Steps to the Civil War

  • Missouri Compromise

    Missouri Compromise
    Missouri Compromise kept the number of slaves and free states equal. Creating the 36 30 line kept the tension over the expansion of slave at a low.
  • Mexican War

    Mexican War
    All compromise over slavery failed. This cause even more sectionalism between the North and South until the civil war.
  • Wilmot Proviso

    Wilmot Proviso
    Mexico became a free state which the North won. It caused even more tension between the North and South, South blocks the bill.
  • California Gold Rush

    California Gold Rush
    The south grew angry over this gold rush. California became a free state which caused even more tension over slavery.
  • Compromise of 1850

    Compromise of 1850
    This compromise sort of eased the sectional tension for a short time. The land was divided into new territories that would decide on slavery using popular sovereignty.
  • Fugitive Slave Act

    Fugitive Slave Act
    Fugitive Slave Act raised tension over the expansion of slave. Northerners started to hate slavery. The country became more divided over this issues because black were falsely identified as runaways which wasn't right.
  • Uncle Tom’s Cabin is published

    Uncle Tom’s Cabin is published
    Harriet Stowe wrote Uncle Tom's cabin a book exposing slavery. The North and South became even more divided due to this book. Southerns felt she was lying cause more tension.
  • Republican Party Forms

    Republican Party Forms
    Republican party platforms stated that slavery could not expand West. Which cause tension to raise, southerners saw republicans in the north as a threat to slavery.
  • Kansas-Nebraska Act

    Kansas-Nebraska Act
    This law was created to let people decide if they wanted slavery in their territories. But this Act led to violence and angered the North.
  • “Bleeding Kansas”

    “Bleeding Kansas”
    Tension raised in Kansas and they had a little civil war. Popular sovereignty failed because people in Kansas could not agree over slavery.
  • Charles Sumner caned in the Senate

    Charles Sumner caned in the Senate
    This cause more tension between the North and South over slavery. Preston Brooks, a congressmen from South Carolina nearly beating Sumner to death with a cane.
  • Dred Scott vs. Sandford

    Dred Scott vs. Sandford
    Slave Dred Scott sued for his freedom to the US Supreme court. But they say that Slaves could not sue. Congress could not ban slavery in any Western territory so this continued to raise tension
  • John Brown’s Raid at Harper’s Ferry

    John Brown’s Raid at Harper’s Ferry
    This raised the tension over expansion for slavery. The South started to prepare for war, Harper's Ferry attempt a slave revolt.
  • Abraham Lincoln elected President

    Abraham Lincoln elected President
    When Abraham was elected president the Southerners were more in few about slavery. Tension raised more.
  • Battle at Fort Sumter

    Battle at Fort Sumter
    SC state Militia seized Fort Sumter becoming the immediate spark to the American Civil War. Slavery tension raised even more.
  • Southern states begin to secede

    Southern states begin to secede
    Southern states began to create confederate states. Tension continues to raise and Lincoln decided he would fight to keep southern states apart of the Union.