a union in peril causes of the civil war · a union in peril causes of the civil war. westward...
TRANSCRIPT
A Union in Peril
Causes of the Civil War
Westward Expansion and Slavery
� Expansion continually raised slavery issue
Balance of Power 1820
� In 1818 IL admitted as a free state(11 free vs. 10 slave)
� Alabama (AL) admitted as a slave state(11 free vs. 11 slave)
� 1820 Missouri (MO) applied for statehood� Balance of power debated
Missouri Compromise of 1820
� Henry Clay� Maine (ME) entered as free� Missouri (MO) entered as slave
(12 free vs. 12 slave)
� Louisiana Territory split in half (36 / 30’)� North of line = free (except MO)� South of line = slave
Nat Turner’s Rebellion� Slave� Preacher� 1831� Virginia (VA)� Eclipse = sign from God� 80 followers� Attacked 4 plantations� Kill about 60 whites� Captured/tried/hanged� 200 slaves killed after
Wilmot Proviso
� Mexico Am. War 1846� New land from Mex. – Free or Slave? � Ban slavery in any land won from Mexico?� Debated in Congress� Never passed
Conflicts 1850
� 1849 California (CA) applied for statehood
� Wash. DC was a major slave market
� Runaway slaves
� Slave states spoke of secession
Compromise of 1850
� Henry Clay� The slave trade (not slavery) abolished in DC� California (CA) admitted as free
(16 free vs. 15 slave)� Popular sovereignty used to decide slave
issue in New Mexico (NM) and Utah (UT)� Popular sovereignty = people who live in the
state will vote/decide� Fugitive Slave Act – all citizens required to
return runaways
Abolition Movement
William Lloyd Garrison� Newspaper
- The Liberator
Fredrick Douglass� Runaway slave� Educated� Lecturer� Newspaper
-The North Star
Harriet Beecher Stowe� Book – Uncle Tom’s Cabin� 1852
Harriet Tubman� Underground Railroad
Kansas Nebraska Act
� 1854
� Stephen Douglass
� Kansas Nebraska Territory to divide into 2
� Popular sovereignty to be used to decide
� Repealed Missouri Compromise of 1820
Bleeding Kansas
� Northerners and Southerners race to Kansas (KS)� Some legitimate settlers, many “settlers”
� Rival governments set up� Proslavery – Lecompton, KS� Anti-slavery – Topeka
� Violence, riots, small scale civil war
Pottawatomie Massacre
� John Brown� Extreme abolitionist� May 1856� Pottawatomie, KS� Attacks 5 sleeping proslavery men� Chops off hands and kills
Results� Triggers more violence� Further worsens N./S.
relations
Violence in the Senate
May 19th 1856� Charles Sumner gave speech “The Crime
Against Kansas”� 2 days long� Attacked slavery� Abusive remarks toward Andrew Butler (SC)� Made fun of his speech
May 22nd 1856� Preston S. Brooks (Butler’s nephew)� Walks into the Senate� Beat Sumner over the head with cane� Sumner seriously injured (brain damage)� Returns to Senate 3 years later
Result� South applaud actions� North denounce� Further worsens relations
Dred Scott Decision
Background� Dred Scott, slave
� 1834, taken by owner to live in IL and WI for 4 yrs.
� Later owner and Scott moved back to Missouri (MO)
� Owner died
The Case� 1854 Scott files suit� Argument
� - Owner took him north of Missouri Compromise line for 4 years . . .
� - He should be a free man
The Ruling� 1857� African Americans are not citizens . . . � Have no rights/privileges� The Missouri Compromise of 1820 is
unconstitutional
Result� Worsened N/S relations
� Greatly expanded reach of slavery
Harpers Ferry
The Plan� Harpers Ferry, Virginia (VA)� 1859� John Brown
� 21 men� Take weapons from federal arsenal� Give to slaves� Begin slave rebellion
The Results� Does not work� No slaves join� Brown captured/tried/hanged� South celebrates� North mourns, becomes a martyr
Election of 1860
� Lincoln (Republican)
� Pledged would halt the spread of slavery . . .
� BUT not interfere with slavery in the South
� His name did not appear on most southern ballots
The Results� Won no southern states
� Won all free states
� Lincoln only won 40% of the popular vote
� Won enough electoral votes to win
Southern Secession� Many fear the end of slavery
� Felt lost voice in gov’t
� SC leads the way� Secedes Dec. 20th 1860
� Soon after: MS, FL, AL, GA, LA, and TX
� Mass gov’t resignations in D.C.
Secession
� February 1861 southern delegates write a new constitution
� Form the Confederate States of America (CSA)
� Elect Jefferson Davis President
� Lincoln did not even swear in until March!!!
Lincoln’s Dilemma
� Confederate soldiers began seizing gov’tbuildings/forts in the south.
Fort Sumter
� April 12th, 1861
� Confederates attempt to seize Fort Sumter (SC)
� Shots fired
� The war begins!