Causes of the Civil War

Causes of the Civil War

Period: 1810 to 1870

The events that lead up to, or caused the civil war

The Missouri Compromise 1820

Mar 3, 1820

Missouri entered as a slave state
Maine entered as a free state
The 36’30” is drawn. This line was no supposed to decide whether slavery would be allowed in certain territories or not

Compromise of 1850

Jan 29, 1850

California enters as a FREE state.
The area from Mexican Cession divided into Utah and New Mexico. Slavery issue to be decided by popular sovereignty
Made a STRICT Fugitive Slave Law
Settled border problems between New Mexico and Texas

Fugitive Slave Law (1850)

Sep 18, 1850

This law was part of the compromise of 1850
It was a law that required citizens to catch runaway slaves.
If a person did not comply, they could be fined up to $1000 or put in jail for SIX months.
Judges receive $10 if they returned a salve and $5 if they freed them
Northerners HATED this law because it forced them to become a part of the system of slavery.

Uncle Tom’s cabin

Mar 20, 1852

Divides lands into Kansas and Nebraska territories.
Decided that SLAVERY issue would be decided by popular sovereignty.
Led to violence in the Senate.
Pr-slavery and Anti-slavery settlers in one area and this leads to conflict!
Northerners believe this repealed the Missouri Compromise.

Dred Scott Decision

1857

The Court ruled he was not a citizen but rather property and therefore he could not file a lawsuit.
This repealed the Missouri Compromise.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate

Aug 21, 1858

Douglass believed in deciding slavery by popular sovereignty.
Lincoln believed slavery should Not be allowed to spread into the territories.

Election of 1860

1860

The southern states did not like Lincoln or what he believed in. They overwhelmingly supported Douglass yet Lincoln still got elected.
Many southerners talked of seceding from the Union