Topic # 15

The Secession Crisis

I. Slavery and Sectional Conflict

The Compromise of 1850

1849, Pres. Zachary Taylor urges California to apply for admission as a free state
Southerners reject plan, fearing North would further dominate federal government and would set a bad precedent against further expansion of slavery
Henry Clay (Ky.) offers a compromise bill--three major points

California admitted as a free state
Strengthened the Fugitive Slave Law
New Mexico and Utah territories left open to popular sovereignty (explain)

While heated debate on bill took place in Washington, 9 of the 15 slave states (mostly from lower South) met in Nashville to discuss possible alternatives to staying in U.S.--moderates won over "fireeaters"
Sen. Stephen Douglas (Ill.) (Clay has fallen ill) pushes compromise through Congress

Enforcement of Fugitive Slave Act (1850)

Act made easier for slaveowners to catch and return fugitive slaves from northern states
Many in North appalled by fact that activities of slave catchers on northern soil was legalized, brought fact home that slavery was a national problem
Mass protests broke out in several northern cities (particularly in Boston) when efforts were made to return fugitives
Act does much damage to the Whig party, with a number of northern congressmen defying the law--which angered southern Whigs

Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin

Theme of book
Hard time getting book published
Popularity of book--300,000 copies sold in the first year, over 1.5 million worldwide by following year

Proslavery responses

Pseudoscientific data -- phrenology (size of the brain), origins of races, physical inferiority of blacks (especially in colder climes)
Blacks were intellectually inferior--slavery helped protect them and aided them in rising above their origins
Religious arguments

The Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

Douglas introduces bill to establish the Nebraska territory--this was needed before transcontinental RR could be built
The Kansas-Nebraska bill exposed the flaw of popular sovereignty

Northerners and southerners disagreed violently over what popular sovereignty meant
could slaves be brought in until the issue was decided?
who would decide the issue of slavery?
When would the issue be decided? As a territory or as a state?

Bill passed in May 1854
repealed the Missouri Compromise--now superseded by Compromise of 1850
split Kansas and Nebraska into two territories
Reaction to the Act

Southerners pleased with act, outraged with northern reaction
Northern abolitionists charged the Act was sinister plot by the Slave Power to turn Kansas into a "dreary region of despotism, inhabited by masters and slaves"

The end of the Whig party, rise of Republican party

Kansas-Nebraska Act split the Whig party into northern and southern wings that could no longer cooperate
The Democratic party suffered, but survived the crisis even though northern support fell drastically
Anger over the Act led antislavery Whigs and Democrats, along with Free-Soilers to form the Republican party
Republican party appealed to northerners who wanted economic development in the West and antislavery groups
Motto of the party was "Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men"
In 1856, Republican party candidate, John C. Fremont won eleven of the 16 free states in presidential election

Response of Southern Democrats

Advocating states rights, Democrats were able to convert most slaveholding Whigs
Appeals to yeomen

runaway North threatened to subvert the nation
All white citizens in slave society enjoyed liberty and social equality because blacks were enslaved--"mudsill class"
Slaveholders warned overriding issue was whether whites would govern blacks or blacks govern whites

Bleeding Kansas

Territorial elections of 1855

thousands of proslavery Missourians invaded the polls and ran up large (but unlawful) victories for proslavery legislators
legislature created proslavery constitution

Free-soilers tried to set up an alternate constitution (1856)

Proslavery posse sent to arrest free-soilers sacked the town of Lawrence
John Brown murders five proslavery settlers on Pottawottamie Creek

Armed guerrillas roam the territories--over 200 people die in 1856

Fighting in Congress

Sumner attacks the "crime against Kansas" in 1856 (The Harlot South Carolina)
Sumner's speech assails Sen. Andrew Butler of SC
Preston Brooks, Butler's nephew and Congressman from SC, canes Sumner

Lecompton Constitution--1857

New election in 1857--free-soilers boycott
Proslavery forces wrote Lecompton constitution permitting slavery
New elections held (procedural error on first vote)--antislavery majority elected
Lecompton constitution defeated easily
President Buchanan tried to force constitution through Congress, but lost
Stephen Douglas, leading northern Democrat, supported the antislavery majority

The Dred Scott decision (1857)

Scott, a Missouri slave sues for his freedom

Suit based on fact his former owner had taken him for several years into Illinois, a free state and Wisconsin territory
Scott initially wins suit, but decision overturned
Case comes to USSC

Issues

Was a black person a citizen and eligible to sue?
Had residence in free state made Scott free?
Could Congress prohibit slavery in a territory?

