CarolineOlsen

11/10/15
Chapter18:RenewingtheSectionalStruggle

ThePopularSovereigntyPanacea
Whywasthecompromiselikedby
politicians?

TheTreatyofGuadalupeHidalgoendedthe
MexicanAmericanWar>startedawhole
newdebateabouttheextensionofslavery
NorthernersrallyingaroundtheWilmot
Proviso(whichproposedthatthe
MexicanCessionlandsbefreesoil)
Southernersshotitdown
twonationalparties,theDemocratsandthe
Whigs,hadstrongsupportfromalloverthe
nationnow,thatwasinjeopardy.
In1848,Polk,duetotremendous
overworkingandchronicdiarrhea,
didnotseekasecondterm
DemocratsnominatedGeneralLewis
Cass,aveteranoftheWarof1812,asenator
anddiplomatofwideexperienceand
considerableability,andtheoriginatorof
popularsovereignty,theideathatissues
shouldbedecideduponbythepeople
(specifically,itappliedtoslavery,statingthat
thepeopleinthe
territoriesshoulddecidetolegalizeitornot).
likedbypoliticiansbecauseitwasa
compromisebetweentheextremesofthe
NorthandtheSouth,anditstuckwiththe
ideaofselfdetermination,butitcouldspread
slavery

PoliticalTriumphsforGeneralTaylor
Whatweresomeofhispoliticaltriumphs?

TheWhigsnominatedGeneralZachary
Taylor,theheroofBuenaVista
intheMexicanWar,amanwithnopolitical
experience,butpopular
man,andtheyavoidedallpickyissuesinhis
campaign.
DisgustedantislaveryNorthernersorganized
theFreeSoilParty,a
partycommittedagainsttheextensionof
slaveryintheterritoriesand
onethatalsoadvocatedfederalaidfor
internalimprovementsandurged
freegovernmenthomesteadsforsettlers.
Thispartyappealedtopeopleangryoverthe

halfacquisitionof
Oregon,peoplewhodidntlikeBlacksinthe
newterritory,as
wellasconscienceWhigswhocondemned
slaveryonmoral
grounds.
TheFreeSoilersnominatedMartinVan
Buren.
Neithermajorpartytalkedabouttheslavery
issue,butTaylorwonnarrowly.

"Californy"Gold
Whatdidthediscoveryofgoldleadto?

In1848,goldwasdiscoveredinCalifornia,
andthousandsfloodedintothestate,thus
blowingthelidoffoftheslaveryissue.
Mostpeopledidntstrikeitrich,butthere
weremanylawlessmenandwomen.
Asaresult,California(privatelyencouraged
bythepresident)
draftedaconstitutionandthenappliedfor
freestatehood,thus
bypassingtheusualterritorialstageand
avoidingbecomingaslave
state.

SectionalBalanceandUndergroundRailroad In1850,theSouthwasverywelloff,witha
WhatwasworryingtheSouthernStates?
Southerneras
president(Taylor),amajorityinthecabinet
andontheSupremeCourt,
andequalityintheSenatemeaningthatits
15statescouldblockany
proposedamendmentthatwouldoutlaw
slavery.Still,theSouthwas
worried.
Thebalanceof15freestatesand15slave
stateswasindanger
withtheadmissionoffreeCalifornia(which
wouldindeeddestroythe
equilibriumforever)andotherstatesmight
followCaliforniaasfree
states.
TheSouthwasalsoagitatedaboutTexas
claimsondisputed
territoryandtheprospectofnoslaveryin
WashingtonD.C.,thus
puttingapieceofnonslaverylandrightinthe
middleof

slaveholdingVirginiaandMaryland.
FinallytheUndergroundRailroad,asecret
organizationthattook
runawaystatesnorthtoCanada,wastaking
moreandmoreslavesfrom
theSouth.
HarrietTubmanfreedmorethan300slaves
during19tripstotheSouth.
TheSouthwasalsodemandedastricter
fugitiveslavelaw.
TwilightoftheSenatorialGiants
Whatdidthiscompromiseurge?

In1850,theSouthwasconfrontedwith
catastrophe,withCaliforniademanding
admissionasafreestate.
Thus,thethreegiantsmettogetherforthe
lasttimetoengineeracompromise.
HenryClay,AKATheGreatCompromiser,
now73years
old,urgedconcessionfromboththeNorth
andtheSouth(theNorthfor
afugitiveslavelaw,theSouthforothers)and
wassecondedbyStephen
Douglas,theLittleGiantandfinesenator.
SouthernspokesmanJohnC.Calhoun,dying
oftuberculosis,pleaded
forstatesrights,forslaverytobeleftalone,
forthereturn
ofrunawayslaves,therestorationofthe
rightsoftheSouthasa
minority,andthereturnforpoliticalbalance.
NorthernerDanielWebsterproclaimedthat
thenewlandcouldnot
holdslavesanyway,sinceitcouldntcultivate
cotton,
etcandhisSeventhofMarchspeech
helpedmovetheNorthinto
compromise.
Asaresultofthepopularspeech,though,
Websterwasalso
proclaimedatraitortotheNorth,sincehe
hadcalledforignoringtheslaverysubject

DeadlockandDangeronCapitolHill
Whatpurificationswerebeingmade?

