Download Civil War Causes

Background to the Conflict:
Pre-Civil War Days
What Will I Learn?
SS8H6a.
– Explain the importance of key issues &
events that led to the Civil War; include
slavery, states’ rights, nullification,
Missouri Compromise, Compromise of
1850 & the Georgia Platform, KansasNebraska Act, Dred Scott case, election
of 1860, the debate over secession in
Georgia, & the role of Alexander
Stephens.
CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR
Two types of causes
Cause Category #1 Fundamental –
underlying causes that develop over a
long time
Differences between North and South
– Economic
– States Rights
– Slavery
CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR
Cause Category #2 Immediate causes
come into being just before the event
occurs
– John Brown’s 1859 raid at Harpers Ferry in
Virginia
– Abraham Lincoln’s election in 1860
– Secession of Southern States
TARIFFS
Tariff – a tax on goods imported from other
countries
1828 – Congress passed a huge increase
on tariffs
This increase was passed to protect
Northern industries
Southern agricultural interests were hurt by
the increase by limiting the amount of
cotton Britain imported from the South
Nullification Crisis
South Carolina threatened to secede,
because of the high tariffs. (1832)
John C. Calhoun, who was from South
Carolina and Andrew Jackson’s Vice
President, believed a state had the right to
nullify, or reject a federal law. – another
states’ rights issue.
Henry Clay of Kentucky convinced Congress
to enact a new Tariff that imposed lower
taxes over the next 10 years. South Carolina
withdrew its threat of nullification
At this point and time, cooler heads prevailed.
Differences Divide North and
South
Regional Differences
– North
More factories
People began moving to the cities to work
Less people were farming
People from other countries moved to the North
Population grew rapidly to over 19 million PEOPLE!!!
The South
Farming remained the main way to earn a living
– Most were small one family farms
Cut lumber, raised cattle, and raised just enough food for
their own families
 Population was a lot smaller (11 million) than in the North
(19 million)
Plantation Life
– Huge plantations
Needed a lot of workers
Used slave labor
North and South Disagree
States’ Rights
– Southern states wanted their own laws &
did not want federal (national) laws to
overrule the laws of the states
– Northern states believed all states should
follow laws made by Congress
Southern states wanted to
NULLIFY any law they
didn’t agree with!!
Slavery Issue
Slavery
– Settlers from the South who moved west took
their slaves
– Settlers from the North didn’t own slaves and
thought slavery was wrong.
– WHO would WIN Would there be slavery in
the new territories or NOT???
– What vocabulary word means the people will
decide an issue such as allowing slavery?
Africans in Slavery
Life Under Slavery
– Slave Codes
Laws for slaves
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Slaves could not leave owners’ land
Could not buy or sell goods
Not allowed to learn to read or write
Treated as property with very few privileges
WHO OWNED SLAVES?
Only 25% of Georgians owned slaves
Only 236 Georgians owned more
than 100 slaves
Slaves cost $1,800 in 1860 – up from
$600 in 1845
A persons worth was often measured
by how many slaves he owned
Antislavery Sentiment in Georgia
In 1798 the Georgia Constitution outlawed
the introduction of any foreign slaves into
the state.
Many Georgians hoped to find a practical
way to end slavery
Some slave owners made provisions in
their wills for their slaves freedom
Others brought their slaves to a free state
and granted them freedom
No freed blacks were allowed to enter GA.
Fighting Back
Fighting Back
– Most resisted slavery ( act against)
– Quiet ways they resisted
Broke tools, left gates open to let the farm animals out, let
boats drift away, hid stuff the owners needed and acted like
they knew nothing about it at all
Violent Resistance
– Violent ways to resist
Nat Turner’s Revolt
– Led an attack killing 57 people
– He and others were caught, tried in court, and hanged
Running Away
Running Away
– Many chose to run away
– Found safe places to hide
Indians protected some
Hid in forest, swamps, and mountains
Some made it to the free North, some to Canada and others
went south to Mexico
Many were helped by the Underground Railroad
Many were caught and punished for trying to escape.
The Underground Railroad
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System of escape routes leading to freedom
Members were called conductors
Hiding places were called stations
Harriet Tubman was most famous
An escaped slave
Returned to the South over 20 times to help
others
Free Africans
Not all Africans were slaves
– Some were former slaves freed by their
owners
– Others had bought their freedom
– Some had escaped to freedom
– Many lived in the cities where they had a
better chance to work
Life for Africans…
Life for most Africans, free or not, was still
hard because:
– Unwelcome in many places
Whites Only
– Often treated unfairly
– Had little freedom
– Not allowed to vote or meet in groups
– Could not attend school or have certain jobs
John Brown’s Rebellion
John Brown’s rebellion at Harper’s Ferry
– A white abolitionist
– Stole guns from Harper’s Ferry warehouse to give to
slaves
– Caught, tried, and hanged
The Missouri Compromise
Asked to join the U.S. as a slave state
This would make more slave states than
free.
Missouri would join as a slave state AND
Maine would join as a free state.
