1850s Flashcards
Compromise of 1850
California was made a free state
Utah and New Mexico territory had popular sovereignty, pushed by Steven Douglas
Stricter Fugitive Slave Act - Forced Northerners to assist in finding runaways or free black people. Northerners resisted and made personal liberty state laws
Daniel Webster’s View on Compromise
Union must be preserved, happy the war was avoided.
Kansas Nebraska Act + Popular Sovereignty
Proposed by Stephen Douglass. Repealed the Missouri Compromise Line and gave popular sovereignty to Kansas territory, transcontinental railroad.
Bleeding Kansas
Popular sovereignty was introduced into Kansas and people from out of state came in to vote. Fighting broke out, the start of the civil war.
Free Soil Party
3rd political party and is strongly against expansion of slavery
Republican Party views on slavery
against slavery, wanted it to not spread
Democratic Party views on slavery
For slavery. Thought that slavery shouldn’t be restricted no matter what state it is in. Against popular sovereignty, believed slavery should immediately expand and shouldn’t be tested as it is an owner’s right.
Preston Brooks Charles Sumner feud
an aggressive argument arose between the two in the court, and Preston Brooks began caning Sumner in the head.
Lecompton Constitution
1856, written by proslavery men. Asking president and Congress to admit Kansas as a slave state. This was not representing the majority as Kansas was mostly antislavery. Buchanan endorsed it anyways but the draft was rejected by Congress as it wasn’t an official vote or representation of Kansas.
Dred Scott vs Sanford Case
Dred Scott was a slave who was moved above the 36-30 line where states are free.
He was always going to be set free but his owners wanted a court ruling that would determine if all black people north of the line would be considered citizens.
Made it seem like Dred was suing Sanford.
He won in lower court but lost in higher federal court.
The majority in supreme court agreed he was a slave and NOT a citizen.
7 justices wanted to drop the case because of the lack of evidence but the chief justice wanted to keep it.
All justices wrote their own different opinions on the case.
Chief’s opinion was extremely proslavery and claimed that black people were inferior to white people. Considered 36-30 line to be unconstitutional and restrictive
South supported the decision and celebrated
Lincoln Douglas Debates: Lincoln
Didn’t want slavery extending west
Didn’t know how to get rid of slavery in the south
Didn’t want a war and was not trying to get full racial equality
Thought it was morally wrong to set up election
Against popular sovereignty
Natural rights for states
Lincoln Douglas Debates: Douglas
Allowing slave owners to settle in Kansas
Freeport Doctrine
Popular sovereignty could work
Slaves don’t have the same rights as whites
Slavery can go anywhere
Wins for democrats.
John Brown Raid
Wanted to arm slaves in Virginia Harper’s Ferry Arsenal. Brown got caught and hanged for treason.
Election of 1860
Lincoln - republican and wins
Douglas - mr. popular sovereignty, split
Breckinridge - southern democrat
Bell - Constitutional unionist: keep union together, won TN, KY, VA (weren’t for secession)
Southern Secession under President Buchanan
South Carolina leaves first and joins confederacy and Buchanan allows them to leave and claims to have no authority to stop them
South wanted to leave because their states didn’t have enough power and felt as if the federal government abused their rights. They wanted to make their own government and laws so they can run their business and live their preferred way.
