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| | *Texas received $10M to pay off its debt in return for accepting a narrower western boundary and give up claims to New Mexico and others | | *Texas received $10M to pay off its debt in return for accepting a narrower western boundary and give up claims to New Mexico and others |
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| − | The Fugitive Slave Act was particularly offensive to northerners. 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== | | ==Franklin Pierce== |
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| − | After the negotiations in the Compromise of 1850, divisive conflict seemed to lull. Although Pierce tried hard to prevent further conflict from breaking out, his policies turned out to be quite divisive.
| + | 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. |
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| − | Historians remember the [[Kansas-Nebraska Act]] as the single largest step toward the Civil War. The Act repealed the Missouri Compromise and reopened the question of slavery in the West.
| + | 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. |
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| − | Expand on this:
| + | 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. |
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| − | Franklin Pierce "1852: Democratic, proslavery, dark horse nominee, won because the Whigs collapsed over slavery issue"
| + | 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. |
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| − | Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854: Sen. Douglas obtained its passage; historians consider it the greatest single step towards Civil War; this Act replaced Missouri Compromise with ""popular sovereignty"" for new territories, causing mini-wars"
| + | Furious, anti-slavery activists founded the Republican Party in 1854 in order to: |
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| − | Republican Party "1854: founded to stop expansion of slavery, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Fugitive Slave Law, & slavery in DC"
| + | *stop expansion of slavery |
| | + | *repeal the Kansas-Nebraska Act |
| | + | *repeal the Fugitive Slave Law |
| | + | *end slavery in DC |
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| − | early leaders of Republican Party abolitionists Charles Sumner & George Julian; Free-Soilers Salmon Chase; conservative Whigs also
| + | 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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| − | Ostend Manifesto 1854: future Pres Buchanan tells Spain sell Cuba to US or lose it by force; caused negative feelings & failed
| + | 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. |
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| | =="Bleeding Kansas"== | | =="Bleeding Kansas"== |