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Events Leading up to the Civil War
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missouri compromise
In 1819 missouri applied to be a slave state. Allowing Missouri to be a slave state was a diificult decision. Admmitting missouri to be a slave state would ruin the balence between slave states and free states in congress. Most of Missouri did also lay north of the ohio river, making it hard to determine it slave or free. Congress went into a deadlock over this decision. Congress decided to draw an imaginary line on the lousiana purchase allowing slavery in the south and freedom in the north. -
The compromise of 1850
In late 1849 California applied for admission to the union as a free state, and just like Missouri this caused unbalance in congress between slave and free states. Henry Clay, a senator from Kentucky, figured out out a plan that had "something for everyone. It would admit California to the union as a free state to please the north. It would allow New Mexico and Utah to decide to be free or slave. In addition it would end slave trade in Washington, DC. It called for a strong fugitive SLave Law. -
The Kansas-Nebraska act
Senator Stephan A. Douglas wanted to organize the great plains in order to get a railroad built in California. His bill said nothing about slavery, but in order to please the south. His bill created to new territories Kansa and Nebraska, and it also abolished the missouri compromis.e. Settlers now had the choice to vote if they wanted slavery or not, but southerners kept coming up and rigging the elections. This caused so much tension the first miny civil war was fought in kansas. -
The Dred Scott Decision
A slave named Dred Scott brought to court his freedom. He said because he stayed in Wisconsi he was free. This case was brought all the way to the supreme court. Many people believed this might end slavery or solve many major problems due to slavery. Instead the supreme court said he could not bring a case to court because he was african american. The supreme court also said he could not be free because the missouri compromise was unconstitutional and property should be taken with due process. -
The Election of 1860
The election of 1860 showed how divided the nation was. The vote was split into four ways 2 canidates in the south and 2 candidates in the north and one of them supported slavery. The northern canidate who didnt support slavery- Abraham Lincoln won. White southerners saw this as a threat and within weeks southern states started leaving the union. -
The attack on Fort Sumter
The civil war had begun. Confederates in Charelston, South Carolina opened fire. After 33 hors the defenders surrendered. Northerners were furious when they heard the south had opened fire on the American Flag. This gave the north more patriotism and a reason to fight. The nation was ready to dissolve there issues in a civil war.
