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| | The Fugitive Slave Act was particularly offensive to northerners and especially outrageous to abolitionists. It amended the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 in order to appoint federal commissioners to catch slaves who fled to northern states, without giving them due process. | | The Fugitive Slave Act was particularly offensive to northerners and especially outrageous to abolitionists. It amended the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 in order to appoint federal commissioners to catch slaves who fled to northern states, without giving them due process. |
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| − | ==Franklin Pierce== | + | ==President Franklin Pierce and the Kansas-Nebraska Act== |
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| − | The slavery issue had become so divisive by the election of 1852 that it became difficult for a political party to nominate anyone with strong views on it. Instead, political parties turned more to "dark horse" nominees whose positions were not so clear. That enabled them to appear to be more electable ''without'' having taken a stand. | + | The slavery issue had become so divisive by the election of 1852 that it was almost impossible for a political party to nominate anyone with strong views on it. Instead, political parties turned more to "dark horse" nominees whose positions were not so clear, and thus not so objectionable to one side or the other. That enabled them to appear to be more electable ''without'' having taken a stand. |
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| − | The Whig Party, with its concentration in the North, collapsed over the slavery issue, as the pro- and anti-slavery members went in different directions. The Democratic Party, which was more the party of the South, nominated the dark horse Franklin Pierce in 1852. He was pro-slavery, and he won the presidential election because of the Whig Party was no longer strong enough to oppose him. | + | The Whig Party, with its concentration in the North, collapsed over the slavery issue, as the pro- and anti-slavery members went in different directions. The Democratic Party, which was more the party of the South, nominated the dark horse candidate Franklin Pierce in 1852. He had been quietly pro-slavery, and he won the presidential election because of the Whig Party was no longer strong enough to oppose him. |
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| − | The Compromise of 1850 resulted in a brief respite from the divisive conflict. In 1853, when Pierce became president, he tried hard to prevent further conflict from breaking out, but his policies turned out to be quite divisive. | + | The Compromise of 1850 resulted in a brief respite from the divisive conflict. In 1853, when Pierce became president, he tried hard to prevent further conflict from breaking out, but he could not control the conflict any better than anyone else. |
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| − | In 1854, Senator Douglas pushed through the Senate the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Historians consider this ill-advised law to be the greatest single step towards Civil War. It replaced Missouri Compromise with Douglas's concept of "popular sovereignty" for new territories, whereby each new region could decide for itself whether to allow slavery. This ended up causing mini-wars over the issue, especially in Kansas. This Act repealed the Missouri Compromise and reopened the question of slavery in the West. | + | In 1854, Senator Stephen Douglas pushed through the Senate the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Historians consider this ill-advised law to be the greatest single step towards Civil War. It replaced Missouri Compromise with Douglas's concept of "popular sovereignty" for new territories, whereby each new region could decide for itself whether to allow slavery. This ended up causing mini-wars over the issue, especially in Kansas. This Act repealed the Missouri Compromise and reopened the question of slavery in the West, particularly Kansas. |
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| | Furious, anti-slavery activists founded the Republican Party in 1854 in order to: | | Furious, anti-slavery activists founded the Republican Party in 1854 in order to: |
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| − | *stop expansion of slavery | + | *stop the expansion of slavery |
| | *repeal the Kansas-Nebraska Act | | *repeal the Kansas-Nebraska Act |
| | *repeal the Fugitive Slave Law | | *repeal the Fugitive Slave Law |
| − | *end slavery in DC | + | *end slavery in D.C. |
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| | In other words, the Republican Party of today was founded in 1854 on the moral grounds of ending slavery. Early leaders of the Republican Party included the abolitionists Charles Sumner and George Julian, the Free-Soiler Salmon Chase, and conservative members of the Whig Party. | | In other words, the Republican Party of today was founded in 1854 on the moral grounds of ending slavery. Early leaders of the Republican Party included the abolitionists Charles Sumner and George Julian, the Free-Soiler Salmon Chase, and conservative members of the Whig Party. |
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| − | Pierce would only last one term as president. In 1854 the future President James Buchanan was working as a diplomat (which enabled him to avoid divisive domestic issues). Buchanan issued the Ostend Manifesto, in which he told Spain sell Cuba to the United States or lose it by force. This was a failure and caused negative feelings. | + | Pierce would only last one term as president. In 1854 the future President James Buchanan was working as a diplomat (which enabled him to avoid divisive domestic issues). As a diplomat Buchanan issued the Ostend Manifesto, in which he told Spain sell Cuba to the United States or lose it by force. This was a failure and caused negative feelings. |
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| | =="Bleeding Kansas"== | | =="Bleeding Kansas"== |