – South believed they were right – South believed, if a war, they would win

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