There are so many important things that happened for our country in these three short years. In this section we meet James Buchanan. He was neither impulsive or fanatic about any ideas. He was a moderate and avoided controversy. He presided over one of the most controversial administrations in American history. it Started with the Dred Scott case in 1857. At this time Congress had a "noninterference" agreement with slavery in the territories. Dred Scott v Stanford was a case on March 6,1857 - two days after Buchanan's inauguration into congress - where in 1830, Dred Scott, a slave, was taken by his master from the slave state of Missouri to Illinois and the Wisconsin Territory which were closed to slavery. After his master's death Scott sued for his freedom on the grounds of residence in a free state. The supreme court could have easily sidestepped the issue by saying Scott had no right to sue in federal court. Instead Chief Justus Roger B. Terry said Scott couldn't sue for freedom, no black (slave or free) could become a US citizen, and Scotts residence in a free territory didn't make him free. Taney believed the Missouri compromise, prohibiting slavery in the Wisconsin territory was unconstitutional. The decision made on Dred Scott continued the controversy and did not settle the expansion of slavery.
The Lecompton Constitution of 1857 would either prohibit or permit slavery. Congress would then admit Kansas as a state. the bases of Buchanan's plan demanded fair play; not an easy thing to come by in Kansas. Buchanan was also a supporter of popular sovereignty.Once introduced, the Lecompton Constitution protected slaveholders already residing in Kansas and prohibited referendum to decide whether to allow more slaves into the territory.
The Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 was an important step forward in the slavery battle. Despite the acclaim for his stance against the Lecompton Constitution, Douglas had a hard time with the 1858 Illinois senatorial election. There was a striking contrast between the two candidates both physically and ideologically. Lincoln was 6'4", gangling republican from Illinois, who had energy ambition, and passion, was self-educated, had knowledge of law and politics. Douglas on the other hand was from New England and the 5'4" personification of the Democratic party. The farmers in the territories called him the "little Giant." These debates were between the senate's leading democrat and the republican's rising star. The debates portrayed Lincoln as a virtual abolitionist and an advocate for racial equality. Lincoln thought congress had no constitutional authority to abolish slavery in the south. He compromised his own position by rejecting both abolition and equality for blacks. There was no clear victory during the debates however Douglas won the election. There was also no settlement of major issues like slavery.
