Literary Incendiaries: Stowe, Helper, and the North-South Contest for Kansas

1. Drifting Towards Disunion Chapter 19

2. Stowe and Helper: Literary Incendiaries

3. Harriet Beecher Stowe-Uncle Tom’s Cabin • Dismayed by fugitive slave law • Awaken north to cruelty • Very popular in North • Prompted by the 2nd Great Awakening

4. Incredible Force in Shaping Politics • Slavery became evil to millions of people • Sold millions of copies world wide

5. “So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war”-Lincoln • Helped start and win the civil war • Many turned against slavery because of the book • The south condemned her and her book

6. Impression on the North • Would not enforce Fugitive Slave Law • Many Yanks fought to end slavery as a moral wrong • England and France would not enter the war on the side of the South because of the slavery issue

7. Impending Crisis of the South-Hinton Helper • Hated both slavery and blacks • Tried to prove that non-slaveholding whites suffered the most from slavery • Published in the North

8. Book banned in the South • Distributed as campaign literature in the North • South alarmed at North for spreading these lies • South turned against the North more and more

9. The North-South Contest for Kansas

10. Kansas opens up for settlement • Most northerners looking for richer land • Some sponsored by Abolitionists to settle and keep Kansas free • sponsored by New England Emigrant Aid Co. -about 2,000- to make a profit • carried Beecher’s bibles -Sharp’s rifles • Henry Ward Beecher helped raised money to send settlers

11. South mad b/c they supported Kansas-Nebraska Act supposing Kansas would be a slave state • now Nabrascals trying to abolitionize Kansas • South trying to send new slave-owning farmers to Kansas to vote for slavery • many not willing to go • may go to free state • few blacks in Kansas

12. Border Ruffians from Missouri help make a slave-owning constitution • Free-soilers make a constitution in Topeka with no slaves

13. Lawrence Kansas • Violence broke out over land and slaves in Kansas • Free town of Lawrence was burned

14. Kansas in Convulsion

15. Pottawatomie Creek • John Brown moves into Kansas • Anti-slavery zealot • Leads family on killing spree • Hurt free-soil cause and brought vicious retaliation from pro-slavery forces

16. Civil War in Kansas • 1856 • Intermittently and merged with Civil War • Millions in property and personal loss

17. Lecompton Constitution • Free-soilers had enough to apply for statehood without slavery • Pro-slavery forces push through document to vote only with or without slavery • would protect slave owners who already had slaves there • free-soilers boycott polls and slaveryites approve constitution in 1857

18. New President Buchanan supports this notorious Lecompton Constitution • Douglas through his support behind true popular sovereignty (cost him presidency and support from South) • Entire constitution set up for vote • free-soilers overwhelm the constitution and Kansas remained a territory

19. Democratic Party • Buchanan and Douglas sectionalize the Democratic Party (only national party left) • James Buchanan

20. “Bully” Brooks and His Bludgeon

21. Charles Sumner • Not liked in Senate • Angry at failure of popular sovereignty • Gave blistering speech • condemned pro-slavery men • insulted south Carolina • insulted Andrew Butler-very popular senator

22. Preston Brooks of South Carolina • Mad b/c of insults to S. Carolina and its Senator • Wants to duel but only with social equals • May 22, 1856-beat Sumner with his cane until bleeding and unconscious

23. House could not expel Brooks • Brooks resigns • gets canes from admirers • Sumner left seat for 3 and 1/2 years to go to Europe for treatment • South Carolina defiantly re-elects him

24. North Publishes Speech • Arouses Republicans in the North • South condemns speech and angry at North b/c Sumner applauded the North

25. “Old Buck versus “The Pathfinder”

26. Election of 1856 • Democrats nominate Buchanan • Douglas and Pierce too close to Kansas-Nebraska Act • Pennsylvania lawyer and minister to London • Kansasless b/c he was gone and enemyless • called for popular sovereignty

27. Republicans nominate John C. Freemont • Seward did not think this was the Republican year • No political experience • Against the extension of slavery into territories

28. Know-nothing Party • Nativist organized this against the influx of recent immigrants of Irish and German • Secretiveness is where they got their name • Nominate ex Millard Fillmore • Anti-foreign and Anti-catholic • “Americans must rule America” • Party Whigs threaten to take Republican votes

29. Mudslinging Campaign • Buchanan assailed b/c he was a bachelor • Freemont assailed b/c of illegitimate birth • born inn the south • roman catholic

30. The Electoral Fruits of 1856

31. Why did Republicans lose? • Freemont’s honesty and sound judgement • fire eaters claiming that his election would be a declaration of war • intimidated by the Northern business people connected to the South

32. Probably good that Freemont lost • Not a Lincoln • 1856 North more willing to let South depart in peace than in 1860 • Republicans make a great showing the in election • many anxious about the election of 1860

33. The Dred-Scott Bombshell

34. Dred Scott • Dred Scott lived with master for 5 yrs in Illinois and Wisconsin territory • sued for freedom based on residence on free soil

35. Supreme court makes a political case out of a simple case • Dred Scott could not sue in court • he was property • Chief Justice Taney was from a slave state-Maryland • made judgement on slavery issues in territories • pro-southern majority wanted to lay issue to rest • 1. B/c slave was private property they could be taken to any territory • 2. Compromise of 1820 (Missouri) was unconstitutional-congress had no authority to ban slavery in the territories

36. North aghast at the decision against popular sovereignty • South elated at unexpected victory

37. Republicans infuriated by the Dred Scott decision • hurt their rallying cry • considered the courts ruling only and “opinion” and not binding • Republicans defiant of ruling • Ruling hurt b/c majority of court’s members were southerners and sullied itself by entering politics • south wondering how long it could stay in union that defied the court and constitution

38. The Financial Crash of 1857

39. Financial Crash • Financial Crash of 1857 not as bad financially but more psychologically

40. What caused the crash? • Gold from California inflated prices • Over stimulation of grain by Crimean War • Over speculation in land a railroads • Unemployment and business failure

41. Hit North the Hardest • South doing ok during the crash • proved cotton was king and helping country • southerners over confident

42. New vigor for demand of free land • Pioneers were worthy and hardy • would get many to move west

43. Opposition to free homesteads • 1. Eastern industrialists were afraid it would take cheap labor west • 2. Southerners afraid 160 acre farms would fill up the west and add population

44. Homestead Act • 1. Gave land at nominal price $0.25 per acre • 2. vetoed by Buchanan

45. Also clamor for higher tariffs • Tariff 1857 • reduced rate to 20% • financial crisis hit right after this • north blamed panic on low tariffs • Panic of 1857 gave Republican two economic issues • protection for unprotected • free farms for families

46. An Illinois Rail-Splitter Emerges

47. Senatorial election of 1858 in Illinois • Douglas up for re-election • Republicans nominate Lincoln

48. 1809 in Kentucky • Attends frontier school • avid reader • wrestler and rail splitter • could tell a great story

49. Married Mary Todd • Slave owning family from Kentucky • married above himself • well known lawyer from Illinois • “Honest Abe”

50. Congress in 1846 • Spot resolutions • Illinois state legislature • received votes in 1856 Republican convention