Anewgroupofpoliticians,theYoung
Guard,seemed
moreinterestedinpurifyingtheUnionrather
thanpatchingitup.
WilliamH.Seward,ayoungsenatorfrom

NewYork,wasflatly
againstconcessionandhatedslavery,buthe
didntseemto
realizethattheUnionwasbuilton
compromise,andhesaidthat
Christianlegislatorsmustadheretoahigher
lawandnot
allowslaverytoexistthismighthavecost
himthe1860presidential
election.
PresidentTayloralsoappearedtohavefallen
undertheinfluence
ofthehigherlaw,vetoingeverycompromise
senttohim
byCongress.
BreakingtheCongressionalLogjam
WhatdidtheCompromiseof1850do?

Then,in1850,ZacharyTaylorsuddenlydied
ofanacuteintestinaldisorder,andportly
MillardFillmoretookoverthereigns.
Impressedbyargumentsofconciliation,he
signedaseriesofagreementsthatcameto
beknownastheCompromiseof1850.
Clay,Webster,andDouglasoratedonbehalf
ofthecompromisefor
theNorth,buttheSouthhateditfortunately,
theyfinallyaccepted
itaftermuchdebate.

BalancingtheCompromiseScales
Howwasthecompromisedistributedamong
thenorthandsouth?

WhattheNorthgot(theNorthgotthe
betterdealintheCompromiseof1850)
Californiawasadmittedasafreestate,
permanentlytippingthebalance.
TexaslostitsdisputedterritorytoNew
Mexicoand(now)Oklahoma.
TheDistrictofColumbiacouldnothaveslave
trade,butslavery
wasstilllegal.Thiswassymboliconly.Itwas
symbolicinthatthe
nationscapitaltookastanceagainstthe
trade.
However,itwasimpracticalbecausethe
tradeonlywasillegal,not
slaveryandbecauseapersoncouldeasily
buyaslaveinnextdoor
Virginia.
WhattheSouthgot
PopularsovereigntyintheMexicanCession

lands.Thiswasgoodfor
theSouthbecausepriortothis,therewasto
benonewslavelands
(the36o30MissouriCompromiselinehad
drawnthat).
Onpaper,thisopenedalotoflandtoslavery,
possibly.Thiswasbad
fortheSouthbecausethoselandsweretoo
drytoraisecottonanyway
andthereforewouldneverseeslaves.
Texaswaspaid$10millionforthelandlostto
NewMexico.
Anew,tougherFugitiveSlaveLawof1850
wasdrastic,andit
statedthat(1)fleeingslavescouldnttestify
ontheirown
behalf,(2)thefederalcommissionerwho
handledthecasegot$5ifthe
slavewasfreeand$10ifnot,and(3)people
whowereorderedtohelp
catchslaveshadtodoso,eveniftheydidnt
wantto.
AngryNorthernerspledgednottofollowthe
newlaw,andtheUndergroundRailroad
steppedupitstimetable.
ItturnsoutthatthenewFugitiveSlaveLaw
wasablunderon
behalfoftheSouth,sinceitinflamedboth
sides,butacivilwar
didntoccur,andthiswasbetterfortheNorth,
sincewitheach
moment,itwasgrowingaheadoftheSouth
inpopulationand
wealthincrops,factories,foundries,ships,
andrailroads.
DefeatandDoomfortheWhigs
WhatcausedtheWhigstosplit?

In1852,theDemocrats,unabletoagree,
finallynominateddarkhorseFranklinPierce,
amanwhowasunknownandenemyless.
TheWhigsnominatedOldFussand
Feathers,Winfield
Scott,theoldveteranoftheWarof1812and
theMexicanAmericanWar.
BothpartiesboastedabouttheCompromise
of1850,thoughtheDemocratsdidmore.
TheWhigswerehopelesslysplit,andthus,
Piercewonina

