In additional to conflicting views due to diversity among the North and South, Stephan Douglas’ desire to develop unorganized territory, and disinterest in the controversy of slavery, lead to influential conflicts in the sectional crisis, including the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Lecompton Constitution. These conflicts, and the additional uprising they caused further divided the country, leading the country towards sectionalism. At the time, senator of Illinois Stephan Douglas worked toward developing westward territories. Through the late 1840s and early 1850s Douglas aspired to develop and build a railroad on the remaining land from the Louisiana purchase (306). Douglas’ lack of investment in the issue of slavery lead to his support of
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First, the Dred Scott decision empowered proslavery Southerners. The 1854 Dred Scott v. Standford case was brought all the way to Supreme Court and was regarding a slave who lived in an area illegal to slavery because of the Missouri Compromise and was suing Standford for freedom (Brands 2015, 323). This case caused controversy; Firstly, because slaves could not be citizens at the time therefore they should not be allowed to sue a citizen. Secondly, the Supreme court explained that they could not make a ruling because Scott was not a citizen; however, they also stated that if they would have decided they would have ruled against Scott, explaining that slaves are property therefore a federal law can not interfere with one’s property. Both Southerners and Northerners viewed this explanation as the Supreme Court lawfully condoning slavery in all territories, slave or free, because slaves were property. This statement empowered proslavery supporters and enraged anti-slavery Northerners. This redistribution of power furthered the rivalry between proslavery and anti-slavery, while infuriating anti-slavery abolitionists. On the flip side, Northerners demonstrated their power in John Brown’s attempt at an uprising at Harper Ferry. This 1860 uprising demonstrated Northerners anger against slavery, and empowered themselves (326). Southerners felt threatened and scared as a result of this attempted uprising. Additionally, this uprising demonstrated that Northerners were not reluctant to resort to violence. The Harper Ferry uprising is yet another example of how empowerment of an opposing group scared the other, arranging for the sectional crisis. Lastly, the election of 1860 lead to the secession of South Carolina from the
First, the Dred Scott decision empowered proslavery Southerners. The 1854 Dred Scott v. Standford case was brought all the way to Supreme Court and was regarding a slave who lived in an area illegal to slavery because of the Missouri Compromise and was suing Standford for freedom (Brands 2015, 323). This case caused controversy; Firstly, because slaves could not be citizens at the time therefore they should not be allowed to sue a citizen. Secondly, the Supreme court explained that they could not make a ruling because Scott was not a citizen; however, they also stated that if they would have decided they would have ruled against Scott, explaining that slaves are property therefore a federal law can not interfere with one’s property. Both Southerners and Northerners viewed this explanation as the Supreme Court lawfully condoning slavery in all territories, slave or free, because slaves were property. This statement empowered proslavery supporters and enraged anti-slavery Northerners. This redistribution of power furthered the rivalry between proslavery and anti-slavery, while infuriating anti-slavery abolitionists. On the flip side, Northerners demonstrated their power in John Brown’s attempt at an uprising at Harper Ferry. This 1860 uprising demonstrated Northerners anger against slavery, and empowered themselves (326). Southerners felt threatened and scared as a result of this attempted uprising. Additionally, this uprising demonstrated that Northerners were not reluctant to resort to violence. The Harper Ferry uprising is yet another example of how empowerment of an opposing group scared the other, arranging for the sectional crisis. Lastly, the election of 1860 lead to the secession of South Carolina from the