sst The Road To The Civil War: Flashcards
What happened to the U.S. between Washington’s inauguration in April 1789 and Lincoln’s in March 1861?
It went from a third-rate republic to a world economic power.
It grew from a sparse strip of land to a nation that extended across a continent.
It no longer felt vulnerable to an attack from a foreign power.
Its industrial growth, especially its railroads, reshaped its economy.
Despite this, the nation was coming apart at the seams.
Why was there a Civil War? Could it have been avoided? Why didn’t the North just let the South go (a popular sentiment in 1860)?
In many ways, the U.S. was 2 separate nations in the first half of the 19th century.
There were two distinct cultures and ideologies, one northern, the other southern.
The North was experiencing urban & industrial revolutions. The rise of industry led to a working class mentality in the North. The North’s population boomed under an influx of European immigrants. By 1860 1 in 8 Americans were foreign born, with most living in the North. The North developed ethnic & religious diversity. The South remained largely agrarian with a slave-based economy. The basis of Southern wealth was found in its cotton industry. The South remained divided by social class (“cottonocracy” ruled the south). Cottonocracy = Planter Class (they owned 20 or more slaves…usually 100s+) 75% of southern whites were poor and didn’t own slaves. Slavery grew quickly despite the outlawing of the overseas slave trade in 1807. In 1790 there were 700,000 slaves in the U.S. In 1860 there were 3.5 million. South Carolina, Louisiana, & Mississippi had more blacks than whites. The simplest explanation for war: The South didn’t want to be told what to do.
What factors divided the U.S. into sections/regions? How was it divided?
Original 13 colonies/states: New England, Middle Atlantic States, South
Early 1800s due to expansion & industrialization: Northeast, West, South
Mid 1800s: North & South (dividing line = Mason-Dixon Line)
What was the Missouri Compromise?
Monroe won the election of 1820 with 231 (of 232) electoral votes.
This period was known as an “Era of Good Feelings.” But was it?
Natives were being pushed onto smaller and smaller tracts of undesirable land.
Slaves were growing in numbers and the split over slavery was growing as well.
A constitutional compromise was to end the overseas slave trade by 1808 Yet, an illicit slave trade continued to flourish. But the argument of the day was not the slave trade, but the expansion of slavery. The slavery argument was not about morality, but about economics & politics. The 3/5 compromise had given slave states a political advantage. Economically, slave states needed slavery to expand in order to meet demands. Slave states wanted new states to be slave states in order to produce more cotton. The Louisiana Purchase increased the political tension over expanding slavery. The tension reached a new level when Missouri applied for statehood in 1817. Henry Clay, the “Great Compromiser” proposed the Missouri Compromise. It temporarily eased the tension, but new lines were being drawn. The original 13 states were divided: 7 free states & 6 slave states Between 1791 & 1819, 9 new states are added: 4 free states & 5 slave states In 1819 there were 22 states in the U.S. 11 free states & 11 slave states Adding a new state would throw off the balance. Maine had also applied for statehood by 1819 Compromise: Maine will be admitted as a free state (1820). Missouri will be admitted as a slave state (1821). No more slavery in the Louisiana Territory above the 36 30’ line.
Who was Nat Turner & why did the South fear him?
Nothing scared southerners more than the thought of a slave revolt.
A 1739 uprising in South Carolina that killed 25 whites.
A 1790s revolt in Haiti led by Toussaint L’Ouverture resulted in 60,000+ deaths.
In 1831 Nat Turner led his own slave insurrection in Southampton, VA. Turner was said to be a mystic and a preacher. In August he led around 70 followers on a death march that spared no one. Panic arose and people began to flee the state. Turner went into hiding when he and his men were attacked and outnumbered. Thousands of soldiers searched for him. It took over 2 months to find him…time for his legend to grow. Even in death, the fear of his legacy remained.
What was the fallout of the Turner Rebellion?
Stringent new slave laws were enacted.
Strict censorship was imposed to eliminate abolitionist material in the South.
The militant defense of slavery took on a whole new meaning.
How did Frederick Douglass become the most influential black man of his time?
He was an outspoken critic of the Mexican War (a largely popular war).
He criticized other opponents of the war for their quiet voices.
He wrote and gave speeches about the horrors of slavery (he escaped slavery).
“Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” was printed in 1845.
His exploits & his writings made him one of the most famous men in the U.S.
“Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the roar of its many waters.” Excerpt from 1857 Speech given by Frederick Douglass
He became an advisor to President Lincoln during the Civil War. He recruited black soldiers and fought for their equal pay (eventually granted). Later became the ambassador to Haiti. Criticized later in life when he married a white woman (his 2nd marriage).
Where did the Underground Railroad run?
Ran by Harriet Tubman
Wasn’t actually underground (symbolical, stand for secret set up)
They would take slaves and help them escape to free territory(north)
There would be conductors
There would be stations like house or churches where people would hide out for a bit
Philadelphia and New York was a key station
They wanted to go to Canada because in the North there were fugitive slave laws
There could be a bounty place on someone and they would be chased and taken back south for money
Tubman had a bounty of over a million and half dollars in today’s money
Her nickname was “Moses” because she too helped people escape
She made at least 19 trips back to the south and put herself at risk and thousands escaped by it. She was very brave.
Harriet was supposed to participate in the “John Brown Raid” but was sick and if she would have she would have been killed like the others and John Brown.
Mainly ran between 1840 & 1861…helping thousands escape.
It consisted of a loose network of people.
It ran from the South through Philadelphia & New York (its 2 key stations).
Freedom was found in the Northeast as well as Canada.
“Conductors” were often Quakers and later escaped slaves (Harriet Tubman).
Tubman made 19+ trips to the South…reward for her capture was $40,000.
She would have died as part of “John Brown’s Raid” except illness kept her away.
What was the Compromise of 1850? What 5 bills entailed the Compromise of 1850?
Election of 1848 was really about the future of slavery in America.
Candidates: Taylor (Whig), Cass (Democrat), & Van Buren (Free Soil Party).
Van Buren was the only one who took a clear stand on slavery.
Taylor, a hero from the Mexican War, won despite his silence on slavery.
As President, Taylor has no plans for expansion, even with the “Gold Rush.” 1849: California applies for statehood and slavery moves to the forefront. Southerners accepted the Oregon Territory as free…but California? Henry Clay, despite his advanced age, introduces a package of compromise bills. The bills were greatly debated…mainly by Webster and Calhoun. Webster was willing to accept limited slavery in order to preserve the Union. Calhoun spoke in favor of expanding the slave-plantation system. Calhoun was so ill…Senator Mason (Va.) spoke on his behalf. New faces emerge in Congress during this debate. William Seward of NY spoke out against the institution of slavery. Stephen Douglas of Illinois helped push the Compromise through. Taylor’s death in 1850 allowed successor Millard Fillmore to sign the new laws.
What about the 1846 Wilmot Proviso…did the Compromise of 1850 violate it?
Provided, That, as an express and fundamental condition to the acquisition of any territory from the Republic of Mexico by the United States, by virtue of any treaty which may be negotiated between them, and to the use by the Executive of the moneys herein appropriated, neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in any part of said territory, except for crime, whereof the party shall first be duly convicted.
Why was “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” so important and so controversial?
It was, for a period, America’s most significant novel.
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote about slavery using 3 primary characters.
Eliza sets out in search of the Underground Railroad.
Eva is the angelic daughter of a slave owner.
Tom is a noble slave who seeks to reunite his family through good behavior.
The book’s characters are caricatures designed to solicit tears from readers.
Public reaction, world-wide was astonishing.
300,000 copies sold in a year…1.5 million soon sold world-wide.
Lincoln met Stowe in 1862 and reportedly said: “So, you’re the little woman that wrote the book that made this great war.” Stowe’s book had the largest political impact since Paine’s “Common Sense.”
What was the Kansas-Nebraska Act?
It was sponsored by Stephen A. Douglas and was passed in 1854.
Federal territory was divided into Kansas & Nebraska.
Popular Sovereignty would decide the slave question. (What about the M.C.?)
In return, a new transcontinental railroad would go through the North.
What was the political fallout of the Kansas-Nebraska Act?
A new political party was formed…the Republican Party.
“Bloody Kansas” ensued.
Why did the Republicans start a new political party?
The country endured a string of “mediocre” presidents after Polk left office.
The Whigs & Democrats were splintering over the issue of slavery.
The Free Soil Party was leaderless.
A meeting in Wisconsin in 1854 led to the birth of the Republican Party.
What did the Republican Party really want?
The party was created out of economic & political reasoning…NOT MORAL!
It was created with 6 primary goals in mind:
1. Repeal the K-N Act.
2. Repeal the new fugitive slave laws.
3. Abolish slavery in Washington D.C.
4. Impose a high protective tariff.
5. Complete the transcontinental railroad.
6. Encourage expansion by offering free land to western settlers.
