Protest, Resistance and Violence

Mr. PintoSSLLDV

CH. 10 Section 2

Anthony Burns and the Personal Liberty Laws

• Anthony Burns - Escaped Virginia slave living in Boston– Captured and returned to his owner in Virginia

• All that was needed was a statement by a slave owner b/c of the Fugitive Slave Act:– Alleged fugitives were not allowed a trial by jury – Could not testify on your own behalf– Also paid $10 for returned slave. $5 if freed– Anyone convicted of helping a fugitive slave was charged $1,000 or

imprisoned for 6 months

• 9 Northern states had Personal Liberty Laws – No imprisonment of fugitives– Jury Trials that lasted years and cost slave owners $$$$$$$$

The Underground Railroad

• A secret network transporting slaves to Canada– “Conductors” hid fugitives and took them to next

“station” • Harriett Tubman – Former slave– As a “conductor”, helped to free 300 slaves

Dangers for Runaways

• Traveled at night. • No sense of direction – “North star”• Avoiding patrols• Through forests and rivers – “Traps”• No food for days

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

• 1852, Abolitionist Harriett Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom’s Cabin.– Slavery is a moral struggle– Northern abolitionists increased protest of FSA– Southerners criticized the book as an attack on the

South as a whole

Kansas-Nebraska• Stephen Douglas:

– wants railroad from Chi. To S.F.– Must make deal w/ south who wanted r.r. also– Continued expansion meant more votes – Believed popular sovereignty better than M.C. 36, 30 line– Nebraska lay North of M.C. line– Assumed it would enter as 2 states, 1 slave 1 free– Supported repeal of M.C.

• Douglas introduces Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)– Divide territory into Nebraska and Kansas and give each popular sovereignty (repeal of

M.C.)• “Border Ruffians” from Missouri crossed into Kansas and voted illegally

– Issued pro-slavery acts– Anti-slavery gov. started in Lawrence, Kansas

» Court calls anti-slavery Gov. traitors» “Sack of Lawrence” – town is burned to the ground

John Brown

• Abolitionist who believed that God called on him to fight slavery– led men into Pottawatomie and killed 5 pro-

slavery men (Pottawatomie Massacre)– Hacked off their hands and stabbed them

• Some 200 killings followed– “Bleeding Kansas”

Violence in the Senate

• Mass. Senator Sumner (North) attacked pro-slavery senators– Specifically Andrew Butler of S.C.

• Sumner Physically attacked by Congressman Brooks (Southerner, Butler’s nephew) in Senate house

• Widened gap between 2 sides