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Historical Events leading up to the Civil War
Many historical events occured within the years of 1800 and 1870. These events led to one of the biggest wars in American History. The Civil War was fought between the North and the South. -
The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was a compromise made to separate slave and free states. A line was drawn at latitude 36 30'. The states north of line would outlaw slavery, and states south of line the line would allow slavery. The events of Missouri Compromise and the different opinions between the north and the south, and the U.S division over slavery had a major impact on the events leading to the Civil War. -
The Compromise of 1850
This compromise involved making states be free or allow slavery. In the compromise California was admitted into the union as a free state. While the Utah and New Mexico Territories would allow slavery. The Compromise also banned slavery in Washington, D.C. It also created the Fugitive Slave Act. This made it easier for owners to claim their runaway slaves. No one was satisfied with the compromise. Northerners didn't want to return the slaves and southerners didn't think the law ensured return -
The Compromise of 1850; CONTINUED
of their slaves. People thought the law made slave catchers of everyone. When slave catchers came to Boston they were hounded by crowds and insulted until they decided to leave. Northerners disobeyed the law. Of the thousands of runaway slaves, only 299 were captured and returned. The conflict between causing Northerners to become slave catchers was what led to the Civil War. -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was created by Stephen A. Douglas. The Act stated that two new territories would be created, Kansas and Nebraska. This Act scrapped the Missouri Compromise, and left it up to the settlers to decide to permit or ban slavery in the territories. Douglas called this policy "popular sovereignty" or rule of the people. This act led to The Bloodshed in Kansas. Since it was left to the settlers to decide slavery, many pro-slavery and anti-slavery supporters rushed to the territor -
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It didn't take long for it to get violent. On May 21, 1856 pro-slavery settlers raided the home of an anti-slavery government in Lawrence, Kansas. They burned a hotel, looted several homes, and tossed the presses of two abolitionist newspapers. This outraged the North and it made the need for war even greater in the North. -
The Dred Scott Case
The Dred Scott Case was about a slave named Dred Scott who wanted too sue the government for his freedom. Since he wasn't a citizen he couldn't sue the federal government. Scott thought he was free becuase he visited Wisconson with his owner, and slavery was banned because of the Missouri Compromise. Cheif Justice Teney said slaves are property and the Fifth Amendment says that property can't be taken from people with the due process of law. The decision that Scott was guilty delighted slave- -
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holders, but outraged anti-slavery people. The south hoped that was the end of the slave issue. However, the the North was enrged by the courts ruling. The New York Tribune published a newspaper saying the decision was "wicked and false judgment." Another newspaper said the decision of the Supreme Court can't be obeyed. The controversy over the ruling of the case and made a greater need for war. -
The Election of 1860
The nation was divided during the Election of 1860. Republicans were behind Abraham Lincoln and democrats were split between the North and the South. A third group called the Constitutional Union Party made the election even more confusing. Lincoln won with only 40 percent of America's votes. Most southern states didn't even have Lincoln on their ballot. This election made the south realize that they were now the minority. When elected, Lincoln stated he wouldn't interfere with slavery, but he -
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wouldn't hesitate to go to war with southern states. Southerners knew that when Lincoln was elected president, Congress would try to abolish slavery. This made southerners talk of secession, and breaking away from the Union. As southerners knew slavery could soon come to an end they knew they had to do something. So if that meant going to war to keep their slaves, then that’s exactly what they would do. -
The Attack on Fort Sumter
The first battle in the Civil War. Hotheads in South Carolina shelled Fort Sumter for 33 hours. In the battle no deaths occurred. After 33 hours, the soldiers in the fort surrendered the stars and stripes to the rebels. After this, everyone knew the compromise was over and let there be war. This event led to war because it was the first attack. Once the first shell was fired everyone knew that the Civil War had begun.
