APStudent.com VII. The Sectional Crisis Wilmot Proviso Attached the to bill that approved the treaty with Mexico Would have outlawed slavery in the territory gained from Mexico Election of 1848 Polk didn't run Lewis Cass (Democrat) vs. Zachary Taylor (Whig) vs. Martin Van Buren (Free-Soil) Free-Soil wanted Willmont Proviso Taylor was elected 1848 - Gold Rush - gold discovered at Sutter's Mill in California Debate over how to handle slavery in new states Missouri Compromise ended at Louisiana Purchase boundaries Taylor thought new states should be allowed to decide for themselves whether to be slave or free The South blocked admission of California & New Mexico Compromise of 1850 (the Great Compromise) by Henry Clay 1. California admitted as a free state 2. Rest of Mexico cession territory would decide slave status for itself 3. Texas would agree to arbitrary border, with New Mexico between TX and CA 4. Slave trade outlawed in District of Columbia 5. More effective Fugitive Slave Law Debate between Clay, Calhoun, & Webster During summer Clay got sick, Webster became Sec. of State, and Calhoun died. More debate between Jefferson Davis (South) & Stephen Douglas (North) Purely sectional arguments Eventual agreement Presidential Opposition to Compromise of 1850 Taylor planned to veto because it gave in to sectional arguments Taylor died (1850) before he could veto it Millard Fillmore took over Fillmore passed bill, both sides were happy (for the moment) Election of 1852 - Democrat (Franklin Pierce) vs. Whig vs. Free-Soil Whig & Free-Soil split vote, so Pierce won Democrat tended to be the party of the South, but Pierce was a Northerner North was against Fugitive Slave Law, Wisconsin declared it unconstitutional (1857) Young American Movement Pierce's plan to end sectionalism Diverted attention by focusing on West, nationalism, expansion Ostin Manifesto (1848) Pierce advocated annexing Cuba North was afraid that he would add it as a slave state 1854 - U.S. annexed Hawaii Hawaii added as a free state Small movement for trying to annex Canada Kansas-Nebraska Act - 1854 Repealed Missouri Compromise, which had made Kansas and Nebraska free states Allowed Kansas and Nebraska to choose their slave status Outraged the North and destroyed Whig party Whigs and Free-Soil combined to form Republican party Kansas Civil War Caused by the Kansas-Nebraska Act Northerners & Southerners poured in to try to influence vote Each side tried to intimidate other into leaving Territorial elections, Kansas, 1855 Slavery won by 6,000 votes (when there were only 15,000 registered voters) Missourians had crossed border and voted illegally Free-Soilers held their own vote & voted for free state Pierce recognized the pro-slavery vote, touched off civil war Pro-slavery marshal arrested Free Soil leaders John Brown killed pro-slavers in Lawrence Murdered their families, too Hacked up the bodies and left them in street as a warning Cassius Clay - 1830s, published an anti-slavery newspaper in Kentucky (border state) Anti-abolitionists increased racism in arguments Brooks-Sumner Affair Sumner (Northern senator) gave speech against Brooks (Southern senator) Brooks beat Sumner with cane, crippling him Election of 1856 John Buchanan (Democrat) versus John Freemont (Republican) Buchanan's platform - no strong opinions on issues Freemont was guy who had declared CA independent during Mexican-American War Whigs didn't support Freemont, Buchanan won Buchanan - weak president who tried not to offend anyone Dred Scott decision - Supreme Court Slave did not become free just by entering slave state Overruled all Northern laws that made escaped slaves free Kansas constitution Buchanan supported introduction of Kansas as slave state Kansas constitution was pro-slave People voted down that version of the constitution Pro-slavers claimed vote fraud Lee-Compton Constitution re-submitted and rejected With no constitution, Kansas couldn't become a state 1858 - Abraham Lincoln elected to Congress Lincoln-Douglas debates for Sentate seat Debated slavery and western territories Lincoln against the expansion of slavery 1859 - John Brown & Harper's Ferry Raid Robert E. Lee led marshals who put down raid Convinced South that they weren't safe in the Union Election of 1860 Lincoln (Rep.) vs. John Breckenridge (Southern Dem.) vs. Douglas (Northern Dem.) Lincoln elected, Southern states seceded Secession 1860 - South Carolina seceded Rest of deep South and Texas followed Seven states in all seceded immediately 1861 - Meeting in Alabama, formed Confederacy South began seizing federal installations 1861 - Fort Sumter (in Charlestown) South Carolina demanded its surrender Buchanan refused and sent reinforcements South Carolina fired on supply ships & took fort Crittenden Compromise Proposed amendment to the Constitution Would preserve slavery in slave states Would extend Missouri Compromise Line to the Pacific Wasn't accepted by Republicans April 1861 South Carolina began bombarding Ft. Sumpter Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas joined Confederacy Border states Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, Missouri stayed with Union West Virginia separated from Virginia and stayed with Union Lincoln prepared for war