Slavery and Racism in American Politics, 1776-1876

"From the very inception of the United States, few issues have been so divisive and defining as American slavery. Even as the U.S. was founded on principles of liberty, independence and freedom, slavery advocates and sympathizers positioned themselves in every aspect of American influence. Over the centuries, the characterization of early American figures, legislation and party platforms has been debated. The author seeks to clarify often unanswered--or ignored--questions about notable figures, sociopolitical movements and their positions on slavery. From early legislation like the Fugitive Slave Law of 1793 to Reconstruction and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, this book explores the background of some of America's most controversial moments. Spanning the first American century, it offers a detailed chronology of slavery and racism in early U.S. politics and society."-- Provided by publisher Cover Table of Contents Foreword by Ken West Preface Part I: Slavery, Political Parties, and the Supreme Court 1. A Pill Too Bitter to Swallow The Presentation of a Complex History Racism in Context Jim Crow 2. The Most Oppressive Dominion Slavery in the New World The ­Three-Fifths Compromise The Slave Power The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 The Fugitive Slave Law of 1793 The Slave Trade Act of 1794 Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves of 1807 The Missouri Compromise The Wilmot Proviso The Compromise of 1850 Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 The Ostend Manifesto 3. The Greatest Political Evil The First Party System The Federalist Party The Emergence of the Whig Party The Free Soil Party Founders’ Concerns About a Party System The Era of Good Feelings Democracy and Andrew Jackson The Second Party System A Change in Political Climate Republicans from 1854 to 1860 The Know Nothing Movement The Opposition Party and the Constitutional Union Party The Election of 1860 4. “A Slave, and Not a Citizen.” ­Slavery-Related Cases and the Supreme Court The Nullification Battle McCullough v. Maryland Gibbons v. Ogden The Antelope Roger B. Taney New York v. Miln The Amistad “Unless Prohibited By State Legislation” Strader v. Graham Dred Scott v. Sandford Ableman v. Booth Unintended Consequences Slavery and Racism in Context Part II: Politics During the Civil War Years 5. Let Us Cross Over the River The Secession Movement in South Carolina The Crittenden Compromise The Struggle Toward Secession Virginia’s Debate Lincoln’s Policies in 1861 The Rise of the Copperheads Controversy About Secession and Slavery Suspension of Habeas Corpus Copperhead Editorials on Slavery 6. The Age of the Copperheads, 1862–1863 The Evolution of a Struggle: 1862 Copperhead Racism in the North Lincoln’s Decision: The Emancipation Proclamation Copperhead Reaction The Copperhead Response The Intellectual Arm of the Copperheads ­Pro-Lincoln Responses The Enrollment Act Growing Copperhead Strength A Change in Sentiment 7. Copperhead Resistance, 1864–1865 Possible Replacement Candidates for Lincoln Southern Economic Problems in 1864 The Party Platforms Conspiracy in 1864 by Copperhead Groups Confederate Efforts at Negotiating Peace The Political Climate in 1864 Political Responses to Lincoln’s Victory ­Post-Election Conditions and the Thirteenth Amendment Part III: Politics During Reconstruction 8. Parties in Conflict—The Johnson Administration Andrew Johnson and the ­Post-War Era The New Administration and the South The Freedmen’s Bureau Bill Black Codes in 1865 and 1866 The Civil Rights Act of 1866 Johnson’s Loyalty to the Democrats Concerns Among Democrats The Election of 1868 9. Presidents Grant and Hayes and the Ku Klux Klan President Grant’s Election Origins of Secret Societies in the U.S. The Klan’s Purpose Evolves The Klan As an Underground Terrorist Organization Grant’s Second Administration Chapter Notes Bibliography Index