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Slavery (5)
At the time of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, slavery not only was legal in all thirteen British American colonies, it continued to play a significant role in their economies and societies.In the American Revolution, the institution of slavery in America had become firmly established as being limited to persons of African ancestry. In this atmosphere, the seeds of feelings of white supremacy were sown.Even when the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1789. -
States vs. Federal Rights(3)
Since the American Revolution two types of people came to the gov.Some people argued for the greater rights of states,others argued that the federal government needed to have more control.The first gov. in US after the Revolution was the Articles of Confederation.The 13 states formed a loose confederation with a weak federal gov. Many felt the new constitution ignored the rights of states to act independently. Nullification wouldn't work, many of the states felt that they weren't respected. -
slave and non-slave states(4)
US began to expand with land gained from the Louisiana Purchase. Later with the Mexican War the question of if they were a free or slave state.They attempted to make sure that equal free and slave states were in the Union but it was difficult.The Missouri Compromise passed in 1820 this rule prohibited slavery in states from Louisiana north of latitude 36 degrees with exceptions of Missouri. In the Mexican War the debate about what would happen to the territories that the US expected to gain. -
The Abolitionist Movement (1)
The North started to be more against slavery. Sympathy began to grow for the people against slavery and slave owners. Many people in the North saw slavery as wrong and unjust.
William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass wanted freedom for all slaves, but white men including Abraham Lincoln only hoped to keep slavery from getting bigger.
A number of events helped inform people the real problem that slavery caused in 1850. -
The Election of Abraham Lincoln (2)
The election of 1860 is huge for the Union. Mr. Lincoln was part of a new Republican party it was seen as a problem.The country's divisions were clear on election day. Lincoln won the North, and he was liked enough to win the popular vote as well as 180 electoral votes.Even though things were already at a boiling point when Lincoln was elected S.C. "Declaration of the Causes of Secession" December 24, 1860. They believed that Lincoln was anti-slavery and in favor of Northern interests.
