The question for this lesson: How do we know the debate over
slavery was the "elephant in the room" for American politics in the
early 19th century? To find the answer, this entire past week we have been
working on a timeline of events leading up to the American Civil War. The
information from the timeline came from several places: a primary source in the
form of a song, our textbook, and different websites. The timelines start with
the Compromise of 1850 and go through several pro-slavery and anti-slavery events
up to John Brown’s raid of the federal arsenal in Harper’s Ferry, Virginia in
1859.
Though few wanted to bring up the topic of slavery, it was lurking in the
background for much of early 1800s American politics.
With the Missouri Compromise of 1820, slavery was at the
forefront of a political decision. When
Maine wished to enter the nation as a free state, it was one of the first signs
that the pro-slavery/anti-slavery system the United States had would soon
threaten their unitedness. Maine entering as a free state would disrupt the
equal balance of the Senate-- 20 pro-slavery Senators and 20 anti-slavery-- making
it 22 anti to 20 pro. To fix this dilemma, Missouri entered as a slave state,
but still, not everyone was satisfied. Missouri seemed like an omen to many Northerners who wanted slavery to stay as far south as possible. Many northerners felt slavery was too close for comfort, so the Missouri Compromise resulted in the drawing of a line at 36°30'
parallel. All the states above the line could from then on only be admitted as free.
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| http://socialstudieswithasmile.com/Kensasnebraskaact.html |
This simple creation of the Missouri Compromise line proved that it could be removed as suddenly as it came. Thirty-four years after its creation, with the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, the Missouri Compromise line was no more. The new idea, instead of trying to keep
the Senate equal was popular sovereignty, or letting the people in the
territory vote on allowing slavery or not. This would possibly give way to
slave states above the Missouri Compromise line. Prior to the passing of this
act, a Transcontinental Railroad was being looked into. With this railroad that
would pass through Stephen Douglas’ hometown of Chicago, IL and a lot of other
Northern states, it would be easy for the Northerners to shuttle in people
against slavery to sway the votes the way they wished. This is another instance of an early 19th century example of political decisions being affected by slavery.
With each political act put into effect, the government had
to be sure to make both sides of the slavery argument happy, but it was well
known after the 1856 Canning of Charles Sumner, that within the government of
the “United” States, slavery was something people could get into heated debates
over. In a speech called The Crime Against Kansas, delivered to the Senate on
May 19
th and 20
th by Charles Sumner, he said, “It [popular
sovereignty in Kansas] is the rape of a virgin Territory, compelling it to the
hateful embrace of Slavery; and it may be clearly traced to a depraved desire
for a new Slave State, hideous offspring of such a crime, in the hope of adding
to the power of Slavery in the National Government.”
[i]
This fiery abolitionist speech, in which Sumner calls out the Senator of South
Caroline, Senator Andrew Butler, more than was wise, earned Sumner a beating
from Butler’s nephew, Preston Brooks, a day later. This was in the end, though
an antislavery man was beaten with a cane, something beneficial for abolitionists.
It made people pro-slavery look evil, if they are willing to beat another man
over a speech.
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| Harper's Ferry, August 5th, 2014, Courtesy of John Richards |
Another instance of violence is John Brown's raid in 1859 of
the Harper’s Ferry federal arsenal. Brown, with a group of 21 men, five of
which were African Americans, seized the arsenal hoping to use the weapons to
arm slaves and start a massive uprising. However, he and his men were stopped
by Col. Robert E. Lee (who was not yet employed by the Confederacy). The troops Lee
commanded stopped the raid, killing half of John Brown’s men, including two of
his own sons. After this, John Brown was hanged, convicted of treason. His
story, however, does not end there. Northerners applauded his actions, and
Julia Ward Howe even wrote a song about him.
“He captured Harper's Ferry with his nineteen* men so
true,
He frightened old Virginia till she trembled through and
through,
They hung him for a traitor, but themselves the traitor
crew,
His soul is marching on.”
[ii]
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| John Brown's Fort, August 5th, 2014, Courtesy of John Richards |
Though without lyrics, this tune, congratulating John
Brown, is still preformed today under the name of The Battle Hymn of the
Republic. Slavery was
always affecting political decisions in the early 1800s, whether the politicians realized it or not. This great disagreement threatened to tear the
country apart, and that’s just what it did.
*Maybe nineteen fit better than twenty-one in the rhythm of the song?
[i] “The
Crime Against Kansas: The Apologies for the crime; The True Remedy” Charles
Sumner, speech delivered to the United States Senate, 19-20 May 1856, from
The Works of Charles Sumner, vol. IV
(Boston: Lee and Shepard, 1870-1873), pages 125-249.
