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A Divided Union
There were several compromises put together by American delegates throughout the 1800s. The nation was struggling to resolve main issues during this time period. Many senators and delegates did their best to overcome their personal views and do what is best for the nation. After many attempts of compromise, the events led to The Civil War. -
The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was an effort made by Congress on May 8th, 1820. This agreement admitted Missouri into the nation as a slave state and admitted Maine as a free state. This continued to maintain a balance of power between slave and free states. Although this compromise settled with some people, it was just a temporary fix. -
Compromise of 1850
Henry Clay put together 5 acts called The Compromise of 1850. It was meant to incorporate the opinions of the North and South. It proposed that California could enter the Union as a free state, and that Utah and New Mexico were given the choice to be a free state or a slave state. The Compromise of 1850 called an end to the slave trade in Washington DC and entailed a strong fugitive slave law. The compromise was difficult to pass Congress. Rather then unifying the nation, it tore it apart. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was created by Stephen Douglas in order to repeal the failing Compromise of 1850. It allowed the people of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery within their borders. This new bill went against the Missouri Compromise (previously prohibiting slavery north of the latitude 36, 30). This act has been called the most significant piece of legislation leading up to the Civil War. It debated the issues of slavery that directly led to the war. -
Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott was a Missouri slave who'd moved to Wisconsin with his master. The Missouri compromise states that Wisconsin is a free state, so Dred Scott brought this issue to court and sued for his freedom. Chief Justice Taney delivered the case stating he couldn't sue for his freedom in a federal court because he wasn't a citizen and would never become one. This case proves that the issue of slavery had begun to spread from Congress to the Supreme Court creating more controversy than ever before. -
Election of 1860
The 1860 presidential election was proof of a divided union. Their were four nominees including: Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, John Breckinridge, and John Bell. Abraham Lincoln had won the election, but only by 40%. In fact, Lincoln's name wasn't included on the ballot in 10 southern states. Many Southerners believed Congress would abolish slavery and this put them in the minority. This presidential election was the last string. When the South seceded from the union, the Civil War had begun. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
South Carolina and several other states had formed The Confederate States of America because they didn't agree with the new president or rules. In the Spring of 1861, the Confederate army fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina because it was under the control of the US Government. This attack was the official beginning of the Civil War. The nation's disagreement and division was now going to be settled by a battle.
