1848.

1819–20 and the nullification crisis of 1832–33 by proposing compromises.

He now had another plan to help the nation maintain peace. His ideas were

designed to give both sides things that they wanted:

slaves and allowed officials to arrest those slaves in free areas.

Hamlet and Anthony Burns to gain sympathy for their cause. Slave narratives also educated people about their hardships.

cratic presidential nomination emerged

in 1852. It became clear that none of

them would win a majority of votes.

Frustrated delegates at the Democratic

National Convention turned to Franklin

Pierce, a little-known politician from

New Hampshire.

slavery issue had been put to rest “and that no sectional . . . excitement

may again threaten the durability [stability] of our institutions.” Less

than a year later, however, a proposal to build a railroad to the West

coast helped revive the slavery controversy and opened a new period

of sectional conflict.

was angry. Settlers had moved to Kansas to homestead in peace, but the

controversy over slavery began to affect everyone.

Nebraska Act would “raise a . . . storm.” He was right. The

Kansas-Nebraska Act brought the slavery issue back into the

national spotlight.

a historic ruling about slavery. News of the decision threw the country

back into crisis.

Senate. His opponent was Democrat Stephen Douglas, who had repre-

sented Illinois in the Senate since 1847.

attack the federal arsenal in Virginia and seize weapons there.

He planned to arm local slaves.

election in 1860. The northern and southern Democrats could not agree

on a candidate.

he said that slavery could not expand and thus would eventually die out

completely. That idea angered many southerners.