North - South Problems 1850 - 53

• President Fillmore announced the compromise was 'final' and slavery was not to be a problem again.
• Fugitive Slave Act: authorised federal authorities to raise 'posses' to pursue fugitive slaves on northern soil. If you refused to join there was a 1000 dollar fine. Law targeted both recent runaways and those who ran decades earlier.
• Fugitive slave act: 1854 - boston mob broke into a courthouse and killed a guard to rescue fugitive slave 'Anthony Burns'. He was transported back to slavery. Lots of simalar incidents occured.
• Fugitive Slave act: vigilante communities sprang to help former slaves escape to canada, in the north.
• Fugitive slave act: during the 1850s, 9 northern states passed 'personal liberty laws'. These intended to make federal law difficult to enforce. EG - forbid the use of state jails to imprison fugitives.
• Fugitive slave act: caused north resentement as they didnt want to return slaves. The norths resistance to the act caused resentment in the south. HOWEVER: the law was enforced smoothly in most places.
• Uncle Toms Cabin - was a book, published in weekly instalments, in a northern anti-slavery newspaper.
• Uncle toms cabin: sold 300,000 copies in 1852 and a further 2 million over 10 years.
• Uncle Toms Cabin: was turned into songs/plays and aroused wide sympathy for slaves. The book was anti-slavery and was a fiction.
• Uncle Toms Cabin: it was likely upper class females who are reading it. Not lower classes (who are more impacted by fugitive slave act). The upper classes have much more influence in politics.
• Growth of Abolitionist Sentiment?: success of uncle toms cabin; northern businessmen/politicians spoke against slavery; European immigrants often opposed slavery; northern newspapers often condemned slavery.
• Not a growth of abolitionist sentiment?: northern press was firmly divided; and abolistionists were not 'gaining ground'
• The 1852 Election: democrats were confident of victory, immigrants were expected to vote democrat, pierce was their candidate. They did win with 51% of votes. They were supporting the 1850 compromise and popular sovereignty.
• 1852 election: whigs were divided on their candidate and policy, they nominated 'scott' who was a military leader.
• President Pierce: democrats were in a strong position, they had majorities in congress and a booming economy. Pierce intended to maintain party unity with expansionist policies.
• Gadsden purchase: 1853 - purchased 54,000 square miles of mexican territory. Would allow a southern transcontinental railway to the pacific. Northern amendment slashed 9,000 square miles.
• NOTE : 1850 compromise was about mexican american war territory.
• Filibuster - a military adventure, aimed at overthrowing a government.
• Cuba: was spanish owned and was the last remnants of spains american empire.
• Cuba: 1851 a US sponsored fillibuster failed. 1853 - Quitman planned another expedition. Pierce met quitman and encouraged his plans. Northerners viewed filibustering as southern efforts to expand slavery. Alarmed by the reaction pierce forced quitman to abandon his expedition.
• The Ostend Manifesto: Pierce offered 130 million for cuba. 1854: Britain, france met and issued ostend manifesto, meaning US would be justified in 'wrestling' Cuba from spain if they refused to sell. Work of foreign diplomacy
• Ostend Manifesto: unfortunately, details of the manifesto were lesked and rejected by northern politicians. Pierce repudiated (refused) the manifesto. Expansionist efforts angered northerners and southerners wanted to expand.