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Writing of the Constitution
The civil war was based a lot about should slavery be legal, and the Constitution didn't outlaw it so that made people angry. Some believed that it shouldn't be allowed, but the Constitution didn't say that. In fact, a lot of the time, people used the Constitution to help them win cases with slaves. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise played a big part in the start of the Civil War. When Missouri became a state, a big question was would it become a slave state, or a free state. It made the number of states odd, but luckily a few years later, Maine became a state too. So, Missouri became a slave state and Maine a free state. The government also made a line that said all states that were made above the line, had to be free. -
The Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act was first put into place in 1793, and then amended in 1850 to have harsher punishments. The act made it so escaped slaves had to be returned to their owners if caught even if they were in a free state. This made the North riot because they thought this was biased towards the South. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
This novel was published by an abolitionist. The story was about a slave who was about to become free, but then whipped to death because of a harsh slave owner. This book was loved by the North but hated by the south and became illegal in it. People started to say that the book was a "war cry" and slaves should rebel. -
Dred Scott Decision
This Supreme Court ruling was known as one of the worst decisions made by the Supreme Court. Dred Scott earned his freedom but was rebuked a couple of years later. The Supreme Court said that he was not a citizen because "African Americans couldn't be citizens."
