American Civil War – SS8H6 • Civil War refers to the fighting that occurs between opposing sides in the same country • American Civil War was fought between 1861 and 1865 • Fighting was between the Union (Northern part of the United States) and the Confederacy (Southern part of United States) • Was over issues of State’s Rights and Slavery and Economics States’ Rights • This is the belief that the power of the Federal government is given to them by the Individual States (In other words the Federal Government can only do that which the States allow them to do.) • If the Federal Gov’t tries to overstep its authority and enact laws contrary to what the States agree to, then the States can declare that law Null and Void (Nullification) and do not have to obey it • This causes problems because then some states agree to new laws and some do not.

Slavery First Slaves arrived in United States in 1619 Both North and South used slaves but the South used many more than the north for agricultural purposes. Slavery was NOT illegal in the U.S. but slave trade or importation of slaves from other countries had been made illegal by this time period. Most northern States began to oppose slavery while the South saw it as a “necessary evil” Questions arose over how to count slaves for representation in Congress (3/5 Compromise) More Questions were raised on whether to allow slavery to spread to new U.S. territories as they were acquired. In answer to these questions, several more compromises were written, voted upon, and passed by Congress

Missouri Compromise In 1819, there were11 Free States ( ones that did not allow slavery) and 11 Slave States (ones that did allow slavery) so the votes in the Senate were equal 22-22 between slave and free states. 1820 Missouri applied for statehood which would upset the balance in the Senate. In a compromise, Congress agreed to allow Missouri in as a Slave state while admitting Maine as a Free State. Also, all new territory above the 36 20 latitude line could NOT have slavery. This compromise ended the slave state verses free state issue BUT only for a short time

Dred Scott Decision In1834, a slave by the name of Dred Scott was taken from the slave state of Missouri into the free state of Illinois then to Wisconsin which was another free State before they returned to Missouri. Dred Scot maintained that he had lived in a Free State and therefore must be considered free. He filed a lawsuit with the help of Northern Abolitionists (people against slavery) and the case was heard by the Supreme Court. The Court decided that since he was a slave and NOT a citizen, then he had NO legal rights to even bring a lawsuit against his owner. The Court also ruled that Congress COULD NOT stop slavery within the territories which upset the earlier Missouri Compromise.

Compromise of 1850 Gold was discovered in the U.S. territory of California in 1849. Immediately people moved to California and the population grew enough for California to ask for admittance as a state. There were 15 free States and 15 slave states at this time and California’s constitution did not allow slavery. If California became a state, then the balance in the Senate would again be upset. The following compromises were made : Compromise of 1850– California became a free state and territories of New Mexico and Utah could decide on their own if they wanted slavery or not.– Slave trading in the District of Columbia stopped but people living there could keep their slaves. Fugitive Slave Law passed which said slaves that ran away to free states MUST be returned to the owners.

Georgia Platform The state of Georgia held a convention in Milledgeville, to debate the Compromise of 1850. A proclamation was adopted called the Georgia Platform. Georgians wanted the North to support the Fugitive Slave Act and to stop trying to ban slavery in new states. Alexander Stephens was one of 3 representatives from GA who supported the Union and he urged that the Compromise of 1850 should be upheld. Stephens’s arguments and his alliance led to the Georgia Platform being written in support of the Compromise of 1850. It was the ONLY way to save the United States and keep it from tearing apart into two countries. North and South

Kansas Nebraska Act The Slavery issue just would not die and as new territories opened up there was a bitter argument over where they should be; Free or Slave. Stephen Douglas proposed that Kansas and Nebraska both be admitted as states and instead of going with previous compromises, he suggested that the people living in the territories should just vote on what they wanted to be. The majority vote would decide. ( This idea is known as Popular Sovereignty.) Both sides (anti slavery and proslavery) shipped people in by trainloads in order to win the votes. There were bitter fights between sides in which sometimes entire towns were burnt and the people killed. It was so bad that Kansas became known as “Bleeding Kansas.” When Kansas applied for statehood, they were going to allow slavery but the Northern Senators voted against admittance as a state. There was an uneven number of votes in the Senate at this time with more Northern states that were against slavery and fewer southern states that were proslavery. Therefore when it came time to vote on slavery issues, the North was always going to win. Kansas was voted to be a slave state in 1857, However, the US Congress rejected the results and a new election was held in Kansas. The abolitionist won the second election. Kansas declared itself a free state, or one that would not allow slavery. It joined the US in 1861

Political Problems Tensions grew over the slavery issue as well as over northern industry against southern agriculture. The North was always voting for things to go their way and the South hated it. The South felt like they had to do something so they started talking about seceding (breaking away) from the U.S. and forming their own country. In the election of 1860 there was a man by the name of Abe Lincoln running for president. Since he was backed by Radical Republicans (who opposed slavery), they believed he would make slavery illegal if he were elected. Many states saw this as the end to slavery and their way of life so they decided that if he were elected they would secede and form the Confederate States of America. Lincoln won the election and the country split in half into Northern (antislavery) and Southern (proslavery) regions

Georgia Georgia voted to secede from the Union. On January 21, 1861, Georgia officially seceded from the United States. Georgians participated in the creation of the new southern Confederate government Georgia was sharply divided over the issue of secession. While most believed in preserving the Union, they also believed that the Federal gov’t obtained its power FROM the State ( States’ Rights) Alexander Stephens strongly opposed secession and gave stirring speeches against it. He served as vice president to the new government.