-
The Gag rule
The Gag rule was a resolution passed by the House which postponed or “tabled” any discussions or petitions regarding slavery in the United States. This was an important factor leading to the civil war because instead of making the slavery issue better and discussing it, it made it worse by letting the issue build up overtime. This was also important because it built tensions between North and South overtime due to the issue surrounding slavery. -
The Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso was a proposal from David Wilmot. The proposal argued that the expansion of slavery into land acquired from the Mexican-American War should be prohibited and that it should not be allowed in any of these areas. This proposal was turned down very quickly but sparked more tensions between the North and South and the ideas they both had. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was traduced by Henry Clay. It proposed Californias admission into the Union as a free state and gave Utah, New Mexico, and other territories gained from the Mexican-American War the choice between being a free or slave state. The compromise also required the returning of runaway slaves by the entirety of the Union. This caused many issues because it defied the beliefs of Northerners and created many disagreements between North and South regarding slavery. -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was an act that put in place two new territories within the Union in Kansas, and Nebraska. This act also allowed popular sovereignty in the new terriories which cause many pro and anti slavery activists to flood in, trying to persuade the vote on slavery. This caused the Whig party to split and dissolve due to the arguments between north and south on the expansion of slavery. This is important because it introduced the Republican Party who’s main focus was ending slavery. -
The beating of Charles Sumner
The beating of Charles Sumner occurred in 1856 after Preston Brooks, a South Carolina representative took offense to a spear conducted by Sumner three days earlier. Preston Brooks beat Sumner profusely with a cane on May, 1856, in the Senate Chamber. Brooks was praised by other southerners for standing up for slavery and was sent canes in the mail. This is important because it shows the major disagreements and the massive rift created between the North and South due to political issues. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford Decision
The Dred Scott case decision stunned the nation. The United States Supreme Court held up slavery in the United States, denied black citizenship, and also declared the Missouri Compromise to be unconstitutional due to the lack of power by Congress to prohibit and have the authority to prohibit slavery in the territories. This is important because it destroyed the already fragile agreement between slave states and free states. It also gave anti-slavery movements momentum and made the issue larger. -
The Election of Abraham Lincoln
The Election of Abraham Lincoln was not only important to the Republicans, but also to the Democrats. The democrats feared that if the Republicans won the election, slavery would be abolished, and the political ideas of the North would become dominant. This is important because it made the thread holding North and South together even smaller. It is also important because the election of Abraham Lincoln made civil war and secession almost guaranteed. -
The Crittenden Compromise
The Crittenden Compromise was introduced in late 1860. The compromise proposed that the Missouri Compromise line be reinstated and it forbade the abolition of slavery within federal land in slaveholding states. This compromise would also compensate slave owners for runaway slaves and propose other amendments defending the institution of slavery. This is important because the compromise was later rejected due to Northerners disagreeing. This made civil war a more likely outcome in the U.S. -
Secession of South Carolina
The secession of South Carolina occurred in late 1860 shortly after the election of Abraham Lincoln. South Carolina feared that the Northern political ideas would take over the government and that slavery would be abolished. This caused South Carolina to secede from the Union fairly quickly. This is important because it is the turning point that makes civil war a near guarantee and it shows the political divide throughout the Union. -
The Confederate States of America
The introduction of the Confederate States of America was a very important part in the times leading up to the civil war. The Confederate States were created in 1861 and consisted of the eleven states that seceded from the Union. This is very important because it showed that the South was willing to defy the Union and fight for whatever beliefs they had regarding to politics, slavery, etc. This is also important because it shows the lengths that these people went for something that was so wrong.