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Politics of the Civil War
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William Lloyd Garrison
Garrison was the most determined abolitionist. Garrison was a printer, publishing the “Genius of Universal Emancipation” during the 1820s in Baltimore. Later on in 1831 Garrison moved to Boston where he started another newspaper focusing on anti-slavery called “The Liberator”. Garrison demanded the immediate freedom of of slaves without compensation to their slave owners. Garrison also help found the American Anti-Slavery Society, along with 60 other, black and white, abolitionists. -
The American Anti-Slavery Society
The American Anti-Slavery Society starting purpose was to spread anti-slavery literature to farms and small villages across the Midwest, as well as collecting signatures on anti-slave petitions. In 1835 they used the new steam-powered press to print millions of pamphlets and expanding their operation over the whole nation, including the South, mailing the pamphlets everywhere. The final element was a political campaign, overwhelming congress with petitions that included nearly 500,000 signatures -
The Gag Rule
In 1836 the House of Representatives adopted the Gag Rule, agreeing to stay away from the major issue of slavery. This rule lasted until 1844. -
President James Polk Elected for Expansion
Polk was a Democrat and expansionist as well as Andrew Jackson’s protégé. He won presidency in 1844, pledging to seize all Oregon territory for The U.S. His goals were to take over the land of Oregon territory all the way to the Alaskan border. Also expanding to and annexing Texas from Mexico. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
In this treaty Mexico agreed to cede its northern territories to the United States. The treaty gave the United States land which is present day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. President Polk called the land acquisition second most important, only behind the Louisiana Purchase. -
Compromise of 1850
This Compromise decided the California would become a free state of the United States. The states of Utah and New Mexico had popular sovereignty, the settlers in the territory got to choose if they wanted it to become a free state or a slave state. -
The Republican Party
In 1854 the Whig party folded. Later that year the anti-Nebraska Democrats, joined the ex-Whigs, Free-Soilers, and abolitionists to for a new political party, the Repuplican party. The Republican Party would be against slavery and praise the middle class farmers who did work themselves. Republicans envisioned a society of independent farmers, artisans, and proprietors, with values of domesticity, respectability, religious commitment, and capitalist enterprise. -
Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott was an enslaved African American whose slave owner brought to the free state of Illinois and fort Snelling. That area was all prohibited to have slavery by the 1820 Missouri Compromise. Dred Scott claimed that by his owner bring him to free territory that made him a free man. Ultimately the court ruled against Dred Scott and deemed that he was still a slave and had no right to sue. It was ruled that because he was property his owner could take him anywhere he wanted. -
South Carolina Secedes
South Carolina was the first state to secede from the United States Of America in 1860. The seceded after the republicans won presidency, due to the fear that “our enemies are about to take possession of the government” and the wanted to protect their slavery from being abolished. Not long after other states in the South seceded an together they formed their own nation, the Confederate States of America. -
Lincoln Election
Abraham Lincoln was the Republican candidate for president in the 1860 election. Lincoln was a humble character. Before winning presidency Lincoln was first a lawyer and politician in Congress. Lincoln thought free black men should have equal rights to the white men. As well as being against the expansion of slavery.