HSTR 210A Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Lecompton Constitution, Topeka Constitution, Siege Mentality
15 Dec 2016
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HSTR 210 Dr. Lieb Lecture 10: The Civil War 1861-1865 Pt.1
Back to Kansas
• 1856: drafting of the Topeka Constitution
• 1857: Lecompton Constitution
• 21 December 1857: Referendum on the Lecompton Constitution
• 1858: Referendum by anti-slavery government
• Resulted on a winning of each opposite parties that were holding the boycotts
• Pres. Buchanan tried to continue to hold on the Lecompton Constitution, pro-slavery, to
admit Kansas to entire the Union as a slave state
o Senate votes for favour
o House of Representatives demand a new referendum of Kansas before entering the
Union
• 2 August 1858: anti-slavery win the new referendum meaning that Kansas should enter as
a free state
o Admission delayed until 1861 January
Raid on the Arsenal at Harper's Ferry 1859
• Radical move by abolitionist
• 16 Oct. 1859: John Brown seized the Harper's Ferry in Virginia with twenty men
o John Brown hoped to used the weapons to arm slaves in Maryland to increase slave
insurrections in the south
o Well connected in abolitionist circles within the North
o Only problem is that they didn't find a way to actually inform slave populations of
when, exactly, slaves would receive weapons
o Quickly surrounded by militia and marines
o Within the next two days, most of the men of John Brown are killed, and four are
captured
o John Brown tried then hanged for treason
o Made John Brown a martyr for the abolitionist cause
• Divided the country even further
• Southerners became paranoid that there was a northern conspiracy for getting rid of
slavery completely
• Siege mentality was becoming a thing in the South
o Same mindset is reflected in the North
• Either the US becomes a free-country or it becomes a slave-country
Split of the Democratic Party 1860
• Problem is that the Democratic party is the only national party that is left in the United
States at the time
• Criticism coming from outside the Democratic party and from within
• Stephen A. Douglas becomes the challenger to Buchanan's Democratic party within
• April 1860: Democratic National Convention
o Wanted federal protection for slavery within the states
o Defeated by northern delegates, southern delegates leave, leaves a large northern
population
• Douglas vs. Breckinridge
• Now have a party system that is split along the lines of slavery
o Free vs. slave states
Lincoln's Election as US President 8 Nov. 1860
• Abraham Lincoln
• John Bell
• Stephen A. Douglas
• John C. Breckinridge
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Hstr 210 dr. lieb lecture 10: the civil war 1861-1865 pt. 1. Buchanan tried to continue to hold on the lecompton constitution, pro-slavery, to admit kansas to entire the union as a slave state: senate votes for favour, house of representatives demand a new referendum of kansas before entering the. Union: 2 august 1858: anti-slavery win the new referendum meaning that kansas should enter as a free state, admission delayed until 1861 january. Split of the democratic party 1860: problem is that the democratic party is the only national party that is left in the united. Lincoln"s election as us president 8 nov. 1860: abraham lincoln, john bell. Succession of southern states and the formation of the confederacy 1860-1861. In the deep south the succession of the first several states is happening before the lincoln is officially president: south carolina, mississippi, florida, georgia, louisiana, alabama and texas.
