Border War: Fighting over Slavery before the Civil WarDuring the 1840s and 1850s, a dangerous ferment afflicted the North-South border region, pitting the slave states of Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri against the free states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Aspects of this struggle--the underground railroad, enforcement of the fugitive slave laws, mob actions, and sectional politics--are well known as parts of other stories. Here, Stanley Harrold explores the border struggle itself, the dramatic incidents that comprised it, and its role in the complex dynamics leading to the Civil War. |
Contents
Introduction Perception of War | 1 |
1 Early Clashes | 17 |
2 Fear and Reaction in the Border South | 35 |
3 Southern Aggression in the Lower North | 53 |
4 Interstate Diplomacy | 72 |
5 Fighting against Slavery in the Lower North | 94 |
6 The Struggle for the Border South | 116 |
7 Fighting over the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 | 138 |
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1st and 2nd 1st quotation 2nd quotation 3rd quotation 4th quotation a≥er abolition abolitionism abolitionists African Americans Anti-Slavery Bugle antislavery April armed arrest August August 20 Black Law Bleeding Kansas border slave Border South Brown captured Cincinnati claimed Clay County December declared defend Democrats di∏erent disunion e∏ect e∏orts editor Emancipator Etcheson February February 9 federal force free African Americans free-state Freedom Freehling Fugitive Slave Law Gamaliel Bailey Gazette governor Harrold helped slaves escape Herald Illinois Indiana January John July June Kentuckians Kentucky Kentucky’s kidnapping legislature Liberty Louisville Lower North March Maryland masters Maysville Eagle Missouri Missourians National negroes northern November o≥en October October 21 Ohio River Ohio’s Pennsylvania Philadelphia Philanthropist pistols proslavery protect quoted in PF quoted in Philanthropist Republican Richmond Enquirer secession September slave catchers slaveholders slavery slavery’s state’s su∏ered territory threatened tion Torrey U.S. marshal Underground Railroad Union violence Virginia Western Citizen Chicago Whig white abolitionists York