Civil War Era

Civil War EraCauses of the WarFREEDOM-1st hrPlease formulate your own definition of freedom.We can do whatever we want within the rules/lawsDont harm othersEqual rightsHave opinions, beliefs, religionRight to voteCant be forced to do somethingFREEDOM-3rd hour Please formulate your own definition of freedom.Guidelines/restrictionsAble to be yourselfFeeling safe. No worries/problemsTo live how you likeSelf expression

FREEDOM 4th hour Please formulate your own definition of freedom.Do whatever you want w/out breaking the lawHave more rightsNo consequences based on religion/raceCant be forced to do somethingCan tell the govt no!SacrificeSticking up for what we believe is rightMaking our own choiceHaving a say in the govtFREEDOMPlease formulate your own definition of freedom.Do what you want when you want, boundaries, freedom of speechFew restrictions, having an opinionRestricted rights, do what you want & not get persecuted for itFreely express yourselfSelf expressionDiscussion QuestionsAre freedom & civic order inherently in conflict?What constraints on freedom, if any, are necessary?What contemporary issue or problem poses the greatest threat to freedom?How does the Declaration of Independence reflect the Founders sense of freedom in 1778?How does that differ today?Warm Up: Monday, Sept. 10What freedoms did you have over the weekend? Were there any constraints or limits on this freedom?FREEDOMAre freedom and civic order inherently in conflict? What constraints on freedom, if any, are necessary?What contemporary issue or problem poses the greatest threat to freedom?How does the Declaration of Independence reflect the Founders sense of freedom in 1776?How does that differ from today?

5 Causes of the Civil WarEconomic & Social Differences * Industry & immigration in the North * Growing cities, goods & people * Agriculture in the South mostly cotton production * Mostly ruralStates vs. Federal rights * states acting independently vs. federal actsThe fight between slaves & non-slaves proponents *slavery vs. freedomGrowth of the Abolition Movement * More people opposed slaveryThe election of Abraham Lincoln * South thought Lincoln was anti-slavery & in favor of Northern interests

Wilmots ProvisoDavid Wilmot introduced legislation that said slavery shall not exist.Slavery would not exist in lands won in the Mexico American War.Why? Wilmot thought the President, cabinet & nation were dominated by southern principals.Wanted Northerners to be HEARD!Passed in the House, but never in the Senate.Would never become a law.Why? Southerners knew the new free states/territories would swing the balance of power to the North (South controlled the Senate)

Compromise of 1850Series of bills makes up the act: Henry Clay wanted to please both North & SouthStephen Douglas broke them down into separate bills & it was passed 8 months later.Texas would relinquish Mexico but get $10 million for itTerritories of New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and Utah would be organized with no slavery.In Washington D.C. the slave trade would be abolished, but slavery still be permittedCalifornia would be a free stateFugitive Slave Act allowed citizens to assist in the recovery of slaves.Affected black people who lived in the north & who were already free.

Kansas-Nebraska ActBoth territories were north of the Missouri Compromise line of 3630 and legally closed to slaveryStephen Douglas wanted to let popular sovereignty decide if the territories wanted to be a slave state or not.Bill passed & became law in 1854A bitter fight over Kansas took place (balance of power)North wanted it closed to slaverySouth wanted it open to slavery

Bleeding KansasBoth the North and South tried to populate Kansas in order to win the vote on slaveryMarch of 1855 Kansas held a vote for govt candidatesThousands of border ruffians from the slave state of Missouri crossed into Kansas & voted illegally-proslavery candidates wonAbolitionists set up their own government in TopekaBloody battles & violence ensued giving the territory the name of Bleeding Kansas

Protest & ResistanceFugitive Slave Act * fugitives not entitled to a trial by jury * fugitives could not testify on their own behalf * $10 fee if you returned a fugitive slave * $1,000 FINE & IMPRISONMENT if you helped a slave to freedomNortherners opposed the law * helped slaves to Canada * Nine Northern states passed personal liberty laws forbidding imprisonment of runaway slaves Protest & ResistanceUnderground Railroad * system of secret escape routes * African Americans & abolitionists developed a secret network of people who would help & hide the runaway slaves * network of people called conductorsHarriet Tubman (famous conductor) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVyQJ3rKMzw

