Tensions Leading to Civil War: Key Events and Legislation
Tensions Leading to Civil War
Mexican-American War’s Impact
Why did the War with Mexico increase tensions between the North and South?
It opened new land to American settlers and again raised the issue of whether slavery should be allowed in new states.
Wilmot Proviso
What did it do? Why did it anger the South?
It stated that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude would ever exist in territory gained from Mexico. Southerners believed that antislavery decisions in new territories would threaten slavery elsewhere.
Popular Sovereignty
Who proposed it? What did it do?
Lewis Cass proposed it. People living in a territory had the right to decide by voting whether to allow slavery.
1848 Election Results
Who were the candidates? Who won?
- Whigs: General Zachary Taylor
- Free Soilers: Martin Van Buren
- Democrats: Lewis Cass
The Whigs won.
California Gold Discovery
How did this impact population and potential statehood?
It caused a significant rise in population.
Compromise of 1850
Who proposed it? Why was it proposed? What were the provisions?
Henry Clay proposed a compromise that would allow California to enter the Union.
- California would be a free state.
- New Mexico and Utah territories would vote on slave or free status.
- The slave trade in Washington, D.C. was banned, but slavery itself remained legal.
- Texas gave up claims on Mexican cession territory.
- Congress could not interfere with the slave trade.
- Fugitive Slave Act: Assisted in the return of escaped slaves.
Underground Railroad
What was its goal? Who was the famous conductor?
Whites and free African Americans worked to free slaves despite the risk of penalties, helping runaways escape to the North or Canada. Harriet Tubman was the famous conductor who escaped slavery and made trips to the South even while slaveholders offered large rewards for her capture.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Who was the author? What was its impact?
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote it. It is often cited as a catalyst that intensified sentiment leading to the American Civil War.
Kansas-Nebraska Act and Gadsden Purchase
Who was its author? What was its impact? What was the Gadsden Purchase? How did it impact the Missouri Compromise?
The act involved:
- Gadsden Purchase: President Franklin Pierce sent James Gadsden to Mexico to pay for a 30,000-square-mile strip of land.
- Northern Route Organization: Stephen A. Douglas (Democratic senator from Illinois) would require Congress to organize unsettled areas west of Missouri and Iowa.
The act effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise by allowing popular sovereignty in these new territories.
Bleeding Kansas
Why was it called this? Who were the Border Ruffians? Understand the caning of Charles Sumner.
The territory earned this name due to violent clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces. Border Ruffians were pro-slavery advocates who crossed into Kansas to vote illegally. The caning of Charles Sumner on the Senate floor by Preston Brooks highlighted the extreme violence spilling into national politics.
New Political Parties Arise
Where does the Republican Party come from and what does it stand for? Who founded the Democratic Party? Who were the Know-Nothings?
- The political realignment of the 1850s formed the Republican Party, which stood for a stronger federal government (opposing the expansion of slavery).
- The Democratic Party was founded by Andrew Jackson in 1828.
- The Know-Nothings were a nativist political movement.
1856 Presidential Election
Who were the candidates? Who won?
- Republican Candidate: John C. Fremont (California)
- Democratic Candidate: James Buchanan (Pennsylvania)
- American Party Candidate: Millard Fillmore (New York)
Buchanan won.
Dred Scott Decision
Understand the case and explain the decisions.
Scott sued to end his enslavement, arguing he was free because he spent time in free territory. The Supreme Court ruled:
- African Americans were not citizens and therefore could not sue.
- They were considered property and could be transported anywhere in the U.S., making slavery legal in the eyes of the federal government across all territories.
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
What were they competing for? Who won? What famous speech was given and what did it mean?
They were competing for an Illinois Senate seat, though the debates heavily influenced the 1860 presidential election. Lincoln gained national prominence. Lincoln’s famous”House Divide” speech in Springfield warned that the nation could not endure permanently half slave and half free.
John Brown’s Raid
Who was he? What did he do? What was the outcome?
John Brown was an abolitionist. He launched a raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, hoping to incite a slave rebellion. He was captured and subsequently sentenced to death in Virginia.
Election of 1860
Who were the candidates? Who won? What was the result?
- Southern Democrats: John Breckinridge (Kentucky)
- Republican Nominee: Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln won, leading directly to secession.
Secession and Compromise Attempt
Which states seceded? What was the Crittenden Compromise?
States that seceded first included: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. The Crittenden Compromise attempted to appease the South by guaranteeing slavery where it already existed and reinstating the Missouri Compromise line, but it was rejected.