History Chapter 15 Any Discussion Should Remind Students That The

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Chapter 15

The Union Broken

1850–1861

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Explain how new railroads, immigration, industrialization, and other factors increased

sectional tensions.

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

The Compromise of 1850 proved to be an armistice rather than a settlement of the sectional

crisis. The issues raised by America’s geographic expansion in the 1840s, particularly the status

of slavery in the territories, burst forth again in the 1850s to shatter the Union. Several earlier

developments contributed to the intensifying sectional conflict in this period. The revivals of the

Second Great Awakening and the abolitionist movement that began in the 1830s were important.

So too was the democratic political system, with its ability to galvanize popular emotions. The

THEMES

Sectional Changes in American Society

The coming of the war occurred against the backdrop of a fundamental economic transformation.

The spread of railroads opened new lands to development and brought more regions into the

wider market. The railroad network also served to link the West economically to the East rather

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The Political Realignment of the 1850s

Friction between the native-born and immigrants eventually disrupted the Whig Party and helped

destroy the Jacksonian party system. At the same time, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed,

repealing the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and opening the remaining regions of the Louisiana

Purchase to slavery under the doctrine of popular sovereignty. Thus, the slavery issue was placed

The Worsening Crisis

Despite the Republicans’ strong and unexpected showing, the Democrats carried the 1856

election. James Buchanan, the Democratic candidate, assumed office in 1857 intending to

dampen sectionalism. These hopes were ruined by the Dred Scott decision, in which the Supreme

Court declared that Congress could not prohibit slavery from a territory. Since this was their

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The Road to War

John Brown’s attack on Harpers Ferry in 1859 alarmed southerners, who were shocked at the

support this “murderer” received from prominent northern intellectuals. Disunion sentiment

seemed stronger than ever. The Democratic Party split into two wings in 1860, each with its own

presidential candidate. The result in 1860 was a four-way contest for president, which

Republican Abraham Lincoln won with less than 40 percent of the popular vote. For the first

LECTURE STRATEGIES

Role of Social and Economic Changes in the Intensifying Sectional Crisis

One way to begin is to ask how the social and economic changes of the decade, discussed in the

text, drove the sections farther apart. The importance of railroads, immigration, industrialization,

Causes of 1850s Party Realignment

Having explored the social and economic background to the sectional conflict, you might go on

to ask about the causes of the party realignment of the 1850s. Any discussion should remind

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Was the Civil War Inevitable?

Finally, the coming of any cataclysm as major as the Civil War prompts the innumerable “what-

ifs.” The topic is really another way of exploring the multiplicity of factors that brought about

war. There are the proximate moves to examine. After the 1860 election, was the Deep South

justified in seceding? Was secession a rational act? You might also raise the issue of why

TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

The Fugitive Slave Act and the notion of “States’ Rights

One of the most resilient myths about the origins of the Civil War remained the southern claim

that they merely defended local authority against an overbearing federal government—an

argument that has had much traction with today’s white supremacists and anti-government

Immigration and Nativism

In addition to discussion of the impact of railroads on economic development, a lecture might

also treat the unprecedented wave of immigration experienced by the United States, stimulated

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Whigs, Know-Nothings, and Republicans

The emergence of the nativist movement sets the stage for the political realignment of the 1850s,

since the Know-Nothings’ meteoric rise, along with the debate over the Kansas-Nebraska bill,

spurred the collapse of the Whigs and the beginning of realignment. In tracing the history of the

Know-Nothings, note how they, too, were divided and eventually destroyed by sectional issues.

The Election of 1860 and Secession Crisis

A lecture exploring the pivotal election of 1860 should begin with the Democratic split at

Charleston, as well as the Republicans’ reasons for nominating Lincoln. In discussing the

election results, it is important to emphasize that Lincoln would have won even if his opponents’

1850. Finally, examine Lincoln’s efforts to handle the secession crisis after he took office, and

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POWER OF PROCESS FOR PRIMARY SOURCES

Power of Process for Primary Sources is a critical thinking tool for reading and writing about

primary sources. As part of Connect History, McGraw-Hill Education’s learning platform, Power

of Process contains a database of over 400 searchable primary sources in addition to the

capability for instructors to upload their own sources. Instructors can then select a series of

strategies for students to use to analyze and comment upon a source. The Power of Process

framework helps students develop essential academic skills such as understanding, analyzing,

and synthesizing readings and visuals such as maps, leading students toward higher order

thinking and writing.