Protest & ResistanceHarriet Beecher Stowe * wrote Uncle Toms Cabin * delivered the message: slavery wasnt just a political issue but also a moral issue * became a best seller * Northern abolitionists increased their protests * The South criticized the book as an attack on the Southern way of life - evil

New Political Parties EmergeWhig Party: Divided * North (antislavery) South (proslavery) * split both in the North & South over the issue of slaveryKnow Nothing Party: * supported nativism (organized both in the South & North). * anti-immigrant & anti-Catholic * Split over the issue of slavery

New Political Parties EmergeFree-Soilers Party: * against slavery, but pro racial laws. * Did not want blacks to settle in their state/community * objective to slaverys competition with free white workers. (If slaves were allowed in Northern territories-then whites would be out of a job)Republican Party: * Anti-slavery * Opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act * Took in Free-Soilers, Whigs & Democrats who all had a wide range of opinions

Dred Scott DecisionWas a slave whose owner took him to a free state & territoryScott sued his owner for his freedom living in a free state had made him a free manWent to the Supreme Court Scott lostRuling: Dred Scott was not a citizen, he was property.Property is protected under the 5th amendmentNortherners were extremely upset: free states, blacks live free & have rights. Southern influence on natl govtSoutherners jubilant slavery can be extended into Northern states.21Lincoln-Douglas DebatesBoth running for U.S. Senate in 1859Lincoln (Republican) was not known * Elected 1 term to Congress in 1846 under the Whig Party * broke with the Whig party & became a Republican * Challenged Douglas to a series of debates in IllinoisDouglas (Democratic) was a two term senator with a great record * accepted Lincolns challengeBoth were very different in appearances * Lincoln tall, thin & gangly. His clothes plain & rumpled * Douglas : stocky, energetic. Dressed smartlyLincoln-Douglas DebatesDouglas believed in: * popular sovereignty * slavery was a backwards labor system * did not think that slavery was immoral * thought the people of Kansas-Nebraska would vote to make it a free state * slavery would pass away on its own through popular sovereigntyLincoln believed: * slavery was immoral (greed, wealth & power) * the South would not give up slavery on their own Congress must pass laws to outlaw slaveryHarpers FerryJohn Brown wanted to lead slaves into a revoltLed 21 men, black & white Harpers Ferry, VirginiaWanted to seize the federal arsenal & distribute the guns to the slaves in that areaHe was caught: troops stormed in and killed 10 of Browns menCaptured Brown & tried him for treasonJohn Brown was hanged for treason on Dec. 2, 1859Northerners expressed admiration for him & called him a martyr Southerners were outrage & started assaulting whites with antislavery viewsLincolns ElectionRepublican Party nominated LincolnLincoln pledged to halt the spread of slaveryAlso tried to reassure the South that a Republican administration would not interfere with their slavesSoutherners thought the election of Lincoln would be the greatest evil that has ever befallen the countryElection of 1860

Lincoln WinsReceives only 40% of the votesElectoral votes 180 to 123He received no electoral votes from the southLincoln had sectional support but not national supportSouthern SecessionWith the election of Lincoln, the South thought they had lost their political voiceFederal rights would rule over state rightsOn December 20, 1860 South Carolina is the first state to secede from the UnionMississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana & Texas followedThought secession was their last chance to preserve their way of life

Shaping of the ConfederacyConfederate States of America was formed on February 4, 1861Much of their constitution was similar exceptProtected and recognized slavery in new territoriesEach state in the Confederacy would be sovereign and independentJefferson Davis was elected their PresidentCalm Before the StormPresident Buchanan announced secession was illegalBut, it would also be illegal for him to do anything about itWas the Federal Government melting away?One questions: would the North allow the South to leave the Union in peace or war?