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Missouri Compromise
To satisfy Missouri in becoming a slave state, Henry Clay made Maine a free state. The Missouri Compromise was an act of balancing out the free states and the slave states. Slaves were not to be bought in lands North of latitude 36º30. The Missouri Compromise increased tension between the free states and slave states helping cause the Civil War. -
Nathaniel Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner was a fiery preacher who believed in signs from Heaven. In one of these signs, Nat Turner thought that God told him to kill many slaveholders and their families. On the night of August 21st, 1831, Nat Turner and his group killed 55 slaveholders and their families. Nat Turner was later sentenced to be hung because he was caught. Nat Turner's rebellion was a cause of the Civil War because he showed slaves that they could fight back. -
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso acted as an amendment to prohibit slaves in the territory won after the Mexican War. David Wilmot proposed this amendment because of his fear of another slave territory. The Wilmot Proviso was a cause of the Civil War because it caused tension between slave and free territory. -
Compromise of 1850
The U.S. divided because of slavery at the time of 1850. Because of these divisions, the Compromise of 1850 was created. The Compromise stated that California was a free state which made Utah and New Mexico territories that could decide slavery by popular sovereignty. Also the Compromise of 1850 abolished slave trade in Washington D.C. The Compromise of 1850 was a cause to the Civil War because popular sovereignty meant that the people had all the power but the people didn't always agree. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act was placed in order to return slaves who tried to escape North to their slaveowners. Harsh punishments would be enforced if someone from the North was caught hiding a slave. Northerners rarely followed this rule and hid slaves many times. The Fugitive Slave Act was definetly a cause to the Civil War because Northern juries wouldn't convict people who hid slaves and people in the South were angered by this. -
Kansas- Nebraska Act
The Kansas- Nebraska Act was a bill that ordered a commission for popular sovereignty. The settlers used this popular sovereignty to decide to permit or not to permit slavery in these areas. This popular sovereignty led to fighting and violence known as Bleeding Kansas. -
Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott had lived with his owner in a free state just before he left that free state and went back to Missouri. Dred Scott felt that he deserved to be free because he had lived in these places. The judge, Roger Taney, didn't believe that black people had the right to court of law. The Dred Scott case was a cause to the Civil War because people believed that everyone has the right to court of law. -
John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry
John Brown was a bold abolitionist that wanted to sabotage slaveholders and gather arms for an uprising. John Brown led an attack on an aresenal on Harper"s Ferry. In doing this, John Brown and his followers, killed 5 people. John Brown was hung for his wrongdoings but this lit a fire in slaves and Northeners hearts leading to the Civll War. -
Lincoln's Election
In Lincoln's Election, Lincoln recieved 40% of the popular vote defeating the three other candidates. Lincoln and his rival ,Stephen Douglas, often had disputes over slavery called the Lincoln- Douglas Debates. Lincoln wanted to preserve the Union, which meant stopping slavery but Doulgas wanted popular sovereignty. When Lincoln was inagurated 7 states had already seceded which led to the Civil War -
Fort Sumter
In the first battle of the Civil War, General Beuragard fired the first shots of the Civil War which set the tone of the whole war.
