Causes of the Civil War

  • Compromise of 1850

    Compromise of 1850
    Texas was paid $10 million to claim less land in the West.
    Washington D.C. was required to end the slave trade, but it was still legal. California came in as a free state.
    A Stricter Fugitive Slave Act was passed
  • Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

    Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
    This said that all slaves must be returned to their owners, and it was illegal to help a fugitive slave.
  • Uncle Tom's Cabin

    Uncle Tom's Cabin
    The book talked about the hardships and abuse of being a slave, and it made people join the abolitionist movement.
  • Kansas Nebraska Act

    Kansas Nebraska Act
    The act allowed Kansas and Nebraska chose if they wanted to be a slave state or a free state. This led to "Bleeding Kansas" which was when the anti-slave people fought and killed the anti-free people.
  • Dred Scott Decision

    Dred Scott Decision
    The Supreme Court decided that a slave was not a citizen and didn't have the right to sue. They also ruled that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional.
  • Harper's Ferry

    Harper's Ferry
    Brown led a group of men to steal the weapons from Harper's Ferry to start a slave result. The raid failed.
  • Lincoln's election

    Lincoln's election
    Lincoln was the only candidate that was against slavery, so none of the southern states voted for him.
  • Attack on Ft. Sumter

    Attack on Ft. Sumter
    The South fired upon a fort in South Carolina. The fort was badly outnumbered, so they surrendered. The war started.