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Three-Fifths Compromise
The compromise written in the constitution between the north and south which stated that slaves counted as 3/5ths of a person and would affect the number of representatives in the Electoral College. This led to the civil war because it encouraged slavery in the south by allowing southern states to buy power in the Electoral College and made northern states hate the concept of slavery even more. It also failed to state and real laws about slavery in the constitution leaving it open to dispute. -
Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin
The cotton gin helped increase the dying cotton production in the south and give a reason for purchasing slaves in the south, leading to slave disputes and eventually the civil war. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was the compromise between slave states and free states that stated the land rules for future acquired land. All new states above the north 36 30' line would be free, except for Missouri. Missouri was admitted as a slave state and Maine as a free state in order to keep the Slave and Free states even. This helped lead to the civil war because it would later be conflicted by the Compromise of 1850 and would allow the slavery issue to continue on longer and build up. -
Compromise of 1850
The compromise between the north and south which admitted California into the US as a free state while also giving land claimed by texas to New Mexico. The Fugutive slave act was also put into effect and Washington DC banned the trade of slavery while not outlawing slavery. This led to the civil war because the Fugitive Slave Act raised tensions in the north while the south was angry about California and the change in balance. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
An anti slavery book written by Harriet Beecher Stowe which raised disputes between the north and south by angering the south and making the north hate slavery more. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act admitted Kansas and Nebraska as states into the US and stating that popular sovereignty would decide whether each state would be a slave state or free state. This led to the civil war because people moved to each state in order to help vote slavery up or down. It contradicted the Compromise of 1850 and Missouri Compromise and increased dislike between the south and north. -
Sumner Brooks Event
The event in which Preston Brooks severely beat Charles Sumner with a cane due to Sumner's view on the Kansas-Nebraska Act and his many speeches on it. This event helped lead to a civil war because it stirred tempers for northerners and southerners by making Preston Brooks look like a hero in the south and Charles Sumner a martyr in the north. -
Dred Scott Case
The Dred Scott Case was the case where Dred Scott went from a free man to a slave after the Supreme Court stated that he was not a US citizen and was actually property. This helped lead to the civil war because it showed the supreme court was for slavery and angered the north. -
John Brown
John Brown was a murderer who killed due to his desire to end slavery. He killed 5 pro slavery supporters and was hanged in the south. This made the south believe all northerners were crazy and angered the north because they believed the punishment was harsh. It led to the civil war by raising tensions between the north and south. -
Lincoln's Election
Lincoln was elected president which angered many southern states because he was an abolitionist. They said that if he was elected, they would secede and they did.