Events Leading to the Civil War

Missouri CompromiseWilmot ProvisoCompromise of 1850Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854Scott v Sanford 1857Lincoln Douglas DebatesRaid on Harpers FerryThe Election of 1860Events Leading to the Civil War1820-1860Missouri Compromise - 1820Allowed Missouri to enter the union as a slave state together with Maine entering as a free state and

maintained the balance in the number of slave and free states in the SenateAbolition of SlaveryAbolition has been a hotly debated topic in our countryeven before we were a country! Think back to the debates surrounding the Declaration of Independence!Many states began to abolish slavery shortly after the US is establishedVermont did so in 1777!Abolition of SlaveryIndividuals and organizations began to form to promote abolition

Abolition of SlaveryUprisings and rebellions occurred on a regular basis as slaves themselves fought against the institution!

The Wilmot Proviso 1846Proposal to prohibit slavery in territory gained through conquest..particularly the Mexican Cession territoryPassed by House of Representatives, defeated in Senate by Southern membersOutraged the South, led to Calhoun Resolutions Territories are joint property of all statesCongress has no right to enact a ban on slaverySouth will nullify such a law, may secede from UnionNever enactedWestward Expansion makes it complicated!Gold discovered in California, 1848, which leads to the Gold Rush of 1849California, with a population of 80,000, seeks to join the Union as a free stateSouth refuses and seeks to extend the Missouri Compromise line to the Pacific

Hello..We need to Compromise here!!Compromise of 1850

John C. Calhoun feared that the North was trying to destroy the SouthHenry Clay worked tirelessly to pass a compromise billDaniel Webster believed that national unity was far more important that sectional interestsCompromise of 1850

Stephen Douglas got the Compromise through Congress:

California joins as a free stateFugitive Slave Law includes harsher punishmentsEnds slave trade in District of ColumbiaPopular Sovereignty over slavery issue in remaining Mexican Cession TerritoriesCompromise of 1850 Reaction in the North is swiftOpposition to Fugitive Slave LawIncrease in Abolitionist activitiesIncreased support for the Underground Railroad

The Abolitionists are making progress!

Uncle Toms Cabin - 1852The novel, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, became an international best seller and greatly helped the abolitionist cause as it exposed the tragedies of slave life.

Westward expansion continued, with the growing population came the need for more railroads but the route to construct caused major problems

Westward Expansion is still.making it complicated!Kansas-Nebraska ActStephen Douglas proposed something new:Repeal the Missouri CompromiseAllow the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide the issue of slavery by Popular Sovereignty

The South favored this proposal, the North condemned it as a way to extend slavery into new territoryKansas-Nebraska ActSome saw the map as less than neutral and fair

Bleeding KansasAs both pro- and anti- slavery men poured into Kansas to caste their votes, a mini Civil War broke out.

Bleeding Kansas"Come on, then, gentlemen of the slave states. Since there is no escaping your challenge, we accept it in the name of freedom. We will engage in competition for the virgin soil of Kansas, and God give the victory to the side which is stronger in numbers, as it is in right." -- Senator William Seward, on the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, May 1854By the end of 1856 over 200 had been killed

Scott v. Sanford - 1857

-Scott moved to a free territory with his ownerhe believed that because he lived in free territory, he should be free. -So, he sued in federal court in 1854.-The court ruled against him, so he appealed to the Supreme Court.-The Supreme Courts decision, based primarily on Chief Justice Roger Taneys written opinion, ruled:That slaves were not and could never be citizens. Thus, Dred Scott had no right to file a lawsuit and remained a slave regardless of the territory in which he lived.-Also, he stated that by banning slavery, Congress was, in effect, taking away or regulating property which violated the 5th Amendment SOBanning slavery in the territories was prohibited by the federal governmenteach state, via popular sovereignty, can regulate property and therefore slavery!

Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debate the issues plaguing the nation as they run for office in the US Senate.The greatest debate is over Popular SovereigntyDouglas believed that a states had the right to decide for themselves whether slavery should exist within their borders.Lincoln believed that the debate over slavery was a tearing our nation apart.it needed to go awayfor that very reason!

A house divided against itself can not stand!

The Raid on Harpers FerryJohn Brown and other abolitionists led a raid on a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia.They seized weapons and held citizens hostage.but ultimately surrendered after several were dead and wounded.They were quickly tried, found guilty, and executed!Although this abolitionist raid was quickly quashed by the federal government...Southerners were very fearful of the growing violence in the abolitionist movement!

Although Lincoln did not win the Congressional Election of 1858.he became a viable candidate for President two years later!He ran as the Republican candidatestating that he would work tirelessly to preserve the Union!He won the election with no support in the Southern states at all!The South was very nervous to be a part of a union that would potential pass legislation ending their way of life..whatever shall they do.hmmmmm?

Lincoln Wins the Election of 1860!