John Bell Bio
Kentucky slaveholder and politician nominated for the presidency by the short lived Constitutional Union Party in 1860. Beginning his political career as a Jacksonian Democrat, Bell soon became disappointed with Old Hickory (President Andrew Jackson) and joined the new Whig Party.
He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1827 to 1841, including a brief tenure as Speaker (1834-5). After service as Secretary of War in William Henry administration, Bell resigned the office in a dispute with Harrison's successor John Tyler. Bell won election to the United States Senate in 1847 and served until 1859.
In 1860 he emerged as a Presidential nominee when the Constitutional Union Party organized in reaction to the widening sectional crisis over the expansion of slavery (North and South are fighting over the expansion of slavery). Bell's followers hoped that “no political principle but the Constitution of the country, the union of the states and the enforcement of laws” would be sufficient to preserve the Union.
Bell ran in 1860 with the Constitutional Union party - the name of this party also mirrors his goals and those who supported him. Bell ran on a platform that supported slavery, but was more focused on keeping the nation together. Tensions were growing hard between North and South. Bell, unlike Lincoln, Douglas, or Breckinridge, tried to attract voters in the “middle” – those who wanted to avoid war, but didn’t care so much about slavery. It would be hard to find states hat shared this vision, however you can definitely bet that since he supported slavery, northern states opposed him entirely.
He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1827 to 1841, including a brief tenure as Speaker (1834-5). After service as Secretary of War in William Henry administration, Bell resigned the office in a dispute with Harrison's successor John Tyler. Bell won election to the United States Senate in 1847 and served until 1859.
In 1860 he emerged as a Presidential nominee when the Constitutional Union Party organized in reaction to the widening sectional crisis over the expansion of slavery (North and South are fighting over the expansion of slavery). Bell's followers hoped that “no political principle but the Constitution of the country, the union of the states and the enforcement of laws” would be sufficient to preserve the Union.
Bell ran in 1860 with the Constitutional Union party - the name of this party also mirrors his goals and those who supported him. Bell ran on a platform that supported slavery, but was more focused on keeping the nation together. Tensions were growing hard between North and South. Bell, unlike Lincoln, Douglas, or Breckinridge, tried to attract voters in the “middle” – those who wanted to avoid war, but didn’t care so much about slavery. It would be hard to find states hat shared this vision, however you can definitely bet that since he supported slavery, northern states opposed him entirely.
This bio comes from a package that I purchased at this website. All worksheets and bios on this website come from this source.
Questions to be Answered During the Debate:
- First, introduce yourself, who are you and where do you come from?
- This position of President is a very difficult one. What experience do you have that you believe makes you ready to hold this position?
- Now lets begin the debate. We will start with the issue of slavery. If you were President, how would you handle this issue as we move into the future?
- Think about what has happened recently--the violence in "Bleeding Kansas", John Brown's attempt to arm slaves in order to lead a violent revolt. If you had your way with slavery, how do you think the people would respond? Also, is there a peaceful way out of this?
- There has been a lot of talk lately about letting new territories decide slavery for themselves. What are your thoughts about "popular sovereignty?"
- The North has more fields and a larger agricultural output that the South. Yet, instead of slave labor the North invested in advanced machinery and technology. Why cant the South do the same?
These questions also come from the same source.