landslidethedeathoftheWhigsendedthe
nationalpolitical
argumentsandgaverisetosectionalpolitical
alignments.
ExpansionistsStirringsSouthoftheBorder
PiercetriedtobeanotherPolk,andhe
WhatwasSlavocracyandhowwasitbrought impressedfollowersby
about?
recitinghisinauguraladdressfrommemory,
buthiscabinetwasfilled
withSouthernerslikeJeffersonDavisandhe
waspreparedtobea
Southernerstool.
InJulyof1856,abrazenAmerican
adventurer,WilliamWalker,
grabbedcontrolinNicaraguaandproclaimed
himselfpresident,then
legalizedslavery,butacoalitionofLatin
Americanstatesoverthrew
him.Thisthrewsomefuelonthe
Slavocracytheory(a
conspiracytheorywheretheSouthwas
alwaysseekingnewslaveland).
AmericaalsoeyedCubawithenvy.
AlthoughAmericawantedCuba,Spain
wouldntsellittotheU.S.atanyprice.
SoaftertwoattemptstotakeCubafailed,
andafterSpaincaptured
theAmericansteamerBlackWarriorona
technicality,threeU.S.
foreignministersmetinOstend,Belgiumand
drewuptheOstend
ManifestowhichstatedthattheU.S.wasto
offer$120milliontoSpain
forCuba,andifitrefusedandSpains
ownershipofCuba
continuedtoendangertheU.S.,then
Americawouldbejustifiedin
seizingtheisland(sellitoritllbetaken).
Northernerswereoutragedoncethissecret
document
wasleaked,andtheSouthcouldnotget
Cuba(andobtainanotherslave
state).Piercewasembarrassedandmore
fuelthrownontheSlavocracy
TheAllureofAsia
WhatdidtheflourishingofUSChinatrade

OveronthePacific,Americawasreadyto
opentoAsia.

allowfor?

CalebCushingwassenttoChinaona
goodwillmission.
TheChinesewerewelcomingsincethey
wantedtocountertheBritish.
U.S.Chinatradebegantoflourish.
Missionariesalsosoughttosavesoulsthey
largelykindledresenthowever.
RelationsopenedupJapanwhen
CommodoreMatthewC.Perrysteamed
intotheharborofTokyoin1854and
asked/coerced/forcedthemtoopen
uptheirnation.
PerrysTreatyofKanagawaformerlyopened
Japan.
ThisbrokeJapanscenturiesoldtraditionalof
isolation,
andstartedthemdownaroadof
modernizationandthenimperialismand
militarism.

PacificRailroadPromotersandtheGadsden
Purchase
Whywasthisthebestroute?

ThoughtheU.S.ownedCaliforniaand
Oregon,gettingouttherewas
verydifficult,sincethesearoutesweretoo
longandthewagonroute
overlandwasdangerous,sotheonlyreal
feasiblesolutionlayina
transcontinentalrailroad.
TheSouthernerswantedaroutethroughthe
South,butthebestone
wouldgothroughMexico,soSecretaryof
WarJeffersonDavisarranged
tohaveJamesGadsdenappointedminister
toMexico.
Tworeasonsthiswasthebestroute:(1)the
landwasorganized
meaninganyIndianattackscouldberepelled
bytheU.S.Armyand(2)
geographytheplanwastoskirtsouthofthe
RockyMtns
FindingSantaAnnainpoweragain,he
boughttheGadsdenPurchase
for$10million,anddespiteclamoraboutthe
ripoff,
Congresspassedthesale.
Anorthernrailroadwouldbelesseffective
sinceitwouldcrossovermountainsand
crossthroughIndianterritory.

TheSouthnowappearedtohavecontrolof
thelocationofthe
transcontinentalrailroad,buttheNorthsaid
thatiftheorganization
ofterritorieswastheproblem,thenNebraska
shouldbeorganized.
Douglas'KansasNebraskaScheme
Whatwasthisschemecreatedfor?

Todothis,SenatorStephenDouglas
proposedtheKansasNebraska
Act,whichwouldletslaveryinKansasand
Nebraskabedecideduponby
popularsovereignty(aconcessiontothe
Southinreturnforgivingup
therailroad).
TheproblemwasthattheMissouri
Compromisehadbannedanyslavery
northofthe3630line,sotheactwould
havetorepeal
it.
SouthernershadneverthoughtofKansasas
apossibleslavestate,andthusbackedthe
bill,butNorthernersralliedagainstit.
Nevertheless,Douglasrammedthebill
throughCongress,anditwaspassed,
repealingtheMissouriCompromise.

CongressLegislatesaCivilWar
Whattensionsbuiltup?

TheKansasNebraskaActdirectlywrecked
theMissouriCompromiseof1820(by
openingslaveryupabovethe36o30line)
andindirectlywreckedtheCompromiseof
1850(wheneveryonethoughttheissuewas
settledanddone).
NorthernersnolongerenforcedtheFugitive
SlaveLawatall,andSouthernerswerestill
angry.
TheDemocraticPartywashopelesslysplit
intotwo,andafter1856,itwouldnothavea
presidentelectedfor28years.

