The Crisis of the Union - Chapter 9

 Well... tis the season to be crazy! Haven't posted on this blog for a bit. This will actually be the last chapter and discussion we have from "A Patriot's History..." until January 5, 2011. This chapter covers the Civil War barely. It's amazing how much information is available on this important topic. I commend Schweikart and Allen on condensing it into 58 short pages. Our history and the legacy left to us never ceases to amaze me. At this Thanksgiving season, I am especially grateful for those men and women who stood for principles and values and fought to uphold our constitution. My gift to you is page numbers on where to find the answers! But I also included a couple of vocabulary words. Maybe you're offended because you already know what they mean. Good!! Hey - I'm an English teacher. Humor me. Happy reading!

THE CRISIS OF THE UNION 1860-65

CHAPTER 9

Electoral college

Spoils system:

Plebiscite

Jayhawkers

Electoral college: a body of special voters that pledge to vote for the pres. And VP chosen by their state.

Spoils system:  In the politics of the United States, a spoil system (also known as a patronage system) is a practice where a political party, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its voters as a reward for working toward victory, and as an incentive to keep working for the party—as opposed to a system of awarding offices on the basis of some measure of merit independent of political activity.
Plebiscite: a vote by the electorate determining public opinion on a question of national importance
Jayhawkers: is a term that came to prominence just before the Civil War in Bleeding Kansas, where it was adopted by militant bands affiliated with the free-state cause. These bands, known as "Jayhawkers", were guerrilla fighters who often clashed with pro-slavery "Border Ruffians". After the Civil War, "Jayhawker" became synonymous with the people of Kansas. Today the term is a nickname for a native-born Kansan.^[1]

1.     This is false and can be easily proven. Lincoln would have won even if all the What made the electoral college different in the election of 1860 than in the past? MAPS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ElectoralCollege1860-Large.png Split in the Dem. Party and a difference in ideology – slavery. Some writers blame the Democrats, and especially the Southern Democrats, for Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860. The split in the Democratic Party that summer is said to have opened the door for the new Republican Party. Because the divided Democrats could not agree on a candidate, this theory goes, the split in the party allowed Lincoln to capture the White House with a mere 39 percent of the popular vote.

non-Lincoln votes had gone to a single candidate. Yet the "divided Democrats" myth persists. So here's the math.

Lincoln got 180 electoral votes and 1,865,593 popular votes.

Breckenridge got 72 electoral votes and 848,356 popular votes.

Douglas got 12 electoral votes and 1,382,713 popular votes.

Bell got 39 electoral votes and 592,906 popular votes.

2.     Even if you take all the Democratic electors into one pool, they only have 123 electoral votes. Lincoln still wins. But what about the popular vote? As Americans learned again in 2000, elections can hinge on the distribution of votes among the states, and a candidate can win without a majority of the popular vote, so long as he has majorities in key places. So the thing to do is look at the vote by states in 1860. Surely 39 percent of the popular vote couldn't have carried Lincoln into the White House. What made the electoral college different in the election of 1860 than in the past? MAPS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ElectoralCollege1860-Large.png Split in the Dem. Party and a difference in ideology – slavery. Some writers blame the Democrats, and especially the Southern Democrats, for Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860. The split in the Democratic Party that summer is said to have opened the door for the new Republican Party. Because the divided Democrats could not agree on a candidate, this theory goes, the split in the party allowed Lincoln to capture the White House with a mere 39 percent of the popular vote.

United States history, the term Fire-Eaters refers to a group of extremist pro-slavery politicians from the South who urged the separation of southern states into a new nation, which became known as the Confederate States of America. Radically promoted secessionism.

3.      Who were the four candidates for president in the 1860 election? Why were there more than two? Steven A. Douglas – Northern Democrat,  John Breckinridge – Southern Democrat, John Bell – Constitutional Union party (dying Whig), and Abraham Lincoln – Republican. Steven A. Douglas had the majority of the popular vote but party rules required two-thirds to nominate. Southern Dems came demanding that slavery would be protected by law, but Douglas wanted a “loose” interpretation – not guaranteeing protection, and that the Congress would have discretion over the territories. Southern delegates “walked out” as promised, and found their own candidate: John Breckenridge of Kentucky. Remaining Northern Dems gave Douglas the weak nomination. Both of these incidences diluted Douglas’s chances.

