Pg 1: Sources

Pg 2: Table of Contents

Pg 3: Sec. 1- The Debate Over Slavery

Pg 7: Sec 2- Trouble in Kansas

Pg 15 Sec 3- Political Divisions

Pg 21: Sec 4- The Nation Divides

Pg 28: About the Author

Pg 29: Sources

New Land Renews Slavery Disputes

In order to resolve this conflict, Henry Clay proposed the Compromise of 1850. This document proposed that California would enter the Union as a free state, and the rest of the Mexican Cession was divided into two territories-New Mexico and Utah, where the question of weather they would allow slavery would be up to popular opinion.

One of the main complaints of the South is that the runaway slaves that made it to the North would be freed and not returned to their masters. The rich plantation owners were not pleased when this happened and they had large influences on the politics of the South.

In order to fix this problem, an act was passed called the 'Fugitive Slave Act' that made it a crime to help runaway slave as well as made it legal for officers to arrest slaves in free zones.

Antislavery Literature

As abolitionists grew in number, one of their main ways, besides lectures, of recruiting was to write and produce antislavery literature. This was a new 'genre' that grew in popularity quickly. It had all the qualifications for interesting books, such a a dramatic part then a happy ending. These types of books caused empathy in the hearts of whites and brought them closer to the cause.

The election of 1852 was important because it meant that, since Franklin Pierce won, the Compromise of 1850 and the Fugitive Slave act, would be honored for four more years at least. The Southerners liked this, since the other candidates, along with the majority of the North, wanted to dispose of the Fugitive Slave Act.

The Election of 1852

The Kansas-Nebraska Act was an act put into place that divvied up the remaining Louisiana Purchase Territory into Kansas and Nebraska, as well as people in each territory to decide weather or not they were slave or anti-slavery. The act also would eliminate the restriction by the Missouri Compromise of slavery north of the 36 30' line.

Topic #3

Bleeding Kansas

Around may 24th, 1856, Kansas was nicknames 'Bleeding Kansas' because, after 5 men were killed by abolitionists, Kansas broke out into civil war. Over 200 were killed.

Political Parties Undergo Change

Just after the Kansas-Nebraska Act, Politics underwent extreme change. For example, in 1854, the Whig, Democrats, Free-Soilers, and abolitionists formed together to form the Republican Party that opposed slavery. Soon, this all fell into turmoil. The Democrats were in trouble when those who supported the Kansas-Nebraska Act were not re-elected. The Whig party also fell apart when the Northern and Southern Whig Parties refused to work together.

The Republic soon realized that they had little to no supporters in the South.

Dred Scott Decision

The Dred Scott Decision was a tough desision for the Supreme Court to make because it would decide if Dred Scott, a black man suing for his freedom, was, firstly, a citizen, since only they could sue in Federal Court, secondly, if his claim that his time spent living on free soil made im free, and thirdly, the constitutionality of prohibiting slavery in parts of the Louisiana Purchase.