LectureNotes:
NorthwestOrdinanceof1787Article6(on
whatdowithslavery)

Art.6.Thereshallbeneitherslaverynor
involuntaryservitudeinthesaidterritory,
otherwisethaninthepunishmentofcrimes
whereofthepartyshallhavebeenduly

Renewhadtohavealreadyexisted
Thedrivingquestioniswhatchangesthem
fromcompromisestoconflict
thegamechanges1830thesecond
greatawakening
beginningofabolitionnowit'sbecominga
noncompromiseissuemoralfromreligious
beliefs

convicted:Provided,always,Thatanyperson
escapingintothesame,fromwhomlaboror
serviceislawfullyclaimedinanyoneofthe
originalStates,suchfugitivemaybelawfully
reclaimedandconveyedtotheperson
claiminghisorherlabororserviceas
aforesaid.

Beitordainedbytheauthorityaforesaid,That
theresolutionsofthe23rdofApril,1784,
relativetothesubjectofthisordinance,be,
andthesameareherebyrepealedand
declarednullandvoid.

DonebytheUnitedStates,inCongress
assembled,the13thdayofJuly,intheyear
ofourLord1787,andoftheirsovereigntyand
independencethetwelfth.

WilmotProviso(1846)

Provided,That,asanexpressand
fundamentalconditiontotheacquisitionof
anyterritoryfromtheRepublicofMexicoby
theUnitedStates,byvirtueofanytreaty
whichmaybenegotiatedbetweenthem,and
totheusebytheExecutiveofthemoneys
hereinappropriated,neitherslaverynor
involuntaryservitudeshalleverexistinany
partofsaidterritory,exceptforcrime,
whereofthepartyshallfirstbedulyconvicted.

conflictsrelatedtoreligionbecausereligious
beliefsarelesslikelytobecompromised
inaugustof1846thewillnotcompromise
thisissueisgoingtocreatesometension
plantodealwithwhatdoin1803
LouisianaPurchase
wehadnorthwestterritoryandwhatwasthe
planwiththatthenorthwestordinance
Wewereaconfederacyanditmatters
becausethetraditionofthiscountryissuch
thatweareaconfederacy
Prideincallingthissecedinggroupa
confederacy
Tensionsbetweentwopartiesofthetime
PolkisaDemocratandtheyoungversionof
Jackson
WilmotisalsoaDemocratandheis
concernedabouttheOregonterritory
Takingawayterritorythatcould'vegotten
fromBritain
Createdafirestoneandrippedthecountry
apartthen
Wilmotborrowedthewordsthathadalready
beenappliedpreviouslybuthegotrippedto
shred

CongressionalGlobe

Who?Wilmot
When?1848
SummarizeThisquotestateshowtheNorth
sawslaveryasadisgrace.
Quote"O,forthehonoroftheNorthforthe
fairfameofourgreenhillsandvalleys,be
firminthiscrisisbetruetoyourcountryand
yourrace.ThewhitelaboreroftheNorth
claimsyourservicehedemandsthatyou
standfirmtohisinterestsandhisrightsthat
youpreservethefuturehomesofhis
children,onthedistantshoresofthePacific,
fromthedegradationanddishonorofnegro
servitude.Wherethenegroslavelabors,the
freewhitemancannotlaborbyhisside

withoutsharinginhisdegradationand
disgrace.

South
"Duringanattempttopassthebillin1848,
SenatorThomasCorwin,aWhigfrom
Ohio,
stoodupbeforetheSenateandgave
hisargumentsagainstthepieceoflegislation.
SenatorCorwin
opposedslavery
.Atone
point,hestatedthatiftherewereacountry
sohot
thewhitemanissupposednotto
beabletowork,Iwouldnotallowyouto
takeslavesthere.
Yethestillstrongly
opposedtheWilmotProviso.Hearguedthat
theamendmentwasunnecessary,because
slaveryalreadyexistedinsomeforminthe
newterritories.Thesenatorreferredtoland
expansionsinhisargument,saying,
ifat
anytimeyouhaveacquiredterritory
whereSlaveryexistedinsuchformand
consistencyithasbeenpermittedto
remainwherebylawitdidexist.
Despite
beingstaunchlyantislavery,heparadoxically
foughtagainstthisbill.SenatorCorwinhad
anothermotivebehindhisprotestofthebill.
HesawthattheProvisowasjustcausing
anotherSectionalCrisisanddividing
Congress.Corwinopposeditbecausehe,
likemanyatthetime,fearedthatitwould
leadtosouthernsecession.Hisspeechwas
anattempttopreventthiseventualityfrom
happening."