Missouri Compromise

1. Missouri Compromise • Missouri territory applied for statehood as a slave state 1819. • Nation was currently divided with 11 free and 11 slave states • Maine was admitted as a free state. • Made slavery illegal north of the 36°30’ parallel – an attempt to stop the spread of slavery out west. • Slavery was still legal south of the 36°30’ line. • Missouri was admitted as a slave state – 1820.

4. Wilmot Proviso • Proposed by David Wilmot in 1846 • Called for a law to outlaw slavery in the land won from the war with Mexico • Passed in the House but defeated in the Senate

6. Compromise of 1850 • Presented by Rep. Henry Clay • California was admitted as a free state. • New Mexico territory was divided into NM and Utah. The people of these territories were allowed to vote on whether to allow slavery – popular sovereignty • Abolish the slave trade in Wash. D.C. • Proposed a new, more strict Fugitive Slave Law. • Settled a border dispute between Mexico and Texas, increasing the size of Texas (does not create TX as a state).

9. Fugitive Slave Act • Required all citizens to help catch runaway slaves • Special courts were set up to handle runaways • Judges received $10 for sending the accused back to the South, but only $5 for setting them free • Made northerners feel as though they were part of the slave system again • Accused not allowed a jury trial

10. Kansas-Nebraska Act • Introduced by Stephen Douglas in 1854 • Repealing the Missouri Compromise • Organized Kansas and Nebraska territories on the basis of popular sovereignty • Pro-slavery Missouri residents crossed into these territories to cast ballots (in order to sway the vote)

12. Tension in Kansas and Nebraska • • Kansas and Nebraska territories north of 36°30’ line, closed to slavery • • 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act allows popular sovereignty on slavery • Act is supported by Senator Stephen Douglas because he knew Southerners did not want to add another free state and he wanted to build a transcontinental railroad from Chicago to the Pacific • “Bleeding Kansas” • In 1855, proslavery settlers from Missouri cross border to vote in Kansas • Fraudulent victory leads to violent struggle over slavery in Kansas (Continued on the next slide) • Violence in the Senate • Charles Sumner verbally attacks slavery, singles out Andrew Butler • Preston S. Brooks, Butler’s nephew, assaults Sumner on Senate

14. Bleeding Kansas • Pro-slavery activists traveled to Lawrence, KS, an anti-slavery stronghold, and smashed the press of the Free-Soil newspaper • John Brown, an abolitionist, traveled to Pottawatomie Creek and killed five pro-slavery men • Describes the blood-shed and violence in the western territories

15. 1856-Kansas Pro-Slavery raided the town of Lawrence Kansas an anti-slavery stronghold. John Brown, an abolitionist who had moved to Kansas to make it a free state, struck back. He road into the town of Pottawatomie Creek in the middle of the night. Along with his 4 sons, Brown killed 5 proslavery settlers. Guerilla warfare erupted and by 1856, 200 people had been killed in Kansas 1859 Harpers Ferry, West Virginia Led followers east on his anti-slavery campaign Planned an attack on a federal arsenal He hoped enslaved African-Americans would flock to the arsenal and he would provide guns for a revolt Robert E. Lee captures Brown and followers Brown and four others were hanged John Brown

16. Crittenden Compromise • Proposed by John J. Crittenden in 1860 • Rejected by President-elect Lincoln • Re-institute the Missouri Compromise line; north of the 36°30’ line slavery was illegal and south of the 36°30’ line slavery could expand.