Civil War: Background Issues (1820- 1860) (Rev.)

the free and slave states at the time the compromise was debated in Congress between 1818 and 1820 11 states Kentucky Virginia Maryland Delaware Tennessee North Carolina South Carolina Louisiana Mississippi Alabama and Georgia recognized slavery they were called the slave states or the South the remain 11 states were called the free states or the North these states prohibited slavery in 1818 Missouri petitioned for entry into the Union as a slave state Northern legislators such as Jesse Thomas of Illinois favored admitting Missouri provided that there was no further expansion of slavery Southern spokesmen such as Henry Clay of Kentucky argued that the matter of slavery was the concern only of each state government thus two political philosophies Federal Authority versus states rights were opposed on the Missouri question in 1819 Maine applied for entry into the Union because of its northern position Maine would undoubtedly become a free state Main's application resulted in this first major sectional compromise the Missouri Compromise of 1820 two bills were passed in Congress these bills of the Missouri Compromise admitted Maine as a free state Missouri as a slave state closed to slavery was that portion of the Louisiana Purchase north of the parallel 3630 with the exception of Missouri legislation had preserved the political balance between North and South this precarious balance was maintained when Arkansas Texas and Florida joined the Union as slave states offset by Iowa Wisconsin and Michigan but in 1846 the United States went to war with Mexico as a result of the war new territory might be annexed by the United States and could become either slave or free this area became the cause of the second sectional issue a proposal to prohibit slavery in any new territory gained by the United States was made by David Wilmont of Pennsylvania his anti-slavery proposal known as the Wilmont Proviso stirred public opinion Southerners argued that the Wilmont Proviso would upset the political balance in Congress people of the South were afraid the Proviso would give the north control of the Senate their leaders freely discussed the possibility of Southern States withdrawing from the union reactions in the north where slavery was opposed were very different here people proclaimed their support of the Wilmont Proviso could Congress meeting in Washington in 1849 reach another compromise proposed William H Seward of New York Bar slavery from the area seeded to the United States by Mexico retorted Jefferson Davis of Mississippi slavery must not be barred from the area pleaded Daniel Webster of Massachusetts compromise to save the union Henry Clay of Kentucky proposed specific compromises and stepen a Douglas of Illinois hammered them into shape the result was the famous Compromise of 1850 presented to the Senate by Henry Clay this Compromise of 1850 attempted to resolve the third crucial issue basically it provided that California be admitted as a free state and that the Utah and New Mexico territories be organized with no provision for the introduction or exclusion of slavery a stricter fugitive slave law was another provision of the compromise great Torch Light Parade celebrated the Compromise of 1850 once again legislation had saved the union but the differences between North and South went deeper than the issue of slavery the southern states had developed an almost purely agricultural economy and way of life the climate and soil of the South were excellent for crops such as tobacco and cotton crops which require extensive hand labor more cotton was planted as World demand increased the South became known as the land of King Cotton Southern Planters became convinced that the only way to preserve their economy was by maintaining slavery slavery ensured that cotton would be grown and processed most economically most southern leaders had searched their consciences and found no objection to slave slaves were valuable property and practically all plantation owners felt a responsibility for keeping them housed fed and clothed it was slave labor after all that accounted for the thousands of bales of cotton shipped overseas from Southern port cities cotton was a major money crop exported from the United States the cotton growing South would be hurt by higher tariffs or duties on imported goods higher tariffs had been suggested by some Northern congressman who represented states which had a far different economic development than the South in the north small Family Farms were located near towns and large cities soil and climate favored mixed farming fruits vegetables grains and dairy products these were consumed and were more perishable than cotton also the north was rich in natural resources such as coal and iron and cities grew and developed as centers of Industry many of those who worked in Northern factories were immigrants newly arrived from Central Europe and Great Britain immigration to help expand industry was encouraged by the booming North the North had built its economy on Free Labor free men and women were paid for their labor and had money to buy Goods growing buying power led to increased production thus many Norther industrialists and legislators supported High tariffs discouraged cheaper foreign goods from entering American ports such Goods competed with Northern manufactured goods the major economic issues between the the South and North were clear differences between low tariffs and high tariffs and differences concerning slave labor as opposed to Free Labor slavery once again became an issue when Senator stepan A Douglas introduced the Kansas Nebraska Act in 1854 because in effect it repealed the Missouri Compromise the Kansas Nebraska Act helped to create a fourth sectional issue the ACT provided for the organization of the Nebraska and Kansas territories on the principle of popular sovereignty popular sovereignty meant that citizens living in these territories would vote their territories free or slave this nullified the Missouri Compromise this legislation produced two important effects the first effect was felt immediately in Kansas territory where there was fighting between supporters of two rival governments free and slave by 1856 there was Civil War in Bleeding Kansas for months settlers supporting the free government had been receiving arms and ammunition through the efforts of Northern anti-slavery leaders such as the well-known Minister Henry Ward beer beer was the brother of Harriet beer sto whose novel Uncle Tom's Cabin with its emotional descriptions of slavery did much to stir up Northern feelings against slave holding Southerners in 1856 pro-slavery settlers raided the town of Lawrence Kansas retaliation under the leadership of John Brown a fanatical abolitionist followed at patami Creek so violence was one result of the Kansas Nebraska Act another result was the birth of the Republican party a sectional Northern party organized in protest against the Kansas Nebraska Act in Congress members of the new Republican party called for a halt to the expansion of slavery in the territories but did Congress have this power the case of Dread Scott before The Supreme Court offered an answer to the question Scott a slave had been sold in St Louis Missouri slave area and trans transported to residences in Illinois and Minnesota free areas Scott claimed that his residence on Free Soil made him a free man the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Tony decided on the basis that slaves were property that Congress could not prohibit slavery in a territory because this would deprive owners of their property without due process of law a violation of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution ution this ruling of the court on the Dread Scott case was the fifth and final of the crucial sectional issues this Supreme Court decision reopened the Northern Territories to slavery and threatened the very platform on which the new Republican party had been founded among the politicians who discussed the future status of slavery were Stephen A Douglas a Democrat and a republican lawyer Abraham Lincoln the famous Lincoln Douglas debates took place when both ran for the senate in 1858 although Lincoln was defeated he had made his political position clear when he said I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free it will become all one thing or all the other Lincoln's speeches were greeted with enthusiasm in the north but were attacked in the Pro slavery South as the Republican Party held its presidential convention in Chicago in 1860 Southerners were threatening secession both sides intensely watched this Cony on the third ballot the convention delegates nominated Lincoln as Republican candidate for president the platform of the Republican candidates advocated higher tariffs encouraged immigration promised free homesteads in the new territories and pledged the confinement of slavery in November 1860 the Republican candidate won immediate reaction came from the south southern leaders met hurriedly they felt certain that the election of Lincoln would lead to the abolition of slavery Southern legislators were now ready to make a fateful decision to ceed from the Union for 40 years Men of Honor and good intent on both sides had attempted to compromise on five crucial sectional issues between the North and South but by mid 1861 11 states had ceded the people of these states Allied themselves under a new separate government the Confederate States of America the sectional issues would soon result in war tragic war that would claim the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans the Civil War had begun [Music]