Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 (359) � Wounds reopened in Congress in 1854, and the final solution turned out to not be final. South was convinced that the North was trying to overwhelm them economically and politically. Southerners believed the answer was more slave territory. In 1854, KS and NE applied for statehood. Second argument was over eastern terminus of transcontinental RR. Northerners wanted Chicago, but Southerners didn�t want RR passing thru NE Territory which was free. Sen. Stephen Douglas was a director of the Illinois Central RR and a land speculator, and was looking ahead for southern support for a Presidential run in 1856. Douglas proposed that the South allow terminus in Chicago. In exchange, North would repeal part of the MO Compromise and agree to popular sovereignty for NE and KS. Since they were both north of 36�30�, according to the MO Compromise, they would both be free states. Northerners protested that it would allow slavery into areas that had been free for 30 years. Clearly, NE would vote to be a free state, but no one knew about KS. South supported because they thought KS had mostly been settled by people from MO who supported slavery. Pres Pierce supported and it passed.
Probably the most destructive law ever passed and may have resulted in Civil War. Up until then, every piece of land was clearly defined as to whether it was to be slave or free. This law opened up land for the people to choose, virtually guaranteeing there would be fighting over the land.
Show slide 2.1J. North was shocked. With CA admitted, free states have majority and no prospects for balance. KS, MN and OR will be next and all want to be free states.
A new party, the Republicans, got impetus by opposing this act.
Bleeding Kansas (361) � In first elections after law passed (Nov 54), pro-slavery Missourians (Border Ruffians) poured into KS, elected a pro-slavery territorial govt and then returned to MO. New KS territorial legislature passed constitution and laws supporting slavery. In follow-up election in May �55, MO Sen rounded up 5000 hooligans, gave them free booze and sent them to KS to vote. Anti-slavery Iowans then poured in but stayed in KS. Soon it became almost a Civil War between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces in KS. The anti-slavery people (Jayhawkers (360)) who now had a majority called a new election, elected a separate legislature and wrote their own Constitution opposing slavery. Two rival legislatures and both asked Congress to recognize them. Pierce and the Senate favored the slavery group, the House favored the anti-slavery group. Violence inevitable. In May, 1856, 800 border ruffians sacked Lawrence the anti-slavery capital, burned the hotel and governor�s house, destroyed 2 newspapers, and killed 5 people. 4 days later, abolitionist John Brown with 4 of his sons and 2 others retaliated, hacking 5 defenseless pro-slavery settlers to death in the Pottawatomie Massacre. Newspapers began calling it Bloody KS. Border Ruffians raided into KS, Jayhawks raided into MO and burn out slave holders. 200 people killed before Army stepped in.
Show slide 2.1K. By 1859, the anti-slavery forces were in control.
President Pierce opposed the free gov't in Lawrence. His mishandling of the fighting left him without support.
Sen Charles Sumner of MA believed Douglas had sold out to Southerners to make KS a slave state. He made a speech in Senate denouncing the slavers in KS, called Douglas a �noisy, squat, and nameless animal.� and attacked Sen Andrew Butler of SC, saying he had �chosen a mistress, who, though ugly to others is always lovely to him. I mean the harlot, slavery.� 2 days later, his nephew, Rep Preston Brooks of SC walked into the Senate chamber, said, �I have read your speech twice over. It�s a libel on SC, and on Mr. Butler.� He viciously attacked Sumner with a cane as Sumner sat in his Senate seat. Sumner collapsed from the attack and the loss of blood, and was disabled for 4 years.
Show slide 2.1L. While the North howled in protest, the white South expressed approval of Brooks' response to Sumner's "slander" on the South. Brooks was applauded throughout the South, and was sent many new canes to replace the one he broke over Sumner�s head. The Richmond Enquirer boldly noted that "it was a proper act, done at the proper time, and in the proper place."
The Charleston Mercury summarized the lesson learned from decades of conflict: "On the subject of slavery, the North and South are not only two peoples, they are rival, hostile peoples." Those peoples first met in battle on the frontier in the 1850s. In Kansas, a territory north of the line created by the Missouri Compromise, blood was shed, and warfare over the status of the nation's soil, slave or free, had begun.
Clear that arguing about slavery wasn�t enough any more