Chapter 16 Towards Civil War.docx

Chapter 16 Towards Civil War **16.1: The Search for Compromise:** The question of slavery had been a long fueled debate. It had been first solved with the Missouri Compromise which stated that any state North of the 36º 30' line would be free and any state south of that line would be a slave state....

Chapter 16 Towards Civil War **16.1: The Search for Compromise:** The question of slavery had been a long fueled debate. It had been first solved with the Missouri Compromise which stated that any state North of the 36º 30' line would be free and any state south of that line would be a slave state. Wilmont Proviso proposed that all new territories gained from Mexico would have a ban on slavery. This was controversial because southerners wanted California and New Mexico to be open to slavery. New Territories brought new debates with California wanting to become a free state; it would upset the balance of power of Free States vs Slave states in Congress. When California applied for statehood Southerners talked about seceding from the union. Southerns wanted strong fugitive laws or laws that would return runaway slaves to their owners. In 1850 Senator Henry Clay came up with a plan to fix the issue. The 1850 compromise- California would be a free state, but other new territories would have no limits on slavery. He also pushed for stronger fugitive laws. Senator Stepahn A Douglas solved the issue by dividing Clay\'s plan into parts and voting on each part separately. Congress passed the Compromise of 1850 Abolitionist- a person who opposed slavery or wanted the practice of slavery outlawed. Part of the Compromise was the Fugitive Slave act which stated that anyone who helped a fugitive could be fined or imprisoned. Some Northerners refused to obey the new law. They defied the Act by juries not convicting people accused of breaking the new law. They also helped in the underground railroad. Franklin Pierce was elected president in 1853 and planned to enforce the Act. Kansas Nebraska Act- Allowed the territories of KS/NE to decide on their own if they would be free or slave states even though they were North of the Missouri Compromise line. Northerners protested because this plan allowed slavery in an area that had been free for years. Kansas would establish pro slavery laws but this would lead to many conflicts vs the anti slavery supporters. Many fights would break out that would lead to Newspapers writing about "Bleeding Kansas"and the "Civil War in Kansas". **16.2 Challenges to Slavery** The Republican party was formed out of the divide in the country on the issue of slavery in new territories. The Republicans opposed slavery in the territories. James Buchanan won the presidential election in 1856 as a democrat. Dredd Scott v Sanford Dredd scott was a slave that was bought by a doctor in MO a slave state but later moved to Illinois a free state. Anti slavery lawyers helped Scott sue for his freedom, it would take 11 years for the case to reach the Supreme Court. When it did, Chief Justice Taney ruled that Scott was property and it did not matter what state he lived in he belonged to the doctor. In effect Taney said that the constitution protected slavery. Republicans and other anti slavery groups were outraged. Lincoln and Douglas debated over slavery for a Senate seat from Illinois in 1858- Douglas narrowly won, but with Lincoln\'s debating skills he made a name for himself nationally. John Brown at Harpers Ferry Abolitionist John Brown led a group on a raid at Harpers Ferry. His target was a federal arsenal. Brown hoped to arm enslaved African Americans and start a revolt against slaveholders. His raid on Harper Ferry put the country on the brink of disaster. **16.3 Secession and War** 1860 Abraham wins election as a Republican. Linclons hope was to keep southern states from seceding and entering into the Civil War. On Dec. 20, 1860 South Carolina seceded from the Union. By February 1861 Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida and Alabma had joined South Carolina. They formed the Confederate States of America, they elected Jefferson Davis as their president. The whole issue was states rights. The South argued that they had voluntarily chosen to enter the Union and defined the constitution as a contract among independent states. They believed the national government had broken that contract. So they had the right to succeed. On April 12 , 1861 the Confederate attacked the Union at Fort Sumter. No one had died but Lincoln decided to act. This caused Virgina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas to join the Confederacy and the civil war had begun.