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Major Events Leading to The Civil War
1. New additions to America (1820-1850): As new
states are added to the Union (Louisiana Purchase
territory slowly becoming individual states), congress
had to decide if each state would be a free or slave
state. Each new addition threatened the delicate
balance of free and slave states, infuriated one side or
the other, and led to heated debate. For a good
example, let’s take a look at The Missouri Compromise
1820 and the Compromise of 1850:
The decision as to whether a state should be free or
slave becomes an issue of state vs. federal power.
The decision as to whether a state should be free or
slave becomes an issue of state vs. federal power.
How to keep representation in Congress balanced
Popular Sovereignty: The idea that political
authority belongs to the people; principle that would
allow voters in a territory to decide whether to ban
or permit slavery.
It did accomplish the following:
•Added Missouri as a slave state.
•Added Maine as a free state.
•This made the balance of power in the
Senate at 12 states each.
•A line across the Louisiana Territory at 36°30’
North of this line, slavery was to be forever
banned (except in Missouri).
South of this line, slaveholding was permitted.
The Compromise of 1850
It did accomplish the following:
•California is admitted as a free state.
North is happy.
•New Mexico & Utah would be organized into territory open to
slavery.
South is happy.
•Slave trade (not slavery) would be abolished in Washington, D.C.
Both happy?
•A strong fugitive slave law was created.
South is happy.
2. Fugitive Slave Law (1850): Law stating that
all citizens had to help catch runaway slaves
or face a $1000 fine or 6mos in jail.
Northerners resented being forced to help
capture runaway slaves, and Southerners
were elated to get slaves back but angry at
lack of Northern support. (Judges who sent
slaves back to the South were awarded with
$10 for their work; but only $5 if person in
question was freed!!)
3. Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852):
Outraged by the Fugitive
Slave Law, Harriet Beecher
Stowe addressed the cruelty
of slavery in the book Uncle
Tom’s Cabin. It sold over
300,000 copies in its first
year. This book created more
abolitionists.
“Bleeding Kansas”
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): The remainder of the Louisiana
Purchase was divided into two separate territories, Kansas and
Nebraska. Several other proposed causes:
4.
In each territory, popular sovereignty (voters) would decide
the question of slavery.
•
• This act repealed the earlier Missouri Compromise where
slavery was banned North of Missouri.
• The Kansas-Nebraska Act led to violence between proslavery
and anti-slavery groups who each rushed to the new territory to
support their cause. Over 200 people died in pro-slavery vs.
anti-slavery skirmishes-- some call the Kansas-Nebraska Act
the official start of the Civil War.
• Federal Government continued to recognize the proslavery
legislature as government of Kansas.
EFFECT: Fourth Convention in July 1859
Kansas adopts a free state Constitution
and applies to become a state. Only after
Confederate states seceded did Kansas
become a free state and join Union.
Fallout
•Got rid of the Missouri Compromise
by making both Kansas and Nebraska
open to slavery.
•Northerners had nightmares of
slavery spreading.
•In May of 1856, an army of 800
pro-slavery settlers invades Lawrence.
•John Brown gets revenge, hacking
5 pro-slavery men to death with
their sabers.
•Senator Brooks attacked Senator
Sumner with his cane on the floor of
Congress!
•Southerners sent Brooks
replacement canes as gifts.
•Northerners viewed this as yet
another example of Southern
brutality.
. 5. TheDred Scott Decision (1857): A
slave named Dred Scott sued for his
freedom after his owner died. He claimed
that because his owner had once taken him
to free states, he was entitled to his
freedom. The Supreme Court ruled that
African Americans were not citizens and
therefore could not sue. The court also
ruled that the restriction of slavery is
unconstitutional because the 5th
amendment states that no one may be
“deprived of life, liberty or property
without due process of law.” Because slaves
were property this meant that Congress
had no power to ban slavery anywhere.
This reversed earlier decisions and was an
enormous step back for abolitionists (state
legislatures could still ban but anything
Congress had decided was null and void.)
6. Harper’s Ferry, VA (1859):
John Brown, abolitionist,
attempted to start a slave revolt
with 22 others at Harper’s Ferry,
VA by raiding a federal arsenal
and taking hostages. The plan
failed and Brown was hanged, but
Southerners began to fear
abolitionists and slave rebellions
(remember Nat Turner’s Rebellion
28 years earlier??).
The election of Lincoln
7. Lincoln was elected President in
1861 with just 40% of the vote (all
from the Northern states; Southern
votes were divided between two
candidates). The Southern states
felt they had lost their voice in
government.
Lincoln was elected President in
1861 with just 40% of the vote (all
from the Northern states; Southern
votes were divided between two
candidates). Since Lincoln won with a
minority vote, the South was
outraged.
The Southern states felt they had lost
their voice in government and no longer
wanted to be part of this country.
Secession
8.The Confederate States of America (CSA)
formed in 1861-- even before Lincoln’s
inauguration, seven states seceded from the Union.
Secession means
The act of formally withdrawing from the Union.
a. South Carolina
b. Mississippi 1858 Lincoln responded by saying…
c. Florida
“A house divided against itself can not stand.
d. Alabama
I believe this government cannot endure,
Permanently half slave and half free.”
e. Georgia
f. Louisiana
g. Texas
There will be a total of 11 states leaving the Union.
The CSA chose Jefferson Davis as their President,
wrote their own Constitution which guaranteed
citizens could hold slaves, printed their own money…..
This Means WAR!!
Civil War on our own turf!
In what ways does secession benefit the South?????
Yes, go ahead and answer this question my intelligent
students!
Think $$$$ economy, free labor
(unrestricted trade with Europe, revive African slave-trade, necessity
would compel South to manufacture/develop, southern way of life)
BORDER STATES
• Border States were on the Border of the USA and CSA.
• Missouri, Kentucky, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia
• The border states did have slavery but chose not to secede
because they couldn’t agree on which side to fight.
• Virginia ended up splitting into two because Lincoln sent
troops into Western VA due to their Union Loyalty and
they set up their new gov’t and joined the Union as W. VA
(1863). So now there are two states, VA and West VA.
EXTRA INFO…
• MO and KY controlled key stretches of the Ohio and
Mississippi rivers.
• Washington DC was bordered on three sides by MD. DC is the
capital for the Union, yet it’s surrounded by a lot of people that are pro-South.
• DEL- slave holders supported secession but they were
outnumbered.
• KY, MO, MD people were deeply divided on the issue of
secession and some fought for Union and Some
Confederate.
• Important to note that slavery WAS NOT the only issue
states were fighting about.
Start of War