4.      Describe the two simultaneous elections on November 6, 1860. Between Lincoln and Douglas in the North, and Bell and Breckinridge in the South. Lincoln carried all northern states except New Jersey – which he split with Douglas. Breckinridge carried the Deep South and Bell had only 39 electoral votes.

5.      What last ditch efforts were made by Lincoln and others to compromise with the South and hopefully avoid secession? What was the South’s response? Proposed a constitutional amendment that would prohibit interference with slavery in states where it existed. 1) restore the Missouri Comp. line. 2) prohibit the abolition of slaveholding on federal property in the south, 3) establish compensation for owners of runaways, and 4) repeal “personal liberty” laws in the North (these laws attempted to nullify the “Fugitive Slave Act”. They would even add the word “slavery” to the constitution. The south would not compromise a bit. Thank heaven!

*NOTES: The market plunged at the south leaving the union.

6.            Describe the political process in the south whereby secession “passed”. Sound familiar?? It barely passed. “697 wealthy men decided the destiny of over 9 million people, mostly poor, one-third enslaved. Most men fought for their “country” as a duty – not necessarily to promote slavery. They fought for states’ rights against a national government.

7.            What was unusual about Jefferson Davis’ view of slavery? He treated his slaves well, and just figured that other masters did the same. Since he did not travel much, he thought that the horrors of slavery were “pure fantasy” and that anyone questioning his opinion was offensive and wrong. He was also an advocate for industrialism and manufacturing.

8.            The south complained that the U.S. Constitution was “a failed experiment.” How was the CSA’s constitution different? They gave subsidies to slave owners while passing on the costs of enforcing slave laws on to non-slave owners. All appropriations bills must have 2/3 majority vote. There were virtually no checks and balances which gave Davis unchecked power. The document reflected southern weaknesses that lead to secession in the first place. Namely ideas of: white supremacy, a residual notion of “states rights”, the propaganda that “Cotton is King” and that a Southern republic would not only be freer, but economically superior to the North. (301)

9.           Define Southern arrogance and the view of the “Negro” according to President Jefferson Davis.(302) war officially begins.

10.         What happened at Fort Sumter? (302-303) VIDEO CLIP   The war officially begins. Lincoln resists.

11.         How did West Virginia come about? (305) Large pockets of Union support existed in the southern Appalachians. They were very much against slavery.

12.         How did gangs like Jesse James’ and others use the “Rebel” cause to commit crime? (306) they pretended to be fighting for the Confederate cause in order to “plunder and pillage”. Only after several crimes committed were they then sworn into the Con. Army.

13.         Compare and contrast the North’s and South’s strengths and weaknesses going into war. (306) NORTH: Controlled the navy, held the majority of factories that produced ammo, vital railroad tracks, clothing, food, backing of the Constitution. SOUTH: Determination that their cause was just, military expertise, cotton, which they felt was “King”, railroads running east and west bringing vital supplies down the Missouri River, which was choked off after the fall of New Orleans. BOTH: have met their match on the battle field having been trained in the exact same way by the same leaders, literally fighting “brother against brother”.

               NOTES:  Confederates berated the North as oppressing the rights of free men while ignoring the fact that the Confederacy forced more free whites under arms than the North. Both sides had huge numbers desert; 10% of Union forces, 12.5% for Confederates.

14.         Describe the organization of the military on both sides. (308-309) NORTH: standing army able to draw from a population of over 20 million but over half had deserted to the south. Both sides, therefore, relied on militias that lacked critical military discipline and irregular training of men 15-50. Militia units had tough-sounding names. One big problem was that men were enlisting so quickly that they did not have the means to provide for them.

15.         What was the “Conscription Act”? (310) Union issued to “all able-bodied men 18 to 35 to serve for three years.” Ages changed from 17-50. Exemptions granted to postal workers, CSA officials, railroad workers, religious ministry, and those employed in manufacturing plants. Draftees could also hire substitutes. 70,000 in the south compared with 118,000 in the north. Confederates felt that this violated the very cause they were fighting for.

