THE UNITED STATES IN 1850

Why 1850? - A good census was

taken; this tells us some
important information about
the nation.
THE UNITED STATES IN 1850
Characteristics of 1850 America:
• 16 non-slave states, 15 slave states;
• Kansas and Nebraska are still
territories;
• 23 million people, most living in rural
areas;
– 3.5 million blacks;
• Largest population growth occurring in
the middle west, areas that were not
even states yet;
• Agriculture still primary way of making
a living;
THE UNITED STATES IN 1850
Forces of disharmony in 1850:
1. Local focus of most Americans: not generally
interested in commonality of Americans;
2. Pluralism of America: people divided
religiously, ethnically (immigration on the
rise- 2 million Americans in 1850 not born in
the U.S.), etc.;
3. Sectionalism: nation divided North, South,
East, and West, and these divisions were real
and serious. Sections divided in terms of
economic bases and political beliefs. Slavery
an important issue the divided the sections.
 Slavery
Every discussion of the causes of the Civil
War must begin here. Two crucial points:
1.) the Civil War was not a war fought
over whether to eliminate slavery from
the nation;
2.) slavery was a crucial catalyst that
brought other issues to a point where war
seemed necessary to many people.
In other words, slavery is not the cause of
the Civil War, but without slavery, the
war would have been very unlikely.
 Slavery
Slave population grew rapidly, as the
institution grew:
»1740's: 300,000 slaves
»1776: 500,000
»1800: 894,000
»1850: 3,204,000
»1860: 3,954,000
 Slavery
How important was slavery?
• Some evidence that it was very important- by 1806
"slave codes" had emerged throughout the South.
These laws were designed to keep slaves in their
"place."
• But-- slave holders were only a minority of
Americans, and even a minority of Southerners:
– 1850, only 347,000 of 6 million Southerners held
slaves;
– 1/2 of these had fewer than 4 slaves;
– fewer than 8,000 owned 50 or more slaves;
– fewer than 2,000 had more than 100 slaves.
 Slavery
How important was slavery?
• Clearly the big-time plantation owner was a rare
person, so why was slavery so important to
Southerners? 2 key factors:
1.) nearly all Southerners wanted to be big-time
owners;
2.) a rental system developed where large owners
rented slaves to small owners.
3.) racial solidarity
These factors combine to give a large portion of the
South a stake in the system. When this stake is
combined with the economic impact of, and
eventual reliance upon, slaves, the entrenchment
of the institution became virtually inevitable.
 Territorial Expansion
Some have argued that if Southerners would have
been content to keep slavery in the states were it
had existed the Civil War would have been
unnecessary. Southerners were not so willing.
A couple of major motivations for their desire to
expand were:
1.) to protect themselves politically from an anti-
slave majority in the federal government;
2.) the possible wealth that could be obtained by
expanding their slave empire.
Many Northerners wanted to ensure that slavery
did not spread- for economic, political, and
moral/ethical reasons. This set up the likelihood
of conflict as states were added to the union.
 Missouri Compromise
The first major dispute over the addition of
territory to the union occurred in 1819-20 with
the possible addition of Missouri to the nation.
• The number of free and slave states were equal
(11 each), and neither side wanted to give the
advantage to the other.
• At first there appeared to be a stalemate in the
government about how to add territory, but the
impasse was broken when Henry Clay helped
to work out a compromise:
 Missouri would enter as a slave state,
 Maine as a free state,
 No new territory north of the 36°30' line (except
Missouri itself) would be allowed to have
slavery.
Missouri Compromise
 Missouri Compromise
A look at a map of the U.S. in 1820 (p. 248)
shows that there was not much land south
of the 36°30' line for the expansion of
slavery. Why would Southerners accept
this compromise?
• First, the general belief about much of the
West was that it was the “Great American
Desert.”
• Additionally many Southerners hoped for
the expansion of the U.S. into land held
by Mexico (consider the later Mexican
War) and even the Caribbean islands.
 Problems of Sectional Balance in
1850
• California statehood.
• Southern “fire-eaters” threatening
secession.
• Underground RR & fugitive slave
issues:
* Personal liberty laws
* Prigg v. Pennsylvania (1842)
 Territory from Mexico and the
Compromise of 1850
Many opposed the war with Mexico as a
territory grab that would play into the
hands of the South and allow for the
extension of slavery.
• In 1846, Cong. David Wilmot introduced a
resolution to prohibit slavery from any
territory acquired from the Mexican War.
The "Wilmot Proviso". The proviso was
defeated, but the issue remained.
 Territory from Mexico and the
Compromise of 1850
John C. Calhoun countered Wilmot by arguing
that the territories were the common
possession of all Americans therefore all
Americans had the right to take their property
to the territories- including slaves.
• To prohibit slavery would be to deny
Americans their basic due process right of
possession of their property. Thus, the Bill of
Rights guaranteed the right to possess slaves.
• These arguments were not adopted by
Congress either, but indicated future conflict.
 Territory from Mexico and the
Compromise of 1850
Michigan Sen. Lewis Cass introduced a
middle option-
• “Popular Sovereignty." Allow the citizens
of the territories to administer their own
affairs. By a popular vote, they could
decide whether to have slavery.
 Territory from Mexico and the Compromise of 1850
Another compromise produced by Henry Clay- The
Compromise of 1850.
• Among the important components of this
compromise were:
 the admission of Calif. as a free state;
 the organization of the rest of the southwest
without restriction as to slavery;
 end use of District of Columbia as slave depot;
 more rigorous fugitive slave law passed.
Compromise took 7 months of debate. Many
thought the issue of slavery and the territories was
finally settled. It was not to be so.
Compromise of 1850
 1852 Presidential Election

