Chapter 18 - Renewing the Sectional Struggle

Chapter 18- Renewing the sectional struggle- 1848-1854

I. The Popular Sovereignty panache

1. Both parties (Democrats and The Whigs) had powerful support in the north and south. Politicians ignored the slavery issue for the most part.
2. Lewis Cass father of popular sovereignty was nominated for democrat president candidate.
   • Doctrine that stated that the sovereign people of a territory, should determine the status of slavery in the land themselves.
   • It was liked by the people because it was democratic and they could choose what was best for them.
   • Liked by Politicians because the slavery problem was now the people’s problem.
   • The only bad part was that that it might spread even more slavery.

II. Political Triumphs for General Taylor

1. Zachary Taylor was nominated for Whig’s candidate; none of the candidates gave an opinion about slavery.
   • The free soil party was organized against slavery. “Free soil, free speech, free labor and free men”. It was run by Van Buren and he was their presidential candidate.
2. Taylor’s wartime popularity pulled the votes in his favor.
   • The free soil Van Buren diverted enough votes away from Cass to help Taylor.

III. “Californy Gold”

1. The discovery of gold in California in early 1848 brought hordes of adventures.
2. A fortunate few “struck it rich” but many would have been better off staying at home.
   • The California gold rush attracted tens of thousands of people most of them criminals. It was a very dangerous place and there was lots of crime.
3. California drafted a constitution, which included slavery and appealed to congress for admission as a state.

IV. Sectional Balance and the Underground Railroad

1. The south in the 1850s was pretty well off. It had lots of power in the cabinet and supreme court.
   • However it was worried because the north had been growing in population and the possible slave state areas were running out.
2. Southerners were angered at the fact that they were losing slaves to the north via the Underground Railroad.
   • “Conductors” were abolitionists that brought “passengers” to free-soiled Canada.
   • Harriet Tubman was an amazing conductor.
   • About 1,000 slaves ran away every year

V. Twilight of the Senatorial Giants

1. The congregational debate of 1850 was called to address the possible addition of California to the union.
2. The “Immortal Trio” – Clay, Calhoun and Webster appeared to speak at the debate.
   • Henry Clay the great compromiser suggested that the north enact a tougher fugitive slave law.
   • John Calhoun “The great nullifier” proposed leaving slavery alone, return runaway slaves and restore rights. He had an unworkable scheme of electing two presidents, one from the south and another from the north.
   • Daniel Webster was against slavery but proposed a harsher new fugitive slave law. VI. Deadlock and Danger On Capitol Hill
3. William H. Seward was a freshman senator from New York against concession. He argued that people had to follow God’s moral laws over the constitution.
4. Zachary Taylor vetoed any compromise passed by congress.

VII. Breaking the Congregational Logjam

1. In the 1880 presidential Taylor died vice-president Millard Fillmore took over.
   • He was more willing to sign compromises.
2. Fire-eaters of the south were very aggressive towards the north.
3. The second era of good feeling dawned
   • People wanted peace and that slavery issues just be buried and forgotten.
   • It didn’t last long.

VIII. Balancing the Compromising Scales

1. The northern states got the better deal in the compromise of 1850.
   • California was added as a free state and not many more slave states were going to be made.
2. New Fugitive slave law of 1850 -“the blood-hounded bill” was harsh.
   • Fleeting slaves weren’t allowed to testify and were denied judicial
   • Northerners were even more eager to go against the law, even though they risked getting fined and jail time if caught.

IX. Defeat and Doom for the Whigs

1. The new democratic nominee was Franklin Pierce
   • He endorsed the compromise of 1850
2. Whigs turned to another military hero- Winfield Scott
   • He was huge and imposing but was too haughty to be liked.
3. The parties attacked each other’s personalities.
   • Luckily for the Democrats the Whig party was hopelessly split between the north and the south. The north accepted the candidate and disliked the platform; the south accepted the platform but didn’t like the candidate.
   • The Whigs’ demise started the eclipse of a national party and was the start of the sectional parties.
4. Franklin Pierce won the election of 1854
   • Whigs died on the fugitive-slave law issue.

X. Expansionist Stirrings South of the Border

1. The Manifest Destiny was reinvigorated.
2. The US and what was later to be Colombia signed a treaty letting Americans pass across the Isthmus as long as Americans kept their agreement of neutrality.
   • A railroad was made there
   • Clayton- Bulwer treaty – neither US nor British could seek exclusive control of and isthmus or water ways
3. William walker tried taking Baja California as a slave state but was quickly defeated.
4. Polk had offered $100 million for Cuba but Spanish denied their offer
   • Southerners tried taking over Cuba but failed
5. Ostend Manifesto offered 120 Million dollars for Cuba; if Spain refused the US would be justified in taking the island. The secret got out and Pierce wasn’t able to go through with it.

XI. The Allure of Asia

1. Britain had gotten some control of the Asian ports and the United States wasn’t about to be left behind.
   • Caleb Cushing was sent to work out something. He impressed the Chinese so much that they signed the treaty of Wanghia in 1844- The first diplomatic agreement between The United States and China.
   • Missionaries now flooded to convert the heathen Chinese.
2. Success in China only made the United States more eager to open trading with Japan.
   • Japan had secluded themselves for almost two centuries.
   • President Fillmore sent Matthew C. Perry and some men to request free trade and friendly relations.
   • A year later they came back to receive Japan’s answer- he persuaded them to sign the treaty of Kanagawa which granted American coaling rights in Japan and established friendly trading relations.

XII. Pacific Railroad Promoters and the Gadsen Purchase

* It was hard to get to the far away states * A transcontinental railroad was the only real solution. * Building railroads was expensive so only one could be made. * The best route seemed to travel through a tip of Mexico. * James Gadsen bought the area for $10 million. * It was built in the South because it was easier to pass the railroad through the lower mountains and it would pass through already organized territory. * Northerners were upset.

XIII. Douglas’s Kansas-Nebraska Scheme

1. Senator Stephen A. Douglas wanted Chicago to turn into a major railroad center.
2. He also wanted to split Nebraska into two territories- Nebraska and Kansas and let popular sovereignty decide about slavery. It contradicted the Missouri Compromise.
3. President Pierce was for it but the northerners in congress were very much against it.
   • Douglas underestimated the future effects.

XIV. Congress Legislates a Civil War

1. The Kansas-Nebraska act was one of the most momentous measures to be passed- it greased the slippery slope to the Civil War.
   • It made the North was less willing to compromise on anything slavery related ever again.
2. The democrats were shattered over the Kansas- Nebraska act.
   • But the new Republican Party sprang up, gathered together and bonded and stayed unified.
   • Never before had a third party movement had risen overnight to be so predominant.
3. Sectional rifts had appeared. The union was in dire peril.