16.         Define the strategic “Anaconda Plan” What were its strengths and weaknesses? (312) General Winfield Scott’s strategy to subdue to South. Blockade of Southern ports and called for an advance down the Mississippi River and cut the south in two. Some argued that this was not aggressive enough.

17.         How did the South misinterpret their “victory” at Bull Run? (314) They missed a great opportunity to follow the north and possibly end the war. They were very arrogant about this “win”.

18.         Describe the strengths and weaknesses of Union generals: McClellan, Pope, Grant, Baell (320) McClellan was boastful but couldn’t quite “close the deal”. He was soft – a lot of talk. Pope was a braggart who was more humiliated than McClellan, Buell was soft and lacked aggressiveness, Grant had to prove himself as he had struggled with alcohol in the past. H was extremely aggressive and successful

19.         Having a strong navy was critical to the outcome of the Civil War. Who was in control? Did the South have any advantage? (318) The North was definitely in control but the South had some ships namely the Merrimac that it had confiscated at the fall of Norfolk. It sank a few of the Union fleet.

20.         Describe the importance of the battles of Shiloh and Vicksburg. (321-322) Shiloh ( a church) was the bloodiest battle. General Sherman was in command. Vicksburg sealed the South’s doom. Grant was able to isolate Vicksburg and prevent two of the CSA armies from uniting. He cut off all supplies and literally starved the troops and citizens.

21.         Who was Salmon P. Chase? How did he attempt to pay for Union debt incurred from the war? (323-324) Head of U.S. Treasury who appointed many “party hacks who often could be relied upon for little else but their partisan loyalty” to fill positions in the department. Gov. increased from 383 in 1861 to 2,000 in 1864. Asked Congress for a tax on incomes over $300, requested new tariffs, expanded land sales, issued twenty-year bonds paying 7% interest.

22.         How did “greenbacks” come about? (324) Banks did not want to buy bonds if they had to pay for them in gold, and in Dec. 1861 the Northern banks suspended specie payments on all notes. (South went off gold standard immediately after Fort Sumter). Concerned that soldiers would go unpaid, Chase advanced a paper money concept to Congress that would allow the Treasury to issue $100 million in notes that would circulate as “lawful money, and a legal tender of all debts public and private.”  Enacted as the Legal Tender Act of February 1862, the proposal authorized the issue of more than Chase requested - $450 million of the new green-colored billed called greenbacks.

23.         What was the disastrous result of the South’s financial strategy? (325) Confederate money attained a reputation for worthlessness – previously seen in the Revolutionary War and not again until the Weimar Republic of Germany which produced hyper-inflation in the 1920’s. A Confederate dollar worth $.82 in gold or silver in 1862, had plummeted to only $0.17 in 1865.

24.         How did “free market” vs. “socialist” ideology determine the outcome of the Civil War? (326) Because of the South’s dire straits, it lacked an entrepreneurial base from which to thrive. The government literally confiscated property leaving the war and personal life in total control of the government. The Confederacy reached levels of government involvement unmatched until the totalitarian states of the twentieth century. Confederate officials eerily resembled King George’s  agents that Jefferson warned about. “The Confederacy died of big government.” READ P 326 PARA 2: “Six specific….”

25.         How did General McClellan get fired from his post? After he left, what events led to the Emancipation Proclamation? (327-328) He did not pursue General Lee after the Battle of Gettysburg. Lincoln fired him and was so upset that he decided to free all the slaves and “rip the heart out of the rebellion”.