Imaginary line would be drawn through the
rest of the Louisiana territory
Solutions to the Problem
North of the line = Free States
South of the line = Slave states
Results of the Missouri Compromise
Kept the peace for nearly 30 years
Kept a balance between the number of
free states and number of slave states
AND THEN along
came…California
The Compromise of 1850
California entered Union as a free state
Texas entered the Union as a slave state
Slave trading was ended in the District of
Columbia
New Mexico and Utah territories= people would
decide
Fugitive Slave Act – runaway slaves would be
returned
Compromise of 1850
The Georgia Platform
Compromise of 1850 caused
division in the South
Congressman Alexander
Stephens secured support for
the compromise
Georgia Platform was adopted
– GA accepted the Compromise
of 1850 & would stay in the
Union
– Would resist any effort by
Congress to outlaw slavery in
the new territories
Hopes for Peace Fade
KANSAS-NEBRASKA ACT
– Gave people living there the choice by voting
(popular sovereignty!!!)
– Hundreds moved in to “vote” on whether to be
a free or slave state.
– Tempers FLARED and over 200 people were
killed in the dispute
– Nicknamed “ Bleeding Kansas”
Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott was a slave from Missouri
who traveled with his owner to the
free states of Illinois & Wisconsin.
He sued for his freedom based on
the fact that he had lived in free
states
The case went to the Supreme Court
The court ruled against him stating
that he was NOT a citizen of the U.S.
Also said Congress had no right to
outlaw slavery because the
Constitution protects people’s right to
own property & slaves were
PROPERTY!!!
Abraham Lincoln works for Change
Violence because of the Kansas-Nebraska act
got everyone’s attention
Abraham Lincoln was against the SPREAD of
slavery
Republican Party formed to fight the spread of
slavery.
Lincoln ran for Senator
Stephen A. Douglas, author of the KansasNebraska Act, was his OPPONENT! The battle
is ON………
Douglas
Each new state should decide the slavery
question for itself.
Lincoln
“The framers of the Constitution intended
slavery to end.”
The problem is that slavery is WRONG!
Senate Winner
Stephen Douglas was re-elected to the
Senate.
But….now everyone knew who Abraham
Lincoln was!!!
Douglas Wins!
The Election of 1860
Democratic Party candidate: Douglas
Democratic Party south: Breckinridge
Republican Party:
LINCOLN
Stephen A. Douglas
West should decide for themselves about
slavery – popular sovereignty
John Breckinridge
Democratic candidate popular with
southerners
Government should allow slavery
everywhere in the West.
Abraham Lincoln
Republican candidate
Against the SPREAD of slavery
Promised not to stop slavery in the South where
it was already practiced.
Said he hoped it would one day END there, too.
Lincoln was not on the ballot in Georgia and
other southern states
Worried White Southerners
Many in the South were afraid if Lincoln
were elected, slavery would be outlawed.
Some even said they would LEAVE the
Union if Lincoln was elected.
Lincoln Elected President
November 6, 1860
December 20, 1860 South Carolina’s leaders
seceded from the Union.
Later SIX other southern states seceded:
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Mississippi
Florida
Alabama
Georgia
Louisiana
Texas
GEORGIA REACTS
On January 16, 1861 Georgia’s
Secession Convention meets in
Milledgville
Convention delegates were divided; by
January 19th, voting 208 to 89 the
Ordinance of Secession was adopted
GEORGIA REACTS
Ordinance of Secession
– Georgia’s 1788 ratification of the U.S.
Constitution was repealed
– Georgia’s membership in the union of
states known as the United States of
America was now dissolved
– Georgia would now enjoy all rights that belong
to any free and independent nation
The Confederate States of America
South Carolina
Mississippi
Florida
Louisiana
Alabama
Georgia
Texas
Fort Sumter
Some advised Lincoln to “Let the states
go”
Others said, “Give in on the slavery
question.”
Still others said, “Use the ARMY to end
their revolt!”
Lincoln’s Choices
He wanted to prevent war.
“We are not enemies, but friends.”
THE VERY NEXT DAY
An important message came from
Major Robert Anderson
commander at Fort Sumter:
Urgent!
Message from Commander Anderson
Supplies at the Fort
are almost gone. If
new supplies are not
sent soon, we will be
forced to surrender
the fort to the
Confederacy.
What to Do???
If I send supplies…Southerners might
attack.
If I send troops….Southerners WILL
attack.
If I do nothing…the commander will have
to surrender.
Decision
Lincoln decided to send supply ships
And see what the Southerners would do
Confederate President Davis
Davis decided to take over the fort
BEFORE the supply ships arrived.
Demanded them to surrender.
NEVER!
The Confederate troops FIRED on the fort,
Major Anderson and his men ran out of
ammunition and had to give up.
The Civil War has Begun!
Lincoln called for Americans to join the
army to stop the rebellion.
Frightened southern states not in the
Confederacy now joined with the other 7
states.
Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North
Carolina
11 States Strong
A NEW NATION IS FORMED
On February 4, 1861
delegates from
Georgia, South
Carolina, Alabama,
Florida, Mississippi and
Louisiana met in
Montgomery Alabama
and formed the
Confederate States of
America Jefferson
Davis was elected
President and
Alexander Stephens
from GA. Vice President