Summary: Ferrocity In The Congress

In 1854 another problem arose which resulted in Congress passing the Kansas-Nebraska Act which repealed the Missouri Compromise, this act was introduced by Stephen A. Douglas a chairman of Committee on Territories, this act allowed the people of Kansas and Nebraska to choose rather they wanted slavery in their boundary or not through the power of popular sovereignty, the Pro-slavery settlers won the election but were charged with accusations that they cheated, in order to make sure that the vote was right they ordered a re-election but the Pro-slavery refused and the refusal resulted into a battle. John Brown an Anti-slavery leader who believed that he was sent here by god to kill anyone who was pro-slavery. He led the anti-slavery force which gained the nickname “Bleeding Kansas”. The fight was soon stopped, and a final election was held, this time the anti-slavery settlers won the vote and was announced that Kansas would become a free state in 1861. In conclusion the Compromises and Acts may have had their flaws but it they some how manage to solve the slavery issues.

battled in the “Bleeding Kansas” conflict over whether the territory would be a free state or slave state. After the debate

“Bleeding Kansas” had many senseless deaths and tragedies caused by the fight for slavery to either become a part of or become eradicated from the new state, Kansas. David Atchison was a major proslavery advocate who believed that slavery needed to be expanded because of its intrinsic value in the culture and economy of the South (Hollitz 210). Sara Robinson, on the other hand, believed that slavery was giving the South unfair political power while simultaneously giving them an economic power that was outdated and inhibiting to the future of the United States (213). Without ever meeting, these two influential figures went head to head in the issue of slavery and greatly influenced both of their parties. Robinson would eventually come out with the victory along with her “free soilers” group and would blaze a trail for many more to challenge the institution of slavery. Atchison would come to lose his battle and a portion of his great reputation and become known as the hell-raiser for his known and unknown relations with the violence during “Bleeding Kansas.” The events in Kansas seemed to bring up many issues that would come to change the face of the United States forever.

Channing felt that acquiring Texas would not only spark conflict with Mexico but would also create problems in the United States in regards to slavery. This issue over the extension of slavery in Texas presaged Bleeding Kansas, a series of violent political confrontations involving anti-slavery Free Soilers and pro-slavery Southerners that took place in the Kansas Territory between 1854

Years prior to 1860, the States were able to make acceptable compromises all thanks to Henry Clay. The Old Guard and Clay’s beliefs stated that the union should be preserved no matter what the cost. This belief system however was not passed down and abandon throughout generations, and thus the New Guard was born. This generation also brought along a wave of abolitionists and rising political tension, and by 1860 the ability to be able to compromise was terminated. One determining factor that I was alluding to earlier was the death of Henry Clay and the Old Guard.

John Brown was very similar to Nat Turner they both believed that they were chosen by god to lead slaves into freedom and if that required a fight then that was what they had to do. John Brown had a goal and that was to abolish slavery throughout the united states. The trouble in Kansas began when the Nebraska Act was signed by President Pierce, this act engaged that people make a determination on whether Kansas territory should be free or slave. In hopes that Kansas would become free of slaves, the opposing side which was named Border Ruffians invaded their territory and forced the pro-slavery election. After John heard about the fear of Kansas becoming a slave state and after also hearing that the Border Ruffians ransacked the town of Lawrence

A leading example of the struggles of slavery in the western states was the struggle over slavery in Kansas. Document F depicts a political cartoon basically stating that Stephen Douglas, Franklin Pierce, and James Buchanan all attempted intentionally or unintentionally to spread slavery to the West. Stephen Douglas proposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act in which the Midwest Nebraska territory would be divided into two states Kansas and Nebraska and the issue of slavery would be determined by in state vote known as "popular sovereignty". Franklin Pierce aided with the signing of the bill. The results upon this bill was harsh fighting between pro-slavery supporters and non-slavery supporters in Kansas over this issue. It also led to the non-reelection of Pierce and the end to the Whig party, along with the introduction of the sectional Republican party, who opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act. An attempt at forcing slavery into

This is when his mission started to become more and more violent. Brown published an essay instructing African Americans to stay together to resist this new law. He ordered them to even if it took killing the slave catchers, that’s what they had to do. He formed an armed resistance against the Fugitive Slave Law. Brown’s United League recruited 44 African Americans. Following this, the Kansas-Nebraska Act surfaced, which allowed settlers to decided whether or not to be free or to practice slavery. Then, in order to achieve the southern support in the 1856 Democratic presidential nomination, Stephen Douglas proposed to divide the new territory into two. This meant that Kansas, since it was in the more southern of the two territories, would be made into a slave state. This would lead to the start of an organized militia against slavery.