26.         What were Lincoln’s four objectives of the Emancipation Proclamation? (330) Lincoln’s view of Emancipation was moral over military or political. 1) Save the Union by freeing the slaves 2) prove to Europe that the Confederates were “pariah” 3) freeing the slaves changed property into people which decimated their industry and physical assets 4) contributions of black troops

27.         How did the war effort in the North change after the Emancipation? (331) Blacks fought in battle instead of just building and clearing land,

28.         What happened to Southern General “Stonewall” Jackon? (334) Accidently shot by his own men.

29.         What is the significance of the Battle of Gettysburg? How was General Meade different than other Union Generals? (337) Tremendous loss

30.         Who was General William Tecumseh Sherman? What was his legacy to the war? (339)

31.         Define “Copperheads” and “Radical Republicans”. (342) Copperheads, a name given by Republicans to a vocal group of Democrats in the North opposed to the war likening them to a poisonous snake, The Radical Republicans were a loose faction of American politicians within the Republican Party from about 1854 (before the American Civil War) until the end of Reconstruction in 1877.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_Republicans

32.         Explain the emotional and complete surrender of Robert E. Lee. (346)

33.         What happened to Jefferson Davis? (347) Fled to Richmond and plead with his people to send troops and help defend him. They didn’t. He was granted amnesty by Pres. Andrew Johnson and became an embarrassment to the Confederate cause.

34.         What was the “Lost Cause Theory”? (350) Sought to prove the irrelevancy of slavery to the cause of the war. That economic issues and the immoral North and the honorable south

35.         How did Marxism play into reconstruction? (351) Leftists complain that Lincoln was too conservative, and blocked genuinely radical(and to them, positive) redistribution of not only plantation owners’ wealth, but all wealth. America’s Civil War was ultimately and overwhelmingly about the idea of freedom: whether one group of people could restrict the God-given liberty of others. That the Republicans, in their zeal to free slaves, enacted numerous ill-advised taxes, railroad, and banking laws, was a minor consequence to the big picture. The South perverted classic libertarianism – libertarianism did not pervert the South.

The message of the election?

Well, by now, we've all had our little parties in our heads about the election. I must say it was glorious. Two big mysteries still remain, however.... California and Nevada. Thanks to the great democratic system in California, we here in AZ are closer than ever to actually having beach front. Thanks Senator "Please-don't-call-me-ma'am" Boxer.

   Just found this picture of former Congressman Alan Grayson of Florida in his new job as Wal-Mart security. What will happen to you if he catches you committing a no-no? You will "Die quickly! That's right! Die quickly". So... be nice to each other out there in Fla.
       What a remarkable gift our republic is! No more can anyone say, "my vote doesn't count." Congrats to the Tea Party people. You are a force for good. Keep up the good fight; all of us. It's so great to see people turn back to God who gave us these blessings in the first place. Let's remind each other not to be lulled back into "carnal security".... talkin' to you Republicans. You are definiately on probation this time. As we painfully found out, we must guard our freedoms with our very lives. Continue to pray night and day, and exemplify a grateful heart at all times. We are going to have to tighten our belts as the country resets itself, but we will do it together. God bless each of you. God bless America.

THE HOUSE DIVIDING, 1848-1860 CHAPTER 8

THE HOUSE DIVIDING, 1848-60

CHAPTER 8

1.      Describe the after-math of the John Brown/Harper’s Ferry incident. Include reactions from the following: the newspapers, politicians, citizens, etc.                                                                                          

  John Brown was an abolishionist who thought that if he could collapse Virginia, he could end slavery. His group of 17 whites and 5 freed blacks stormed Harper’s Ferry armory. Their insurrection planned to arm the slaves in revolt on October 18, 1859.  Unfortunately, reinforcements failed to show up before General Robert E. Lee’s forces surrounded and killed many of the rioters. Brown was bayoneted several times but lived to face trial. He was convicted and hung on December 2, 1859. This incident sparked a deep division between the north and the south.

SOUTH: triggered paranoia of slave rebellion in the south. They thought Brown to be crazy or insane. Many of his family members were in asylums and suffered from lunacy. They figured he was just a product of his family.

NORTH: Immortalized him as a true saint or martyr. Thoreau and Emerson wrote and eulogized him for good. A song written by David S. Reynolds, “John Brown’s Body” was later changed by Julia Ward Howe and renamed “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=amss&fileName=as1/as106750/amsspage.db&recNum=0

2.      What was the “dark side, nether side” of society at this time? Growing population and influx of immigrants. Most cities unable to deal with or keep up with the physical needs of everyday living.  New York’s Bowery, or “Hell’s Kitchen”, referred to by police because of its filth and crime. 30,000 orphans roamed the streets, prostitution. Gangs, Boss Tweed – a NY politician who swindled between $25-45 million from NY city taxpayers. (one historian estimated $75-200 million!) He was tied to Tammany Hall – similar to the unions and would attempt to intimidate voters going to the polls.

