Chapter Seven: The Antebellum period

1. Chapter Seven:The Antebellum period Mrs. Eby

2. Objectives: SS8H6 & SS8E1 • SS8H6: The student will analyze the impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction on Georgia. a. Explain the importance of key events and issues that led to the Civil War including slavery, states rights, nullification, Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, and the Georgia Platform, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Dred Scott case, election of 1860, the debate over secession in Georgia and the role of Alexander Stephens. SS8E1: The student will give examples of the kinds of goods and services produced in Georgia in different historical periods.

3. Background • Antebellum: period before the war • What was manifest destiny? The belief that it was the will of God that the United States expand its borders to the Pacific Coast • Name the three areas of our country acquired during the antebellum period. Texas, Oregon, and California • What war resulted in the United States gaining control of Texas? The Mexican-American War • What key event led to California’s rapid population increase? Gold Rush of 1849

4. Slavery Slavery – The North wanted to abolish slavery, but the South felt their economy required slavery to exist because they needed to have a source of cheap labor to work the fields and produce crops

5. States’ Rights States’ rights – (the belief that the state’s interests should take precedence over the interest of national government) The North believed that in order for the Union to work best together, political decisions should be made that would benefit the entire country. They believed that all states should abide by the laws made by the federal government. The South thought states had the right to govern themselves and should be able to decide what is best for their needs or situation. They did not believe northern politicians could have any idea what is best for a southern state.

6. Nullification Nullification – (the belief that a state should have the authority to nullify any federal law they thought was unconstitutional) This debate arose from a series of tariffs placed on importing foreign-made goods. The South was very dependent on foreign goods because they did not have factories to make the goods. The North was able to produce many of their own goods, so these tariffs primarily penalized the southern states. Many in the South favored nullifying these types of decisions.

7. Missouri Compromise Missouri Compromise – In 1819, the United States had 22 states, 11 were slave states, and 11 were free states. This meant the senate had an equal amount of senators from slave states and free states. The House had more representatives from free states than from slave states. When Missouri applied for statehood in 1819, it applied as a slave state. This led to the Missouri Compromise in 1820 which stated that Maine would enter the union as a free state, and Missouri as a slave state (to keep the balance equal). From that point forward slavery would be prohibited north of 36◦ 20’ latitude (the southern border of Missouri).

8. Compromise of 1850 Compromise of 1850– Due to the growth of California after the discovery of gold there, California was ready to ask for statehood. (A state could ask for statehood after they had 100,000 residents). In 1850, there were 15 slave states & 15 free states. Because California’s constitution did not allow slavery, its admission would mean the balance in the Senate would change. After eight months of debate, a compromise bill was suggested. The Compromise of 1850 had benefits for both sides.

9. Compromise of 1850, cont. For the North it meant: • California would be admitted as a free state • Slave trading was ended in the District of Columbia • Texas gave up its idea of annexing New Mexico, thus taking that territory away from a slave state For the South it meant: • The territories of New Mexico and Utah would determine if they wanted to be slave or free • The residents of the District of Columbia could keep the slaves they already had • Congress would pass a law (the Fugitive Slave Act) stating that slaves who ran away to free states would be returned to their owners

10. The Georgia Platform (re: Compromise of 1850) The Georgia Platform: • Many Georgians did not like the Compromise of 1850, but they were urged to accept it by some of their congressmen. A “Georgia Platform” supporting the Compromise was adopted at a convention in Milledgeville (the state capital). It was clear, even to the Georgians who did not approve of the Compromise, that the measure was necessary in order for Georgia to remain in the Union. Eventually the disagreement over the Platform lead to the formation of new political parties leaving the Democrats in power in Georgia.

11. Kansas-Nebraska Act Kansas-Nebraska Act – This act called for people of new territories to vote and decide whether their territory should be free or slave. This act angered northerners who felt it contradicted the Missouri Compromise which did not allow for slavery north of Missouri’s southern border. This act caused fighting to break out between proslavery and freesoiler groups. When Kansas applied for statehood (as a slave state) its bid was rejected which showed southerners that the northern votes alone could keep states from being slave states.

12. Dred Scott Case Dred Scott case – In 1834, Dred Scott, a slave, was taken by his owner from Missouri to Illinois (a free state), and later to Wisconsin (also free). When they returned to Missouri later, Dred Scott filed a lawsuit arguing he should be free because he had lived in a free state. Abolitionists in the North raised enough money to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court where it was ruled that Mr. Scott was not able to sue because he was a slave and therefore, not a citizen. The Supreme Court also ruled that Congress had no authority to stop slavery in the territories, further dividing the North & South.

13. Election of 1860 Background: In 1854, a new political party formed. Known as the Republican party, it existed only in free states, so many who were opposed to slavery joined.

14. Election of 1860 – Democratic candidates When the democrats had their convention to elect a presidential candidate in 1860, they argued over the party’s platform. Northern democrats wanted to campaign on popular sovereignty (the ability of a territory to decide whether or not they would have slavery), but southern democrats disagreed. They felt slavery should be allowed in all the territories. The issue ended up splitting the democrats in two, and each side nominated its own presidential candidate, Stephen Douglas from the North and John Breckenridge from the South.

15. Election of 1860 – Republican Candidate The Republican party nominated Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was opposed to allowing slavery to spread, but said he would not try to end it in states where it already existed. In addition, Lincoln’s platform wanted to implement a protective tariff (allowing western territory land to be given away to settlers), and construct a transcontinental railroad (with one end in the North). None of these measures benefited the South.

16. Election of 1860 - Results Lincoln won the election without receiving the majority of the vote because the Democratic vote was split. He did not receive a single electoral vote in the slave states. This was the first time a candidate had won based upon the vote of one section of the country. Talk of secession (the act of pulling out of the Union) and war began immediately.

17. Debate in Georgia over Secession Although Georgian’s supported the Union, they favored states’ rights more. Immediately after the election, Georgia’s governor called a legislative session to determine if a convention should be called to decide the question of secession. After heated debate (with Alexander Stephens opposed, and Robert Toombs and Thomas Cobb for secession), the governor called for a secession convention. In December 1860 (just a little over a month after Lincoln’s election), South Carolina seceded from the Union. Most Georgian’s supported South Carolina’s move, and in January of 1861, Georgia seceded. Order of secession of the states: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, & Texas Pneumonic Device: Sorry Miss Flora almost got lost today.

18. Alexander Stephens Alexander Stephens was a well-known legislator for the state of Georgia from Crawfordsville who spoke out against secession after the election of 1860 at the special session called by the governor. He was later named Vice President of the Confederacy.

19. Goods and services available in Georgia during the antebellum period The backbone of Georgia’s economy was still agriculture with cotton being the primary crop. Many cotton mills also existed in the state by this time as well as shoe factories, tanneries, iron factories, grist mills, and brick and pottery factories.