Franklin Pierce Gen. Winfield Scott John Parker Hale

Democrat Whig Free Soil
 1852
Election
Results
 1856 Presidential
Election

James Buchanan Millard John C. Frémont

Democrat Fillmore Republican
Whig
 Kansas and Nebraska
• Many Northerners were anxious to build
a transcontinental railroad, and of course
they wanted it built through the North.
To do so, they needed to organize
territories in the West (Kansas and
Nebraska). Southerners were eager to
have the railroad built through their
section, so another compromise appears
necessary- of course slavery will be a
crucial issue.
 Kansas and Nebraska
• The Nebraska territory, where the railroad
was most likely to go, was north of the
36°30'line established by the Missouri
Compromise. To give their votes for laws
necessary to organize Kansas and Nebraska,
Southern congressmen demanded the option
of expanding slavery into these areas.
 Kansas and Nebraska
• Stephen Douglas (D-Illinois) wrote a bill to
organize Kansas and Nebraska. The Kansas-
Nebraska Act, said the issue of slavery in the
territories should be decided by popular
sovereignty.
• Douglas thought he was avoiding conflict, since as
Kansas would most likely come in slave, being next
to Missouri, and Nebraska would most likely come
in free. This would keep the relative balance
between the sections.
• However, there was no avoiding conflict over
slavery in the U.S. at this time.
Stephen Douglas & the Freeport Doctrine

Popular
Sovereignty?
Kansas-Nebraska Act, 1854
 Kansas and Nebraska
• Many Northerners were furious over the
Kansas-Nebraska Act, as it amounted to a
repeal of the Missouri Compromise. Even
Northerners who were not abolitionists
were angry- the K-N Act represented a
breech of trust. If Southerners did not
respect the Missouri Compromise, then
perhaps Northerners would not respect
the new, tougher fugitive slave law. The
tenuous balance struck by the
Compromise of 1850 had been destroyed.
 Kansas and Nebraska
• The K-N Act destroyed the 2 party
system that had existed to that time.
The Whig party fell apart over the
slavery issue, and the Democrats
became more of a Southern party. A
new party emerged- the Republicans.
 Kansas and Nebraska
• Violence erupted in Kansas, between pro- and anti-
slavery forces.
• With popular sovereignty to decide the slavery issue,
both sides sent as many people as they could to vote.
• These political opponents rapidly became warring
factions, and terrorist activities began. Examples:
– Pro-slavery forces attacked the free-state town of Lawrence,
KS, destroying newspaper presses, and even training 5
cannon on the Free State hotel, destroying it.
– These actions provoked an effort of revenge by John Brown.
Brown and four of his sons attacked a pro-slavery settlement
at Pottawatomie Creek- they chopped 5 men to death, in
cold blood, with swords. This Pottawatomie Massacre set
off a running guerilla war.
“Bleeding Kansas”
John Brown: Madman, Hero or
Martyr?
Kansas-Nebraska Act, 1854
 “The Crime Against
Kansas”

