-
Slavery
Around 1619 slavery began and 200 years later it helped to start the Civil War, the North wanted to be a slavery free country, but the South wanted slaves because of their farmland. This caused the South to leave the U.S. which set up many battles that built up into the war. Black people were slaves in the south and rich white people bought them at auctions and sold them like cattle so they fled to Canada or north. Abraham Lincoln was the president who stopped slavery by signing the Emancipation -
Period: to
Causes of the Civil War
-
The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a very secret and organized path to freedom (north) made up of safe houses, different places, runaway slaves, and a lot of luck. Harriet Tubman was one of the most famous conductors (leaders) on the Railroad. She freed over 1,000 slaves before and during the Civil War. She was born a slave and ran away after finding out that she might have to be sold away from her family. She went back to Maryland to free many other slaves. Many slaves depended on the railroad. -
The Missouri Compromise
This compromise was made by Henry Clay who had to make it because Missouri wanted to join as a slave state, but that would make the number of states on each side uneven. He proposed that Missouri could join as a slave state and Maine as a free state. Then a dividing line would be "drawn" across the US saying that any state above it would be free and below would be slave. This made peace between the two sides then but, later it would help set up the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner led a mob of black people hungry for revenge of slavery into Southampton County, Virginia to destroy the town. He was very religious so when he saw a solar eclipse he thought it was a message from God. It showed him a Serpent and he thought it meant to attack the Serpent, the white people. 157 people, black and white, were killed because of this; among them were the angry blacks and many innocent people. Nat hid for months then was caught I the swamps and hung on November 11th. -
The Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act was part of the Compromise of 1850. It said that people in the north had to capture runaway slaves and return them. If they did not follow this they would be arrested. This made the northerners angry because they did not want to return the slaves, they opposed slavery. Slaves were not safe in the north anymore; now they would have to, instead of just to the north, get to Canada. This helped out the south because now their slaves that ran away be caught and brought to them. -
The Compromise of 1850
This compromise was made because the north and south were fighting over who should get California. The dividing line of the Missouri Compromise ran right through it. Though more was on the south California wanted to be slave free. So Henry Clay made a suggestion, give California to the North but let Utah and New Mexico vote on what they should be. Washington D.C. also had to stop selling slaves and the Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act. This gave both of the sides something good. -
The Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slave who went to court with his wife to accuse their master of illegal slavery. They were slaves in a state where slavery was illegal, in Illinois. The case went to many courts, finally ending up in the Supreme Court where they made the law. Chief Justice Roger Taney made Fifth Amendment which says “private property could not be taken from its owner without due process.” They were given back to their master. I think this showed slaves that you should stand up for yourself. -
John Brown's Rebellion
John Brown, his sons, and a group of loyal followers marched into Harper's Ferry, Virginia. They killed 5 defenseless settlers and demolished the town. They did this easily then attacked the federal arsenal, but when the army of citizens over powered them, they have to surrender. Two of Brown's sons died and so did his followers, he was later hung.
