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The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was a attempt to prevent the expansion of slavery into the new territory of the Louisiana Purchase. As a result, slavery was restricted above the 36/30 line, while everything south consisted of slave states. So this lead to the Civil War by causing a need of balance in the Senate and later result into many of lives lost because of the argument of free and slave states. -
War with Mexico
James K. Polk, because of manifest distiny, wanted California, New Mexico, and Texas. Mexico's denial to sell made Polk to declare war, and once these new territories were conquered the question of slavery came again. When the war was over Polk signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo it added new territory to the south of the 36/30 line to become slave territories thus leading to the Civil War by creating disagrements on which states should be free and slave aswell as the balance in Senate. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act gave southern slave owners to recapture their run away slaves in the North as well as imposed fines for hiding fugitive slaves. The new law denied a trial to any suspected fugitive slave. This helped cause the Civil War because the Northern abolitionists were outraged due to the lack of legal rights for African Americans and caused many outrages throught the north. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was an anti-slavery novel which revealed the true horrors and evils of slavery to the North. The South claimed it was an unfair depiction of slavery but, that did not stop the growing number of abolitionists in the North leading to the civil war by spreading the real tale of slavery and ended in more rage building in the north. -
Beat Down of Sumner
Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina beat Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts with his cane after Sumner gave a speach against slavery. Rather than showing remorse for the actions of their congressman, the South glorified Brooks' actions. Northerners were both disgusted and outraged. So because of the North and South's diffrent point of views there was no way they would come to a agrement and lead to unslove arguments such as slave states vs free states leading to the Civil War. -
Bleeding Kansas
Many murders took place in Kansas when Border Pro-slavery Missourians crossed the border in an attempt to discourage northeners for voting for a free state. This lead to the civil war by showing everyone that there was no more chance for a verbal peaceful way of resolving any deabte on slavery. -
Dred Scott
In 1857 the Supreme Court made a ruling that nullified the Missouri Compromise and the Kansas-Nebraska Act by saying that a slave has no right to sue in cort. This confirmed the North's fear that slave owners would try anything to legalize slavery everywhere. Causing a non-trust connection between the north and the south both sides just waiting for someone to " brake the ice" -
Harpers Ferry
John Brown tried to cause a slave revolt at Harpers Ferry but failed. This confirmed the South's beliefs that the Northeners would gladly help Southern slaves revolt against their masters. This led the South to believe they could no longer live safely in the Union leading to the Civil War. -
Presidential Election
Abraham Lincoln was running for the Republican party while Breckinridge was running as a Democrat. The northern population led to the domination of the Republican party, leavin Lincoln as president. This struck fear in the South because the country was now being run by men against slavery. The fear in the south was the key point of the road of the Civil War because it lead to the south leaving and the north becoming strong. -
Crittenden Compromise
The Crittenden Compromise was the final attempt to save the Union. It was similar to the previous Missouri Compromise by re-introducing the 36/30 line, with slavery not allowed north of it and allowed south of it. The South accepted it on the grounds that slave territory would expand, but the North rejected the compromise, and it failed. This was the last stop of the long road of the Civil War because this was the last chance to save the Union and keep it togther but with no luck it fell apart.
