North-South Struggle for KansasNortherners – typically pioneers Small # financed by New England Emigrant Aid Company

Antislavery organization financing the movement of northerners to Kansas (increase anti-slavery #s)

Southerners were outraged Supported K-N Act w/ the understanding that Kansas = slave and

Nebraska = free

1855 – Election of Territorial Legislature “Border Ruffians” – proslaveryites came from Missouri to vote in

KS election. Slavery supporters win and set up gov. @ Shawnee Mission

(Fraud) Free-Soilers set up their own gov. in Topeka (illegal)

Breaking Point!! –1856 – Proslavery raiders destroyed Lawrence (free-soil town)

Kansas con’t1857 – Kansas has enough people to apply for “Popular Sovereignty” statehood Proslavery (tricky) – Lecompton Constitution

Vote for constitution w/ or w/out slavery If voted against slavery, additional clause protected owners of

slaves already in Kansas Free-soilers enraged (no chance of free Kansas)

Boycott polls, Proslavery forces adopt constitution w/ slavery

Washington President Buchanan (D) – strongly influenced by

southern forces supported LC Douglas (D-IL) – champion of popular sovereignty not

pleased – called for LCto be submitted to popular vote Free-soilers plow it under

Democratic party divided -- North vs. South

Blood on the Senate FloorBleeding Kansas spilled over to Congress1856 – Abolitionist Senator Charles

Sumner delivered enraged speech “The Crime Against Kansas”

Preston Brooks resented insults May 22, 1856 – Brooks struck Sumner with

an 11 oz. cane until it broke (bleeding and unconcious)

Brooks resigns, but is reelected!Sumner forced to leave for medical treatment

Dred Scott Decision

March 6, 1857Simple case taken too farB/c a slave was private property, he or she

could be taken into any territory and held legally as a slave

Court ruled Missouri Compromise (repealed by Kansas-Nebraska Act) unconstitutional

Congress didn’t have power to ban slavery from territories, regardless of what territories wanted

Financial Crash 1857Causes: California Gold -- inflation Crimean War – over-stimulated growing of grain

(Northern crop) Land & Railroad Speculation

Effects were sectional North – hardest hit

Demand for free farms of 160 acres from public lands Northerns and Southerners opposed 1860 – Homestead Act – public lands sold for 25 cents/acre

Demand for higher tariff – protect American industry

South – rode out the crash well due to cotton prices abroad – illusion of economic dominance over North

John Brown

Obsessive abolitionist Enraged by proslavery attack on Lawrence, KS – led

hacking of 5 proslaveryites Beginnings of civil war in Kansas – would later merge with the

Civil War

Scheme to secretly invade the south, create a slave uprising, provide them with arms, and establish a free black state Harpers Ferry – seized arsenal, but slaves failed to rise

Captured by U.S. Marines and convicted of murder and treason

Murderer or Martyr?

Election of 1860Democrats split Douglas – North

South Dems viewed as traitor – Lecompton Constitution and Freeport Doctrine

Breckenridge – South South Dems nominated in response to Douglas

New Republican Party Lincoln Platform appealed to many groups

Free-soilers – non-extension of slavery N manufacturing – protective tariff Immigrants – protection of rights West – internal improvements at federal expense Farmers – free homesteads from public lands

Results of Lincoln’s VictorySouth was not out of the ballgame Majority in the Supreme Court Democrats controlled the Senate and the House Slavery could not be touched where it already existed –

amendment would be defeated

South Carolina now had excuse to secede AL, MS, FL, GA, LA, and TX w/in 6 weeks (4 more later)

Feb 1861 – Confederate States of America Pres. Jefferson Davis

“Lame Duck” period Buchanan did not believe the south could legally

secede, but could find no authority in the Constitution to stop them militarily

Crittenden Amendments

Final attempts at compromiseJames Henry Crittenden (KY) – provisions designed to appease the South Slavery prohibited North of the 36°30’ parallel South of the line slavery federally protected Future states = popular sovereignty

Lincoln rejects End of hope for compromise Elected on opposition to the extension of slavery

Why did the South Secede?

Tipping of political balance

New Republican Party Threatened rights as slaveholding minority

“All we ask is the be let alone” – Jeff Davis

Felt they could leave unopposed

Nationalism

Self-determination Few seceders felt they were doing anything wrong