US_Ch1_web-slavery-issue

=**Slavery and the Van Buren Party Structure**=

In the early 1800s, the South had power in national politics. Of the 15 presidents before Abraham Lincoln, all but two actively or passively supported slavery (John Adams and John Quincy Adams were outspoken against slavery). How did the South have such power in national politics? There was an overwhelming consensus in the South on slavery that dampened all other political issues. In other words, Southern politicians would always be pro-slavery no matter what the topic. However, the North saw other issues as more important.

As you know, the Missouri Compromise was meant to keep slavery out of federal politics for good. After its passage an elder Thomas Jefferson wrote that it was the "knell to the Union" (knell used here refers to a solemn bell rung at a funeral)...it is hushed for the moment but this in a reprieve (delay) only, not a final sentence...a geographical line, coinciding with a marked principle, oral and political, once conceived and held up to the angry passions of men, will never be obliterated...and every new irritation will mark it deeper and deeper."


 * (7)** **Do you agree or disagree with Jefferson? Why?**

Van Buren felt that the only plausible candidates for the presidency would have to be a Northerner with Southern principles or a Westerner with no ties to slavery.


 * (8)** **If this were the case (if the U.S. ALWAYS would have a president from the North, but with Southern principles - pro-slavery) do you think slavery would ever have torn the nation apart?**

Van Buren wanted to join the slave South with the increasingly anti-slave North and felt there was only one way to do this. His new party structure could not embrace either pro-slave or anti-slave stances. In order to accomplish this, he would have to set up a party system that would substitute more of an incentive for large party made of North and South. If Van Buren could get party principles (incentives other than the slavery issue) to be more important than personal preferences then he could accomplish his goal of a national party. He would appeal to economic self-interest to supersede ideology of slavery. In essence, if Van Buren could set up a party system that focused on improving economics in the North and South then party members, candidates, and voters could avoid the slavery issue then the nation could stay together. The spoils system could help accomplish this. Martin Van Buren would run for governor of New York (and won). He handed out clerkships and sheriff positions as part of his spoils system. It was here that he made the connection between spoils, party discipline and national party agenda. He supported Andrew Jackson for president in 1828 and the spoils system would be put into practice at the national level. The party would be called Jacksonian Democrats (what had begun as the Democrat-Republican party under Jefferson or Jeffersonian Republicans had transformed into Van Buren's party structure) and would eventually just be called the Democrat Party.


 * (9)** **Do you think it would be possible to avoid the slavery issue by using the idea of the spoils system to maintain party discipline and push party agenda? Why or why not?**

Back to web quest main page