In 1832, the New England Anti-Slavery society was formed. Men in the North joined with the South in the effort to keep the subject of slavery out of National Politics, the reason for this is the extreme debate of 1820 Missouri compromise, and the angry defiance of the Tallmadge’s. As the abolition of slavery of the National District of Columbia had been sent by people supporting anti-slavery, they had been referred, as it was only a small committee and it was thought that little conflict would occur. However, with opening of the sessions in 1835, some of the Northern Members began to debate the question. Slade of Vermont, who was serving his sixth congressional term, wanted a abolitionist petition be printed. The Southerners reaction to this was expressed through a violent protest, they also called on congress to stop interfering with slavery in the certain districts. Slade took up the challenge to speak with these protestors through a speech, which revived the unpleasantries of the 1820 Missouri Compromise.

At this time it seemed that the issue of slavery was the only problem in the United States, almost as if a slave was being forced down the throats of the freesoilers (Document F). Stephen Douglas drafted the Kansas-Nebraska Acts in hopes of adding two new states: Kansas and Nebraska. Although it seemed that one would be a slave state, and the other a free state, the slavery issue would be decided by popular sovereignty. Many opposed this decision but did not know how to deal with it. The reason they did not know was because the Constitution did not mention it. William Lloyd Garrison said “the Constitution which subjects them to hopeless bondage is one that we cannot swear to support” (Document E). He was trying to say that the constitution can’t answer the question of slavery because the words “slave” and “slavery” are not in the constitution.

After the bill was passed, pro-slavery and anti-slavery supporters rushed in to settle in Kansas to affect the outcome of the first election. Pro-slavery settlers won the election, but were charged with fraud by anti-slavery settlers. The anti-slavery settlers held another election, but the pro-slavery settlers refused to vote. This resulted in two opposing legislatures within the Kansas territory. The opposition created violence between the two groups, causing many bloody battles that greatly increased the death rate, giving Kansas the nickname “Bleeding Kansas”. President Pierce, supporting pro-slavery, sent in Federal troops to stop the violence and disperse the anti-slavery legislature. Another election was held and pro-slavery supporters won. They were again charged with election fraud. As a result, Congress did not recognize the constitution the pro-slavery settlers adopted, and Kansas wasn’t allowed to become a state. Eventually,

Finally, the issue of “Bloody Kansas” was a major political factor caused by westward expansion. Once it was resolved that Kansas’s stance on slavery would be determined by popular sovereignty, people flocked to Kansas to make their vote count. The “Border Ruffians” won the controversial vote, which resulted in Kansas being a slave state. However, the abolitionists refused to recognize the pro-slavery government, so they set up a second provincial government in Topeka, Kansas. This episode led to a skirmish between the Ruffians and the abolitionists, like in Lawrence, Kansas in May of 1856. This was a prelude to the actual civil war and showed that even if there was a “fair” vote to determine a Territories slave law, it didn’t mean that all the people would abide by the law. These political episodes involving the ever expanding west showed the weakness of the Union.

On June 16, 1858 made the statement “a house divided against itself cannot stand,” in a speech about slavery, deeply contrasting with Douglas’s views and speaking about the conspiracy of the democratic plot to get slavery legalized in every state. This conspiracy, of course, was being partly conspired by Stephen Douglas. Three weeks later, Stephen Douglas refuted these claims while also calling Abraham Lincoln a dangerous abolitionist (Looking for Lincoln). Being an abolitionist at the time held a very negative connotation because abolitionists were often irrational extremists (Morel 4). The following evening, in the exact same place as Douglas had spoken, Lincoln spoke once more.

There was enormous resistance from forces in the South throughout these years, these reforms were not easily instituted; yet, the movement toward real equality ended in 1870. In that year, Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts introduced a bill which, had it been passed unchanged, would have abolished racial discrimination and segregation in “public schools, cemeteries, railroads...inns..and the exclusion of citizens from jury service on the basis of race.” Unfortunately, this final triumph of the Reconstruction met with defeat.8

The Compromise of 1850 brought relative calm to the nation. Though most blacks and abolitionists strongly opposed the Compromise, the majority of Americans embraced it, believing that it offered a final, workable solution to the slavery question. Most importantly, it saved the Union from the terrible split that many had feared. People were all too ready to leave the slavery controversy behind them and move on. But the feeling of relief that spread throughout the country would prove to be the calm before the storm.