3.      Early America was made up of energetic and motivated immigrants. Generally, what contributions were the Irish known for? Germans? After the potato famine in Ireland, there were more Irish in the US than in Ireland! At this time, the gov. took no income tax.  The Irish suffered great persecution (Catholics) got involved in politics, government jobs such as policemen, Germans: more skilled than Irish: steel, mechanical, musical instrument trades, pianos, breweries, rifles, eyeglasses, Heinz ketchup,

4.      Slavery is stronger and woven more deeply into the fabric of American society. What three reasons are cited for this? NOTES: Profits – although the northern factories were more profitable, free market system that promotes the slave trade was also striving to abolish it, southerners needed the force of gov. to maintain and expand slavery and without it, a combination of the market and slave revolts would have ultimately ended the institution. NOTES:  population of 3.84 million slaves in 1860 represented “60% of agricultural wealth in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and South Carolina. The census showed that slaves accounted for $3 billion in wealth; an amount more than the railroad and manufacturing wealth combined! Definition of property rights:

5.      Northern industrialists profited more on their return on their business investment than the south did with slavery. If this is true, why did the south continue with slavery? Why not transition into northern-like industry? Long-held family tradition of slavery. Southerners did not understand the industrial system, psychic gains – dominance and control. NOTES: laws were passed in the south making it illegal to educate slaves. They could not meet in groups, own land, or finance their own freedom. Capitalism could not work as long as slavery was permitted anywhere. The government provided loopholes for slave owners to circumvent the system.

6.      Describe George Fitzhugh’s Marxist view of man. What were Fitzhugh’s beliefs about slavery? George Fitzhugh believed in the Marxist labor theory of value http://www.isil.org/resources/lit/labor-theory-val.html and that all men were basically slaves; including whites. Being a strong proponent of slavery,  he taught that those employed in the evil Northern factories were really the ones being enslaved.  He said that “African slaves probably lived better than the Northern factory worker and that they were liberated from all decision making.” Their masters kindly did that for them! And he added (p 261)… “a Southern farm is the beau ideal of Communism; it is a joint concern, in which the slave consumes more than the master… and is far happier, because although the concern may fail, he is always sure of support.”

7.      How did perverted Christian views and doctrines to attempt to justify slavery? Mid-1800’s  said that the bible condoned slavery as a positive good and was the only hope of salvation for Africans. Believed that “Christianizing” Africans was not possible without the intervention of slavery.  Came to view slavery as “social control”

8.    Who fomented and perpetuated slavery uprisings? What affect did the uprisings have? Nat Turner and Denmark Vesey. Nat Turner won his freedom in a lottery and started a Methodist Church with over 1,000 members. Vesey started a rebellion that was later determined to not be a rebellion at all. Denmark Vesey was born on the island of St. Thomas in 1787 and was captured by the owner of a slave ship, Capt. Joseph Vesey. Became educated and won $1,500 in a lottery; $600 of which he used to buy his freedom. Day after day, he witnessed the injustice suffered by his people and therefore planned a rebellion sort of like the one John Brown would attempt years later. Vesey had approx. 9,000 slaves at the ready to revolt. A white house servant got wind of the plan and told his master. Vesey called off the insurrection but many, including him, were hanged. Affect was that southerners became even more paranoid about blacks uprising. It was a crime to teach a slave to read or write. White masters’ determined that blacks had to be kept away from Christianity and Christianity away from blacks. Religion and government worked together to enforce slavery laws. Civil disturbances, censorship of mails and newspapers from the North, infringement of free speech, right to assemble. One Maryland county enacted a resolution requiring vigilante committees to visit the houses of every free black “regularly” for “prompt correction of misconduct.”   http://www.nndb.com/people/937/000110607/

*Turner felt that he was lead by God to lead an insurrection. “The last shall be first.” Sight of a solar eclipse in February 1831 would be the sign to begin. He and several others stormed the house of his master, Joseph Travis and murdered all inside. They stole horses, liquor and guns and repeated this at other homes until U.S. troops and marines stopped them. He was later hanged after hiding out for six weeks.

