Causes of the civil war

By livandrews

  • The Missouri Compromise, 1820

    With the Missouri Compromise was the balance between free and slave states according to Congress. This caused Missouri to enter as a free state and Maine as a free state. This then created the 36'30 line which was supposed to determine whether slavery would be in certain territories or not.

  • Compromise of 1850

    The Compromise of 1850 was 5 laws passed to solve the problems of slavery. California was admitted as a free state, the Mexican cession was divided into 2 territories of New Mexico and Utah without the mention of slavery, It ended slavery in Washington D.C., made a very strict fugitive slave law, and settled boarder problems between New Mexico and Texas.

  • Fugitive Slave Law, 1850

    This law required that Citizens catch any runaway slave and returned them to their owner. If Citizens did not comply with this law then they were fined to up to $1000 and/or put into jail for six months. The North hated this law because they were against slavery and this law required them to enforce it.

  • Uncle Tom's Cabin, 1852

    Uncle Tom's Cabin was a book written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, that exposed the horrors of Slavery. This opened the minds of Northers and they began to change their view on slavery. However the South resented this book and claimed it was filled with lies which initially caused more division throughout the nation.

  • Kansas-Nebraska Act, 1854

    The Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise and decided that the issue of slavery would be decided by popular sovreignty. This divided the land into Kansas and Nebraska territories and led to violence in the senate.

  • Pottowatomi Creek Killings, 1856

    Abolitionist John Brown and five of his sons and three other associates murdered five proslavery men along the waters of Pottowatomi creek.

  • Dred Scott Decision, 1857

    Dred Scott was a slave that lived in a free territory with his owner. However his owner then moved back into a slave state and then died. Abolitionist then went to the Supreme Court and filed a law suit for him and lost because the court looked at Scott and property and not a citizen.

  • Lincoln- Douglas debate, 1858

    Douglas Believed that slavery should be decided by popular sovreingty, while Lincoln believed that slavery should not spread into other territories. Lincoln also believed that the nation would be torn apart fighting over the slavery issue.

  • Raid on Harper's Ferry, 1859

    The Raid on Harper's Ferry was a raid on the federal armory by a small group led by Abolitionist John Brown. They planned to raid the arsenal and start a slave revolt. However the problem was that no slaves tried to help, which resulted in many of Brown's men dying and him being arrested. He was later tried ad found guilty and was hung for his crimes.

  • Election of 1860

    The Election of 1860 was Lincoln running against Douglas. The Southern States did not like Lincoln and his beliefs and overwhelmingly supported Douglas, but Lincoln still won.This led to angry southerners with the mad up assumption that the North had to much power and many talked about Seceding from the Union.