Lesson 1
Political Conflict Over Slavery
1820 – Missouri Compromise
New Territory Brings New Debates
December 1845 – Texas admitted to the Union
Wilmot Proviso v. John C. Calhoun’s proposal – can’t regulate or ban
slavery in a territory
1848 election – Whigs and Democrats – no stance on slavery
Formation of Free Soil Party – Taylor (Whigs) won but Free Soil Party
gained seats in Congress
Political Conflict Over Slavery
1820 – Missouri Compromise
New Territory Brings New Debates
December 1845 – Texas
admitted to the Union
War with Mexico will follow
Differing Views
Wilmot Proviso – no slavery in lands acquired
from Mexico
John C. Calhoun’s proposal – can’t regulate
or ban slavery in a territory
1848 election – Zachary Taylor (Whigs) and
Lewis Cass (Democrats) – no stance on slavery
Free Soil Party – Martin Van Buren
Taylor (Whigs) won but Free Soil Party
gained seats in Congress
A New Compromise
South – new fugitive slave law
CA wants to join as free state
Want to outlaw slavery in Washington, D.C.
South talks about seceding
1850 – Henry Clay – CA as free state; all others no
limits; slave trade stops in Washington but not slavery
Compromise of 1850 – split into parts
Whigs abstained on parts they opposed
Congress passed
The Fugitive Slave Act
Compromise of 1850 –Fugitive Slave Act
Help fugitive slave = fined or imprisoned
1849 - Henry David Thoreau – “Civil Disobedience”
Northern juries would not convict
Underground Railroad started
People gave money for people to buy freedom
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
1854 – Douglas – repeal Missouri Compromise; allow
“popular sovereignty”
Northerners said no; would allow slavery in areas
that had it outlawed already
Southerners support – Kansas would vote to keep
slavery
1854 – Kansas-Nebraska Act passed
Conflict in Kansas
Border ruffians
1,500 voters but more than 6,000 votes
Create laws to support slavery
Opponents refused to accept – held new election, adopted
constitution and armed themselves
January 1856 – two rival governments
May 1856 – Lawrence – slavery supporters attacked
John Brown led attack – killed 5
Newspapers – “Bleeding Kansas” “Civil War in Kansas”
October 1856 – federal forces sent to stop