Sen. Charles Congr. Preston

Sumner Brooks
(R-MA) (D-SC)
 Kansas and Nebraska
• The dispute over "Bleeding Kansas" even produced violence
in the Congress.
• During the debate over Kansas, Senators Charles Sumner
(Mass.) and A.P. Butler (S. Car.) squared off. Sumner
became particularly rude in his arguments, accusing Butler
of taking a mistress (the mistress was slavery), and even
poked fun at Butler's speech defect that was the result of a
stroke.
• The cousin of Butler, Cong. Preston Brooks attacked Sumner
while Sumner sat at his desk, beating him mercilessly with a
cane. Sumner suffered brain damage and never fully
recovered.
– Sumner became a martyr for the cause.
– Brooks was expelled from the House, but overwhelmingly reelected.
In fact, people from all across the South sent him canes to replace the
one he broke over Sumner's skull, and perhaps to use on other
abolitionists.
 Kansas and Nebraska
• Out in Kansas, the problems continued. 2 separate
governments were formed.
• When the territorial governor called for elections,
thousands of "Border Ruffians" spilled over the
border with Missouri to throw the election to the pro-
slavery forces. Created a pro-slavery (Lecompton)
government.
• Anti-slavery forces then refused to recognize the new
government. Held their own convention and elected
a anti-slavery (Topeka) legislature.
• The controversy aggravated the fighting in KS and in
Washington.
• Kansas, by 1858, began to withdraw from the
national stage as an active political dispute, but
served as a sign of the looming civil war.
 Harriet
Beecher
Stowe
1811 - 1896
“So this is the lady
who started the Big
War.”
► Abraham Lincoln
Uncle Tom’s
Cabin
1852
•Sold 300,000
copies in first
year.
•2 million
copies sold in
a decade.
 Birth of the Republican
Party, 1854
•Northern Whigs.
•Northern Democrats.
•Free-Soilers.
•Know-Nothings.
•Other miscellaneous opponents of
the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
 1856
Election
Results
Dred Scott v. Sanford,
1857
 Dred Scot v. Sanford
• Dred Scott first went to trial to sue for his
freedom in 1847. Ten years later, his case
was finally brought before the United States
Supreme Court.
• The court decided that all people of African
ancestry -- slaves as well as those who were
free -- could never become citizens of the
United States and therefore could not sue in
federal court.
• The court also ruled that the federal
government did not have the power to
prohibit slavery in its territories. Scott,
needless to say, remained a slave.
The Lincoln-Douglas (Illinois Senate)
Debates, 1858

A House divided
against itself, cannot
stand.
 John Brown’s Raid
on Harper’s Ferry, 1859
√Abraham Lincoln John Bell
Republican 1860 Constitutional Union
Presidential
Election

Stephen A. Douglas John C. Breckinridge

Northern Democrat Southern Democrat
1860 Election: A Nation Coming
Apart?!
Republican Party Platform in 1860
1. Non-extension of slavery [for the Free-
Soilers].
2. Protective tariff [for the No. Industrialists].
3. No abridgment of rights for immigrants [a
disappointment for the “Know-Nothings”].
4. Government aid to build a Pacific RR [for
the Northwest].
5. Internal improvements [for the West] at
federal expense.
6. Free homesteads for the public domain [for
farmers].
 1860 Election of Abraham Lincoln
• The election of 1860 - a political mess.
• Sectional divisions over the slavery issues
caused
– the Whig Party to die,
– the Democratic Party to split between the
sections,
– a Free Soil Party to form, and, finally, a
Republican Party to form from a
combination of Whigs and Free Soilers.
• In the election of 1860, 4 parties were
represented.
 1860 Election of Abraham Lincoln
• Abraham Lincoln was the Republican
nominee.
– he had been a Whig,
– had served in the Illinois legislature,
– had served one term in Congress,
– had made a good showing for himself in a Senate
campaign (and legendary debates) against Stephen
Douglas.
– Lincoln won the election with 180 electoral votes,
more than all the other candidates combined.
• His popular vote victory, however, was not nearly so
substantial.
 1860 Election of Abraham Lincoln
• The key issue in this election- Lincoln won the election
without receiving a single electoral vote from the
South.
– Not even on the ballot in states that would become
Confederacy.
• This outcome caused the South to feel as though it had
no voice in the political structure of the U.S.
– Previous presidents had insulated them from
alleged attempts to ‘damage their rights’
• 8 of first 10- 12 of first 15- Presidents owned slaves.
– Lincoln could win without them, future presidents
could also. The South had been critical in the past
for presidential success- but no longer.
 1860
Election
Results
 Crittenden Compromise:
A Last Ditch Appeal to Sanity

Senator
John J.
Crittenden
(Know-
Nothing-
KY)
Secession!
Fort Sumter: April 12, 1861