Renewing the Sectional Struggle

1848-1854

American Pageant Chapter 18

Election of 1844„ James K. Polk—pledged one term (sick)

„ Democrats: General Lewis Cass– “Father of popular sovereignty”

„ Territories make own decision on slavery

„ Whigs: General Zachary Taylor– Hero of “Buena Vista”—Mexican American War

– Dodged issues—focused on “homespun” candidate

„ Free-Soil Party: Martin Van Buren– “Free soil, free speech, & free men

– Issue: competitive labor more than morality of slavery

„ Outcome: Taylor 163, Cass 127 – (Van Buren diverted votes from Cass)

California Gold Rush

„ Sutter’s Mill, CA—1848

„ Influx--“Gold Fever”—1849

„ C.A. drafts constitution

– Asks for admission as a “free” state

Southern Worries

„ Keep balance in Senate

– 15 free, 15 slave, but…

– New Mexico & Utah territories

„ Wanted admission as non-slave states

– Federal government wanted parts of Texas

„ (parts of NM and CO)

– Washington, D.C.—movement to ban slavery

Runaway Slaves

„ 1000/year (more purchased or voluntarily freed)

„ Underground Railroad to Canada– Harriet Tubman

„ “Loss of honor” felt more than property

„ By 1850—Wanted stronger fugitive slave law

Compromise of 1850„ Aging “immortal trio”

– Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, Daniel Webster„ All support compromise

„ Webster “God already passed the Wilmot Proviso”

– New land not made for plantation economy

Concessions to North Concessions to South

„California admitted as free state

„Disputed territory in Texas go to New Mexico

„Abolition of slave TRADE in Washington, DC

„Rest of Mexican Cession determined by popular sovereignty

„Texas received $10 million for land

„More stringent fugitive slave law

Compromise Deadlock„ “New Guard”

– William H. Seward„ Anti-slavery God’s moral laws a

“higher law”

– Stephen A. Douglas “Little Giant”„ Wanted compromise

„ President Taylor—determined to veto– Dies in office– Millard Fillmore (VP) signs

Compromise into law„ Northerners—felt relieved„ “Fire eater” Southerners—some talk

succession„ Peace returns—temporarily

– North had better end of deal

New Fugitive Slave Law--1850

„ Nickname: “Bloodhound Bill”

– Escaped slaves must be returned to the South

– Slaves could not testify in own behalf

– Denied a jury trial

– Northerners worried—dangerous precedent

– Those who helped a runaway—fined and/or jailed

New Fugitive Slave Law--1850

„ Northern reaction?

– Turned many moderates to abolitionists„ “Personal Liberty Laws”—many states denied jails to

federal officials

„ Massachusetts made it a penal offense to enforce the law

– Overall—Southern mistake

Election of 1852 & Death of Whigs

„ Democrats: Franklin Pierce– Pro-southern northerner

– Endorsed Compromise of 1850

– Territorial Expansion

„ Whigs: General Winfield Scott– “Old Fuss & Feathers”—seemed imperious

– For Compromise of 1850

– Whigs—split sectionally on candidate & platform

„ Franklin Pierce won 254 to 42 E.V.

„ Whigs legacy—kept Union together– Henry Clay & Daniel Webster both died in 1852

Southerners look further South

„ Wanted future slave holding territory

„ Central America

– British encroachment in area„ Treaty of 1848

– American right of transit across isthmus

» Leads to Panama Canal in future

„ Clayton-Bulwer Treaty—1850– Neither country would seek for monopoly of water transit

– Southerner William Walker„ attempted colony in Nicaragua

Cuba debacle & Ostend Manifesto

„ U.S. tried to buy

„ Southern adventurers tried twice to take

„ Spanish seize Black Hawk—U.S. steamer– Ostend Manifesto—top secret--

$120 million for Cuba or fight

– Leaked out—Northern free-soilers call it “manifesto of brigands”

– Franklin Pierce dropped schemes for Cuba

Allure of Asia--China

„ Rivalry w/British

– 1842 Opium War--access to 5 ports in China

„ Caleb Cushing—sent by Pres. Tyler

– Treaty of Wanghia, July 3, 1844„ “Most favored nation” trading rights

„ Extraterritoriality—U.S. in China tried by Americans

– Trade & American missionaries

Allure of Asia--Japan

„ Commodore Matthew C. Perry--1852

– Sent by Millard Fillmore

– Terrifying steamships to closed-off, backward Japan

– Treaty of Kanagawa„ Proper treatment of shipwrecked

sailors

„ coaling rights

„ consular relations

Pacific Railroad & Gadsden Purchase

„ Transportation issue in Mexican Cession land

„ Transcontinental railroad

– In the North or the South?

„ Gadsden Purchase—1853

– James Gadsden sent to buy tract of land from Mexico that was easier to build a railroad on.

Douglas’s Kansas-Nebraska Scheme

„ Senator Stephen A. Douglas– Alternative to Gadsden

– Wanted western railroad—stop in Chicago

– Owned property in Chicago

„ Pushed through Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854– Divide Nebraska territory into two:

Kansas & Nebraska

– Slavery decided by popular sovereignty

– Repealed Compromise of 1820 (36º 30’ line)

Congress Legislates a Civil War„ Douglas underestimated growth of

antislavery movement on moral grounds in the North– Areas possibly open to slavery that

had been promised not to be – Stopped any enforcement of Fugitive

Slave Act

„ Overall—Broke both Compromise of 1820 AND 1850

„ Devastated Democratic party– Last president elected in 1856 for 28

years

„ Created the new Republican Party– Whigs, Free Soilers, Know-Nothings,

Liberty, & disgruntled democrats