causes of the civil war
TRANSCRIPT
Causes of the Civil War
Invention of the Cotton Gin
When: 1793 Who: Eli Whitney: Where: South What: Invention to remove seeds from
cotton
Invention of the Cotton Gin
Effect:– drastically increased the amount of
cotton being produced, thus drastically increasing the number of slaves needed to harvest the cotton.
– This increased the tensions that slavery caused.
Mexican Cession
When: 1848 Who: Mexican gvn’t Where: California, New Mexico,
and the Gadsden Purchase territory
What: Lands given up by Mexico because of the Gadsden Purchase and the Mexican-American War
Mexican Cession
Effect:– Brought on the debate of whether or
not slavery should be allowed in the new territory
– Led directly to the Compromise of 1850
– Led to sectional arguments and distrust
Missouri Compromise
When: 1820 Who: Politicians Where: New states (Missouri and
Maine) What: Political compromise made
in 1820 between Northern and Southern politicians
Missouri Compromise
Effect:– Admitted Missouri as slave state,
Maine as free state, prohibited slavery north of 36°30’ parallel (Missouri Compromise Line)
– Kept power in Senate equal
Compromise of 1850 When: 1850 Who: Congress Where: New Lands gained by the
Mexican Cession What:
– Congressional agreement on slavery:• admitted California as a free state• did not restrict slavery in New Mexico or Utah
(popular sovereignty • Bans slave trade in Washington, D.C.• passed a stricter fugitive slave law, which said
that all persons must help to catch fugitive slaves• Settles Texas/New Mexico border dispute
Compromise of 1850
Effect:– upset North because it allowed
slavery above old Missouri Compromise line, basically negating the Missouri Compromise
– Southerners loved it for the same reason
– Did not solve slavery issue– Caused sectional tensions
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
When: 1852 Who: Written by Harriet Beecher
Stowe, who had never been to the South
Where: North What: Fictional book about slavery
in South
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Effect:– Turned slavery from a political issue
to a moral issue!– Enraged & disgusted Northerners
about slavery & the South– Enraged Southerners who felt it was
an unfair description of slavery– Caused sectional tensions to heat up
even more
Kansas-Nebraska Act
When:1854 Who: Politicians Where: Kansas-Nebraska territory What:
– law that repealed Missouri Compromise – split the Nebraska territory into 2
separate territories, Kansas and Nebraska
– declared issue of slavery in Kansas and Nebraska territories would be left to residents (popular sovereignty)
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Effect:– Bloody Kansas
• Violence broke out in Kansas in the late 1850’s between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions
• Eventually 2 separate gvn’ts were elected in Kansas, one pro, one con of slavery
– It was a warm-up exercise for the coming Civil War
Dred Scott Decision
When: 1857 Who: Supreme Court Where: Illinois What:
– Supreme Court case that decided slaves did not have the rights of citizens
– Ruled Congress could not forbid slavery in the territories, making Missouri Compromise unconstitutional
Dred Scott Decision
Effect:– Opened slavery to new territories– South loved it, but North hated it – Sectional tensions escalated.
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
When: 1858 Who: Abraham Lincoln and Stephen
Douglas Where: Illinois What:
– Series of debates between Stephen Douglas & Abraham Lincoln during 1858 senatorial election campaign
– Focused on issue of slavery
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
Effect:– Lincoln got Douglas to admit that
popular sovereignty could be used to prevent the expansion of slavery into territories, which lost Douglas the support of the South
– South became aware of Lincoln’s views.
John Brown’s Raid
When: 1859 Who: John Brown, an abolitionist Where: Harper’s Ferry, Virginia What:
– Tried to capture arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, and begin slave revolt
– Was captured and hung
John Brown’s Raid
Effect:– Made a martyr for Union (North) and
abolitionist cause– Southerners horrified/disgusted by
North’s outright support of Brown’s actions
– sectional tension intensified
Election of 1860
When: 1860 Who: Lincoln, Douglas, Bell,
Breckinridge Where: United States What: Lincoln (viewed by the
South as an abolitionist) was elected president
Election of 1860
Effect:– Showed split in the nation over slavery– Southern states seceded after hearing
of Lincoln’s win– Feared they would lose slavery under
his rule– Caused North to take military
measures to keep Union together– Set stage for Fort Sumter attack and
start of war.
Southern Secession
When: 1860 Who/Where: Southern States What:
– Southern withdrawal from the Union that was not allowed by President Lincoln
Southern Secession
Effect:– He would go to war to preserve the
Union– The South would go to war to remain
out of the Union– That is exactly what occurred
Bombardment of Fort Sumter
When: 1860 Who: Southerners Where: Port in S.C. What: Confederate forces attacked
Union naval fort
Bombardment of Fort Sumter
Effects:– These first shots essentially started
the war– Confederate capture of fort means
the Confederates have the momentum
Sectional Tension
The people in the Northern states and Southern states became more and more politically, socially, and economically divided.
Sectional Tension
The cotton gin caused the Southern states to follow its agricultural ways, while the Northern states became more industrialized (they could not grow cotton in the North - too cold)
Northern and Southern states found it increasingly difficult to relate to one another, especially when it came to the topic of slavery
They began to see themselves as separate “sections” of the nation - sections which had very little in common
Sectional Tension
Several compromises were attempted by both sides to try and overcome the problems between them regarding the slavery issue
All compromises eventually failed The result would be the build-up
of sectional tensions which would eventually lead to war