Crisis in the 1850s 04 23 2014 Whig party collapses in 1854 Dred Scott vs Sanford Emerson Scott with him Scott was a slave born in the 1850s owned by army official o Emerson was sent to Illinois free state by the army and took o Transferred to Wisconsin territory Emerson met a Missouri slave holder who owned a slave named Harriet Legally married Not normal for slaves from different families especially to get married o Transferred to Louisiana and then left Scotts in Wisconsin territory for while Emerson requests that they meet him in Louisiana and they freely go Technically they would not have had to since they were in a free territory Emerson marries Irene Sanford o Then transferred to St Louis 1843 Emerson passes away With the help of his former owners the Blows Scott makes a case There was a precedent that Missouri slaves be freed when they are that he and his family be freed taken out of Missouri territory Case was put off until 1850 o Judge rules that Scott is free o Irene Emerson appeals decision o Family is still enslaved but not in direct employment of Emerson o Worked for a different family and any money generated from work would be awarded to Emerson if ruling came back that they would still be slaves and it would be awarded to Scott if the ruling declared that he was still a slave Missouri Supreme Court ruled that without precedence times had changed Evil spirit in north that was hostile toward slavery To free Scott now would only encourage those feelings To free him would fuel dis Union Mrs Emerson remarried to Calvin Chaffy o Aspiring anti slavery politician from Massachusetts o Mrs Emerson transfers ownership of Scott to her brother Sanford who had business dealings in Missouri Scott s lawyers argue that he was being falsely imprisoned involving citizens of two different states o This means Scott s lawyers can go to federal court Jury comes back saying that he is still a slave Appeals to the United States Supreme Court o Chief Justice Taney Pro slavery 7 of 9 justices were appointed by democrats 5 of which by southern democrats Case is heard and decided in 1857 7 2 o Scott is still a slave Taney does not send Scott back to Missouri Also says that Congress had no right to ban slaves from a territory Any further efforts to ban slavery from the territory would be unconstitutional A territory cannot ban slavery They answer to Congress Only time they can reject slavery is at the decision of statehood Creates outrage in the North o Republicans immediately announce that they would not abide by Taney s ruling Argues that the case isn t binding Taney had added commentary that was not needed Sanford had died before verdict so Irene was owner once again She sold Scott and his family to Tyler Blow son of original owner who granted them their freedom With ruling Northern Democrats leave Democratic Party for Republican Party Stephan Douglas and Abraham Lincoln Douglas is wounded by Dred Scott discussion o His Kansas Nebraska Act was criticized because it had opened the door for slavery in the new territory Agreed to have 7 debates May 1856 Group of border ruffians attack the city of Lawrence led by US Senator o Free soil town and free soil press o Site of free territorial legislature John Brown Vowed revenge for attack on Lawrence Heads to creek in northeastern Kansas Few homesteads that southerners had moved into Took out the men away from their families and hacked them to death with machetes None of which were slaveholders Ignites civil war in Kansas 200 killed Pierce sends 1700 federal troops before war is settled Two rival governments rise in Kansas Pro slavery Anti slavery Brown and the Secret Six charge the federal arsenal in mid October In Harper s Ferry They now have guns and ammunition They also stop a train o Baggage handler free black man is shot by one of the Secret Six over an argument over luggage They let the train go on its way while telegraph lines had been cut o Engineer tells telegraph operator to send message but cannot Marines storm the occupied arsenal and is taken back into US hands Brown is handed over Convicted and hung Thoughts are that his intentions were to distribute weapons to runaway slaves and then engage in guerilla warfare By 1860 most northerners and southerners are on completely different pages on where the country should be headed National Religious institutions began to split o Baptist Presbyterians Methodists Most northerners were not abolitionists however Most slaveholders didn t care about slavery in Kansas 04 23 2014 04 23 2014