Chapter 14

Storm Clouds Over the Nation

Differences Between the North and South

• The North and South had many problems and disagreements during the antebellum (before the war) time period

• The North was dealing with issues with immigrants who were coming over in great numbers.

• Some Northern workers became known as wage slaves because of the poor working and living conditions

Political Differences

• The North and South looked to different government standards to support their views

• Northerners followed Article VI of the Constitution which said that the Constitution would be the “supreme law of the land”

• The Southerners countered that the federal government did not have power over state government and used Amendment X of the Constitution as support

Slavery in America

• Slaves were brought from Africa on the Middle Passage where they were chained underneath the deck in horrid and disgusting conditions

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Life on a Southern Plantation

• The master, or slave owner, was in charge and gave responsibility to the overseer, who distributed the work among the slaves and kept them in line

• Different types of systems were used. Gang systems were sometimes used where the slaves would work in large groups every day

• The other system was the task system in which the overseer gave the slaves specific tasks

Black Responses

• Many slaves ran away using the Underground Railroad which gave slaves who escaped to the Northern states a chance at freedom

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Black Leaders

• Frederick Douglass-former slave who spoke against slavery and wrote his autobiography while becoming the leading black abolitionist (person who wanted to ban slavery)

• Harriet Tubman-former slave who risked her life and freedom by going back over and over to help other blacks escape

Northern and Southern Responses

• Many Northerners didn’t care one way or the other about slavery but abolitionists like William Lloyd Garrison and Horace Greeley fought against it

• Garrison was the editor of a newspaper called the Liberator and Greeley published writings which fought slavery

• White southerners tended to support slavery because the economy depended on it while the slaves let their views be known by singing songs called spirituals which told of their feelings and hope

The Slavery Issue Intensifies

• The publication Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, daughter of a preacher caused the South to ban the book for promoting anti-slavery views

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Kansas-Nebraska Act

• When Kansas and Nebraska applied for statehood, the slavery issue was debated again

• Stephen Douglas of Illinois supported popular sovereignty so each state could decide themselves

• The Kansas-Nebraska Act passed but both sides fought each other over the issue

The Republican Party

• The Republican Party was created during this time when the Conscience Whigs joined with the Northern Democrats and Free Soilers to oppose slavery

• They soon ran a candidate for President but John Fremont was defeated by Democrat James Buchanan

Sumner-Brooks Episode

• The differences of opinion were illustrated after Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts that blasted the Kansas-Nebraska Act and South Carolina Senator Andrew Butler

• Butler’s relative, Preston Brooks, responded by beating Sumner unconscious with his cane a few days later

Dred Scott Decision

• Dred Scott-elderly black man born into slavery whose master died while he was living in a free state.

• According to law, Scott was now free but his case went to the Supreme Court where Roger B. Taney ruled that Scott was still a slave

Attacks on Slavery

• John Brown-abolitionist who used violence to fight slavery by murdering 5 pro-slavery me and then going to Harper’s Ferry, Virginia to take hold of government weapons

• Brown was defeated by Robert E. Lee and was hanged for his actions

The Election of 1860

• The South was nervous about the election and a group of Southerners called fire-eaters threatened secession, leaving the Union, if Republicans won

• The Democrats were divided on candidates. Northern Democrats chose Stephen Douglas to run while Southern Democrats chose John C. Breckinridge

The Election of 1860

• The Republican Party chose Abraham Lincoln, who was a moderate

• Some of the people were upset with the choice of Lincoln and chose John Bell of Tennessee to run under the Constitutional Union Party

Secession

• Many Southern states feel that their rights will be taken away with Lincoln as President and follow South Carolina in seceding and forming the Confederate States of America

• Jefferson Davis was elected President and Alexander Stephens became vice president

Fort Sumter and War

• The Confederacy had taken control of all forts in the South except Fort Pickens in Pensacola, FL and Fort Sumter in Charleson, SC

• Lincoln sent a ship to resupply Fort Sumter and the Confederacy attacked it and the fort

• Robert Anderson, the Union commander, gave up the fort after being under attack for 40 hours

• Lincoln began to recruit soldiers and also influenced part of Virginia to create their own government and become West Virginia