Roger Taney, chief justice, answers no for the court
Reactions to decision (combined with response to Lecompton constitution)

cries of slave power conspiracy--could slavery be extended to free states
impact on Republican party
Lincoln warns that slaveholders close to making slavery a national institution

Lincoln-Douglas debates (1858)

Lincoln

Lincoln Republican candidate for U.S. senator in Illinois
had practiced law, served one term as congressman in Whig Party, but joined Republican party in 1856
Lincoln argues against slavery
opens with "House Divided" speech--"this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free"
points out gulf between his free-soil position and Douglas' popular sovereignty

Douglas argues for popular sovereignty

says free-soil position an "invitation to secession"
alienates both northerners (who don't like popular sovereignty) and southerners (who don't like fact Douglas doesn't defend southerners' right to slaves)

Douglas wins election, but Lincoln wins attention throughout the North

John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry (1859)

Brown plans attack on Harper's Ferry

federal arsenal
hoped to get slaves in Virginia and Maryland to rebel
Brown secretly gains financial support from six wealthy northern abolitionists ("Secret Six")

Attacks Harper's Ferry in October 1859

Only 18 or so blacks and whites joined him
Attack captures arsenal in town, but receives no support
Brown retreats to firehouse
Col. R.E. Lee and detachment of marines capture Brown and his supporters

Brown tried for treason and executed

Gave note that stated--"I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land wil never be purged away but with blood."

Northern support for Brown

Garrison
Emerson
Longfellow
Hawthorne and Melville condemn attack

Southern reaction to the attack and northern support

II. The Election of 1860 and Its Aftermath

The split of the Democratic party

Charleston convention -- summer of 1860
Northern Democrats push for popular sovereignty in territories--led by Douglas
Democrats from 8 slave states walk out after Douglas forces succeed
Southern delegates hold separate convention in Baltimore
select John C. Breckenridge (Buchanan's V.P.) for president
efforts at compromise fail
No political party represents people from across the nation

Republicans select Lincoln
John Bell, became candidate of new Union Party, strong only in Upper South
Election results
Douglas, Bell, and Breckenridge combine for more popular votes than Lincoln
Lincoln sweeps the North, gains majority of electoral votes
Crittenden Compromise

Proposed by John Crittendon of Kentucky on Dec. 18 as an amendment to U.S. Constitution
Extend Missouri Compromise line to California
Southerners would agree to this if Republicans would
Republicans refused after several months of debate

III. Secession

South Carolina secedes

Convention called immediately after Lincoln's election
SC seceded on Dec. 20
SC hopes other southern states follow its lead

Lower South states secede

Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas all secede by Feb. 1, 1861 (6 week period)
Secessionists did not gain unanimous support in most states
Unionists

Conditional--wanted to wait and see what Lincoln did
Unconditional--remain with Union no matter what Lincoln does (rare in the Deep South)

Why secession?

What makes antebellum North and South so different?
Discuss reasons for secession

States' Rights
Slavery
Agrarianism
Aristocracy
Habits of mind--individualism, personalism, romanticism

Confederate government formed

Delegates of seceeding states meet in Montgomery

In early February 1861 they form Confederate States of America
government formed in 5 days
moderates dominate government, fireaters left out
Confederate constitution based on U.S. Constitution with a few exceptions

right to own slaves protected
President elected to one 6 year term
line-item veto

Jefferson Davis elected provisional President
Alexander Stephens (V.P.) proclaims that cornerstone of new government is preservation of slavery and keeping blacks in their proper place

Lincoln's response

President-elect Lincoln argues no compromise with slaveholders
faced with dilemma of how to keep nation together without going to war

President Buchanan does not respond--hampered by fact that much of his cabinet pro-secession
Upper South's response

Upper South divided over secession--mainly along east/west lines (Va, NC, Tenn., Md)
Most Upper South unionists were conditional--wait and see
Secession votes in Feb. 1861 fail in VA, NC, TN
No secession vote taken in KY, MD, MO, or Del.

IV. The Civil War Begins

Struggle over control of forts and arsenals

Many southern politicians claim there will be no war
To be safe, states seize federal arsenals and forts

Charleston and Fort Sumter

Charleston and Sumter become focal point in March 1861
Major Robert Anderson commands fort, P.G.T. Beauregard (who had been an assistant artillery instructor to Anderson at West Point) commands Confederate forces

Firing on Fort Sumter

Sumter garrison called on to surrender on April 11
Night of April 12, bombardment begins
Lasts for two days--very one sided
Garrison surrenders (few casualties) and is evacuated

Lincoln's call for troops

Lincoln responds to attack with call for 75,000 soldiers to police civil unrest in South--"combinations too powerful to be suppressed by ordinary course of judicial proceedings"
He calls for troops from all non-seceding states

Upper South's response

Four states in Upper South (Va, NC, Tenn, and Ark) respond by seceding
Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, and Delaware all remain in Union