14.3 The Dred Scott Decision and Sectional Strife

The Dred Scott decision of 1857 sent shockwaves through America, intensifying the slavery debate. This Supreme Court ruling declared African Americans non-citizens and opened all territories to slavery, sparking outrage in the North and celebration in the South.

The decision fueled political tensions, becoming a key issue in the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the 1860 election. It solidified party positions on slavery's expansion, with Republicans opposing it and Democrats supporting popular sovereignty, setting the stage for further conflict.

The Dred Scott Decision and Sectional Tensions

Impact of Dred Scott decision

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• Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) landmark Supreme Court case
  • Dred Scott, enslaved African American, sued for freedom based on residence in free territories
  • Supreme Court ruled against Scott, declaring African Americans were not and could not become U.S. citizens
  • Court also ruled Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, as Congress had no power to prohibit slavery in territories
• Decision had significant political and social consequences
  • Effectively invalidated Missouri Compromise and opened all territories to slavery
  • Further polarized North and South, intensifying debate over slavery's expansion
  • Republicans denounced decision as pro-slavery conspiracy, while Democrats supported it
  • Challenged the concept of federalism by limiting Congress's authority over territories
• Decision contributed to rise of Republican Party and election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860
  • Lincoln and Republicans opposed expansion of slavery into territories
  • Dred Scott decision became rallying point for anti-slavery forces and key issue in 1860 presidential election

Lincoln-Douglas debates on slavery

• Series of seven public debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas during 1858 Illinois Senate race
  • Debates focused on issue of slavery's expansion into territories, particularly in light of Dred Scott decision
  • Douglas advocated for popular sovereignty, arguing each territory should decide for itself whether to allow slavery
  • Lincoln opposed expansion of slavery, arguing it was morally wrong and Dred Scott decision was incorrect
• Debates garnered national attention and helped define positions of Republican and Democratic parties on slavery
  • Douglas's position of popular sovereignty became official stance of Democratic Party
  • Lincoln's arguments against expansion of slavery resonated with many Northerners and helped establish Republican Party's platform
• Although Lincoln lost Senate race, debates raised his national profile and set stage for his presidential run in 1860
  • Debates highlighted growing sectional divide and difficulty of finding compromise on issue of slavery's expansion

Party positions on slavery expansion

• Republican Party, formed in 1854, opposed expansion of slavery into territories
  • Republicans argued Founding Fathers intended for slavery to eventually die out and its expansion into new territories would perpetuate institution
  • Believed free labor was superior to slave labor and expansion of slavery would limit economic opportunities for free white workers
  • Republicans also argued Dred Scott decision was wrong and Congress had power to regulate slavery in territories
• Democratic Party, particularly Southern wing, supported expansion of slavery into territories
  • Democrats argued Constitution protected property rights of slaveholders and Congress had no power to prohibit slavery in territories
  • Believed in popular sovereignty, arguing each territory should decide for itself whether to allow slavery
  • Southern Democrats threatened secession if federal government attempted to limit expansion of slavery
• Issue of slavery's expansion became defining political question of 1850s
  • Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which repealed Missouri Compromise and introduced popular sovereignty, further intensified debate
  • Dred Scott decision in 1857 effectively invalidated Missouri Compromise and opened all territories to slavery, further polarizing nation
  • Inability to find compromise on issue of slavery's expansion ultimately led to secession of Southern states and outbreak of Civil War in 1861

Sectional Tensions and Compromises

• Compromise of 1850 attempted to address growing sectional divide over slavery
  • Included Fugitive Slave Act, which required Northern states to return escaped slaves
• Concept of Manifest Destiny fueled debates over expansion of slavery into new territories
• Bleeding Kansas exemplified violent conflict over slavery's expansion in territories
• States' rights became a central argument for Southern states defending slavery