FIRST THINGS FIRST

Why is slavery wrong?

The Democratic Party was formed in the 1830’s around President Andrew Jackson

Primary domestic issues = banking Democrats strongly favored American

expansion to new farm lands and the acquisition of new territories

Democrats also opposed the Bank of the United States, which they believed would build up industry at the expense of the yeoman farmer

Pro farming = indirectly means pro slavery Yet, Democrats were divided on the slavery

issue

Pro-slavery FOR THE MOST PART

Republican Party born in the early 1850’s by anti-slavery activists

The name “Republican” was chosen because it alluded to equality and reminded individuals of Thomas Jefferson

Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican to win the White House

The Republicans of the day worked to pass the Thirteenth Amendment, which outlawed slavery, the Fourteenth, which guaranteed equal protection under the laws, and the Fifteenth, which helped secure voting rights for African-Americans

ANTI-SLAVERY

The Whig Party was a reaction to Andrew Jackson’s dictator policies (“King Andrew”) regarding the Bank of the United States, Native Americans, the Supreme Court and his use of presidential war powers

The term Whig was taken from English politics, the name of a group that opposed royal tyranny

Opponents who gravitated to the Whig Party included Jackson critics and states’ rights advocates 

STATE’S RIGHTS ACTIVISTS

(SOME ANTI-SLAVERY)

Short-lived political party between 1848 & 1852

Founded in NY & drew greatest strength from NY

Third party AND a single-issue party

Main purpose: Stop the expansion of slavery

“Free Soil” – All African Americans “free” in US

Most “Free Soilers” eventually joined the Republican Party

ANTI-SLAVERY

Kansas-Nebraska Act divides the Democratic Party

Northern Democrats leave the party

Whig Party also splits Antislavery Whigs

and Democrats join the Free Soil Party to form the Republican Party

Major goal of Republican Party: ban slavery in the new territories

Republicans quickly develop strength in North

Most Republican candidates from free states lost, but Democrats began to lose support in the South

Democratic party was becoming a Southern party

Whig party candidate was John C. Fremont Democratic candidate was James Buchanan

(PA) American Party (Know-Nothing) candidate

was Millard Fillmore

The vote in 1856 was divided along rigid (firm and inflexible) sectional lines

Buchanan (Democrat) had votes from all southern states except Maryland

Fremont (Whig) won 11 of 16 free states, but did not get any electoral votes from south of the Mason-Dixon line

Buchanan 174 electoral votes, Fremont 114, Fillmore 8…

Buchanan (Democrat) wins

Buchanan (Democrat) wins over Whigs

Slavery proves to still have support from the country – slavery is still strong in the eyes of the law

The Dred Scott decision by Chief Justice Taney was a

polarizing (causing people to separate into two

opposing groups) one

Dred Scott was an enslaved African American owned by a doctor in Missouri (slave state)

1830’s - Scott is brought by his owner to Illinois (free state) then to Wisconsin territory (slavery banned)

Later, he moved back to Missouri with his owner

1834 - Antislavery lawyers helped Scott sue for his freedom—Scott says he should be free because he was taken to an area where slavery was illegal

Case reaches Supreme Court with Chief Justice Roger B. Taney

Taney rules that Scott is still a slave AND because of that, he is not a citizen AND therefore has no right to file a lawsuit

Taney rules that just because Scott lived in free land doesn’t make him free—slaves were permanent property

Reaction in the South—nothing can legally stop slavery and limiting the spread of slavery is unconstitutional

Reaction in the North—Republican groups were outraged. They called the decision “wicked” and “a false judgment” and “the greatest crime” ever committed in the nation’s courts

Illinois Senate race of 1858Democratic Senator Stephen Douglas vs. Republican Abraham LincolnLincoln & Douglas debate 7 times from August – October 1858Main topic of debate = slaveryDouglas said Lincoln wanted full equality for slaves (Lincoln denied this)Douglas wins narrow victory but Lincoln gains attention as a clear thinker who argued with force and passion