Download The Nation Breaking Apart 1846 - 1861

A Divided Nation: Causes of the Civil War

CST 8.9.5 - Analyze the significance of the Wilmot Proviso (1846), the Compromise of 1850, Henry
Clay's role in the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), the Dred Scott v. Sandford
decision (1857), and the Lincoln-Douglas debates (1858).

CST 8.10 - Students analyze the multiple causes, key events, and complex consequences leading to
the Civil War.

CST 8.10.2 - Trace the boundaries constituting the North and the South, the geographical
differences between the two regions, and the differences between agrarians and industrialists.
North and South take Different Paths
THE NORTH
- Industrial
-
growth leads to rapid growth of
cities, Factory jobs for millions.
Immigration from Ireland, Germany and United
Kingdom increases population of NORTH
Cheap western lands, development of Railroads,
and steam powered factories lead to rapid
growth of the western territories
THE SOUTH
“Cotton is King”: Southern politics and society
controlled by few wealthy planters
- Make profit from Slave labor, exports of cotton
- “Agrarian Economy” economy based upon
agriculture, South develops little industry
-
Southerners Defend Slavery

Southerners
create SLAVE
CODES: laws
created to control
slaves and deny
them many basic
rights.

For example, not
being able to read
or write.
Southerners claim that slaves
are provided with food,
shelter and clothing, and are
better off than Northern
workers. What do you think?
California
California requested admission into the
Union as a free state. This would throw off
the balance of slave and free states. The
South threatened to secede (to leave the
Union).
How would you solve this problem?
The Compromise of 1850
The problem was settled by
Henry Clay:
1. California admitted as a FREE
STATE
2. Slave Trade is abolished in
Washington D.C.
3. Stronger Fugitive Slave Law
passes
4. Utah and New Mexico
Territories – slavery would be
decided by popular sovereignty
(voting).
What parts of this
compromise would
make the South and
the North happy?
The Fugitive Slave Law
 Part
of the Compromise of 1850 included a
stronger fugitive slave law. This law
allowed southern slave holders to travel
north to capture runaway slaves.
 Why
would this anger northern
abolitionists?
Uncle Tom’s Cabin 1852
 Harriet
Beecher Stowe
publishes Uncle Tom’s Cabin
 Expresses moral and social
wrongs of slavery and the
injustices of Fugitive Slave
Law
 Sells over 100,000 copies
and convinces many to
support abolition
 South angry over text,
thought the book was unfair
Kansas - Nebraska Act 1854

Congress divides Kansas territory in two sections
POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY: Each territory is allowed to decide on the
issue of slavery by voting.
 This law changed the Missouri Compromise law.
 Proslavery and Antislavery citizens flooded into Kansas to vote.

Bleeding Kansas

At first there were more antislavery settlers in Kansas, but 5,000
proslavery citizens came from Missouri to vote illegally.

The proslavery votes won. Antislavery settlers formed their own
government. Both sides started to fight. Read pg. 464

“BLEEDING KANSAS” – name for Kansas Territory because of the
violence there over the issue of slavery in the 1850’s between antislavery people and pro-slavery people
Dred Scott

Dred Scott was a slave in
Missouri. His owner took him
to live in territories where
slavery was illegal. After his
owner’s death, Dred Scott
thought that he was free since
he had lived in free territories
and he sued for his freedom.
Dred Scott vs. Sandford Decision - 1857
Supreme Court says:
 Free Blacks and slaves were
not citizens and could not sue
in Federal court.
 Scott had to live by Missouri’s
slave code
 Court says slavery could not be
stopped in the territories since
slaves were property.
Democrats and Republicans

Democrats – Believed in voting on slavery
(popular sovereignty)

Republicans – Did not want slavery to expand.
Lincoln Douglas Debates - 1858

Election for Senate seat from  Democrat Stephen Douglas
argues for Popular
Illinois
Sovereignty

Republican Abraham Lincoln
argues that the U.S. should
prevent extension of slavery
into the western territories

Election won by Douglas, but
make Lincoln a national figure
John Brown’s Raid at Harpers Ferry





Abolitionist John Brown leads raid against
Federal Arsenal at Harpers Ferry Virginia. Tries
to steal guns from government - Attempting to
start an armed slave rebellion.
Attempt fails, no help from slaves, John Brown
is captured and taken prisoner
Tried for Treason, hung for his crime
Northerners salute Brown
Southerners offended
by North’s reaction
Election of 1860 – pg 472
The Republican candidate – Abraham Lincoln was
elected president.
Lincoln did not want slavery to expand West.
Not one southern state voted for Lincoln.
Southern states began to secede from the Union
Southern States Secede-pg. 473





After Lincoln elected,
South Carolina 1st state( + 6 more)
secede (withdraw) from the Union
Form “Confederate States of America”
Elect Jefferson Davis as President
Write own Constitution
Name Richmond VA. as capital