AMSCO 13 Notes - U.S. History PDF

The Union in Peril -4 main causes: slavery, constitutional disputes, economic differences, political extremism Conflict over status of territories -wilmot proviso didn’t allow slavery in new territories - upset compromise of 1820 Free soil movement -northern democrats and whigs supported wilmot pro...

The Union in Peril -4 main causes: slavery, constitutional disputes, economic differences, political extremism Conflict over status of territories -wilmot proviso didn’t allow slavery in new territories - upset compromise of 1820 Free soil movement -northern democrats and whigs supported wilmot proviso -free soil party opposed allowing slavery in new territories -”free soil, free labor, free men” Southern position -most whites viewed free soil party as violating their constitutional rights by not allowing slavery (prperty rights) -moderate southerners wanted to expand MO Compormise line westward Popular soverighnty -democratic senator Lewis Cass proposed compromise that made both sides happy - allow settlers from state to vote on issue (pop sov) Election of 1848 -whigs nominated zachary taylor (no postion on slavery) -barn burners: democrats that opposed slavery The Compromise of 1850 -cali requested statehood and had constitution that banned slavery (free state) -fire eaters: radicals in the south -southerners talked of secession if president taylor allowed for cali and new mexico to b ecome free states -henry clay made compromise of 1850: -cali admitted as free state -divide mexican cession into 2 territories (utah and new mexico) and allow them to decide slavery issue by pop sov -assume texas debt of $10 million -ban slave trade in district of columbia but whites can hold slaves as before -fugitive slave law and enfore -senator debate about slavery -daniel webster argued for compromise to save union -john c calhoun argued agaisnt compromise and south be given equal rights in new territory -senator stephen douglas passed each part of compromise separately Agitation over slavery Fugitive slave law -south accepted loss of cali as free state -north opposed law -created sectional divide between north and south Underground railroad -loose network of northern free blacks and ex-slaves w/help from white aboltionists who helped escaped slaves reach freedom in north or canada -harriet tubman made 19 trips to south and helped 300 slaves escape Books on slavery -uncle tom’s cabin by harriet beecher stowe -influenced northerners to see all slave owners as cruel and inhuman -southerners said it was untrue and was just another northerner prejudice -impending crisis of the south by hinton r helper -used stats and facts to oppose slavery -said slavery hurt south’s econojmy - south banned the book -south argued back and said it was a good thing for slaves to be enslaved, allowed by the bible National Parties in Crisis The election of 1852 -whigs nomianted general winfield scott -whigs ignored slavery issue, focused on improving roads and harbors -democrats nominated franklin pierce -northerner but supported fugitive slave law -pierce won - whig party fell apart The kansas-nebraska act (1854) -stephen douglas made a plan for building railroad and promoting western settlement -transcontinental railroad through central U.S. w/end point in chicago (his home state) -to get democratic approval, made bill that allowed settlers in kansas and nebraska to decide about slavery issue -bill passed and signed into law Extremists and Violence -kansas nebraska act repealed MO compromise -slavery issue became bigger “Bleeding Kansas” -both north and south sent settlers to territories to vote for or agaisnt slavery -border ruffians: proslavery missourians -pierce didn’t do anything to keep order in territory -senator charles sumner verbally attacked senator andrew butler (democratic) -butler’s nephew senator preston brooksbeat sumner with a cane -created even more sectional divide and tension New parties -know nothing party drew support away from whigs and weakened them -opposed catholics and immigrants going to northern cities -republican party formed as reaction to kan-neb act -free soilers, antislavery whigs and democrats - oppose slavery in new territories not end slavery itself The election of 1856 -republiocan nominated senator john c fremont -no expansion of slavery, free homesteads, probusiness protective tariff -democratic nominated james buchanan who won Constitutional Issues Lecompton constitution -submitted legislature admitting kansas as slave state even though pop sov wanted free state -tried to get it through congress but was rejected Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) -scott was a slave in missouri then taken to free territory and lived for 2 years, returned back to missouri, argued he was a free citizen now, sued for his freedom -supreme court ruled against scott -didn’t have the right to sue because he’s african american -congress can’t deprive person of property (slaves) -missouri compromise unconstitutional -angered north, south happy about decision Lincoln-Douglas debates -lincoln ran against doulgas for senator -lincoln wasn’t aboltionist, spoke out against slavery as moral issue -douglass won but lost a lot of support from southern democratics -lincoln gained support, set up for future presidency The Road to Secession John Brown’s raid at harpers ferry -led small band of followers in attack on federal arsenal, gave guns to slaves to create slave rebellion, didn’t work, taken down by robert e lee The election of 1860 -democratic nominated douglas but blcoked by many angry southerners -held 2nd convention and nominated vp john c breckinridge -republicans nominated lincoln -south said if lincoln won then they would leave the union -lincoln won electoral votes, not popular but won overall election Secession of the deep south -south carolina held convetion to vote to secede, voted to leave union -many other southern states followed suit -created new constitution Confederate States of America -limited gov’s powers to impose tariffs and restrict slavery -elected president jefferson davis and vp alexander stephens -lame duck president: leader completing term after someone else has been elected to office