9.      Who was William Lloyd Garrison? What did he contribute? A fanatic who badgered others for vices that he did not agree with: drinking, gambling, lotteries, Sabbath violations, and war. Abandoned by his father when he was 3 years old, he spent his life trying to get attention and his “15 minutes of fame” by meddling in others’ lives. He became a celebrity and posted his beliefs in the National Philanthropist. He accused a merchant of slave atrocities for which the man threw him in jail. This fomented his “martyr” personae. He ripped up his copy of the constitution because many people believed that the document promoted slavery. Joined with Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, and other abolitionists to fight against slavery.

10.   Define “popular sovereignty”. How did politicians use it to their advantage? People could decide the rules and regulations of each state; (slavery being the top issue) as opposed to the government making those decisions. Majority ruled. Crooked law makers could “rig” vote by bringing in immigrants for support of their cause. Many times, the immigrants would not know what they were voting for, but the structure was nonetheless in place.

11.   Define the unintended consequences of the “Fugitive Slave Law”. Discuss a current law that has resulted in unintended consequences. Example: Prohibition in 1920 was to abolish alcohol and its evils. Unintended consequences were many small businessmen lost their livelihoods, increased violent crime, etc. This law contained several provisions that Southerners saw as reasonable and necessary but soon turned against them. Runaway slaves were denied any aright to jury trial. Commissioners received ten dollars for every runaway delivered to claimants, but only five dollars for cases in which the accused was set free. Any free citizen could help capture slaves. As a result, innocent people were captured, many Northerners were looked as accomplices to slavery as they were sending slaves back into slavery! Enforcement was expensive. Five thousand dollars was spent to capture one slave. And after that, the law was no longer enforced. The Underground Railroad played a huge role in this – assisting almost 50,000 slaves to escape.

NOTES: Henry Clay’s fifth time to run for president vs. Zachary Taylor!! He gets killed again because he is completely anti- slavery in new territories gained from the Mexican War. He also was against annexing Texas. That got him. Taylor, a Louisiana slave holder, was not affiliated with any party. Believed in “popular sovereignty” and that the Wilmot Proviso was not needed (permitting no slavery in lands accrued from the Mexican War.)

12.   What was the “Kansas-Nebraska Act”? How did it lead to the Civil War?  Desire for a mid-eastern transcontinental railroad with a major hub in Chicago, whose expenses would be offset by grants from public lands. Steven A. Douglas, attempting to assuage contention between north and south, and win potential votes for the upcoming presidential election, wrote into the bill the “popular sovereignty” law thereby abolishing a thirty year covenant and allowing possible slavery to the entire Louisiana Purchase. Turned out to be a disastrous bill. This nearly destroyed the Democratic party and started a national crisis. *NOTES: Virtually anyone could cross state or territorial lines to vote. People came from all over to “stack the deck” for their side. But if Kansas became a free soil state, it would cause a “free zone” below the slavery line for the first time in American history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Missouri_Compromise_Line.svg

13.   Explain the media coverage of the “sack of Lawrence”, “Brook’s canes”, and the “Harper’s Ferry” incident. The press greatly exaggerated these stories to promote violence, inflame and propagandize their own ideology. The lid was finally starting to blow off the slavery pot.

*NOTES: Two new parties were partially responsible for dismembering the Whigs. One was the American Party whose platform was against the massive immigration of Irish and Germans. They banded together, secretly and voted in massive blocks of power. They became known as the “Know Nothings” because they would deny or not answer any questions asked about their group. They sealed their doom by shunning the very people who were also against slavery and could have gained much politically from their support. The other was the Anti-Nebraska Party or the Republicans. Attacked slavery head on instead of dancing around it.

14.   What made the “Dred Scott” case so controversial? Why did the judges overturn the ruling? What affects did it have? Dred Scott was a slave who went all the way to the supreme court to appeal for his own freedom. The St. Louis circuit court ruled that he was free. Two years later, the Missouri supreme court stepped in and overturned the rule. He finally ended up at the federal supreme court where Justice Roger B. Taney made the shocking decision that “because he was black, he had no right to sue in the first place. Africans were not protected by the Constitution because they were not US citizens, and therefore had no rights at all.” The court overturned the rule because it was such a monumental and controversial issue. Even though he lost, it put slavery in the forefront of social discussion.

15.   Define the Lecompton Constitution and its role in fomenting the inevitability of the Civil War. The Kansas election of 1857 was heated and in turmoil. Governor Walker observed much voter fraud as pro-slavery Democrats illegally wrote their own Lecompton Constitution.  While free soilers, or Anti-slavery factions boycotted this constitution crying out the “popular sovereignty” rule, but to no avail. They then went to Topeka, Kansas and drew up their own constitution, both sides even elected their own state representatives which increased divisiveness and tensions! Both sides fought for their agenda as the legitimacy of the Lecompton constitution went back and forth through referendums and legalities only fomenting more tension.

The original application for statehood would have granted 23 million acres of federal land to pro-slavery Kansas if the people accepted the Lecompton Constitution but this was cut substantially to 4 million acres. There was also a bribe attached: If the people did not accept the constitution, they would not only be denied statehood, but they would not be allowed to reapply until the population reached ninety thousand. Buchanan was shocked and delivered a crushing blow when the people rejected the offer. In the ten years of fighting and negotiations, advocates had not achieved one inch of pro-slavery land.

16.   What were Abraham Lincoln’s feelings about organized religion? About the separation of church and state? How would you describe his relationship to God? How did Gettysburg affect that relationship? Lincoln did not believe in organized religion until he experienced severe trials in his own life; the deaths of his mother, his son, Tad and especially what he saw at Gettysburg. He believed in the separation of church and state. He was a devout believer in the scriptures and in “doing good to all men”. He lived his “religion” in everything he did – based on his love of Jesus Christ.

17.   Define the debates between Lincoln and Douglas. Why do you think Lincoln was more appealing to the masses than Douglas? Both parties agreed to seven debates – all centering on slavery - vying for the Illinois senator seat. Douglas was the incumbent and won despite the Republicans winning the popular vote – an ominous sign to Dems. Unlike political debates of today, these were festive gatherings where true debates about the issues prevailed. The opponents often took friendly jabs at each other, but left shaking hands leaving it up to the voters to decide which view they supported. Lincoln managed to shift the slavery issue to the morals of it not the economic value which had prevailed for so many decades. *What made Lincoln stand out and again credibility with the voters was that he embraced the moral and logical designation of slavery as an inherent evil, while distancing himself from the fanatics like the Grimke sisters of William Lloyd Garrison. He focused on the law of the constitution in the Republic. (READ: page 290 – red)

18.   Why did 90 percent of southern congressmen vote to not reopen the African slave trade?  At this point, Southerners had to rationalize their belief in the slave trade, but had to come up with a reason not to re-open the slave trade to Africa. They reasoned that slaves already here were content, and the blacks in Africa were “cannibals”. The issue of morality was at the heart of this debate. “If it was right to buy slaves in Virginia and carry them to New Orleans, why is it not right to buy them in Africa and carry them here?” asked William Yancey. Lincoln would have reversed the question. “If it’s wrong to enslave free people in Africa and bring them to Virginia, why is it acceptable to keep slaves in either Virginia or New Orleans.

19.   What was the Wanderer and how was it involved in a crime? What happened to Charles A. L. Lamar? The issue intensified after the “Wanderer” case where cotton trader, Charles Lamar, purchased the ship that went to Africa. He purchased 600 slaves of which only 300 survived. When rumors of the docked slave ship reached authorities, a federal investigation ensued. Corruption in the southern courts was even more evident when Lamar was not arrested, and no legal action against the criminals was taken. When the ship was put up for auction, Lamar, the only bidder, ?” announced that “the episode had given him good experience in the slave trade and that he would apply it in the future.” It was obvious that the south had no intension of upholding anti-slave laws – or any laws, for that matter. This ultimately started the Civil War.