Pre-Civil War Mr. Potts 7 th Grade Social Studies Sossaman Middle School

Civil War Civil War (n.) a war between citizens of the same country.

Causes of the Civil War - 4 S’s  Sectionalism  Slavery  States’ Rights  Stalemate (Political Failures)  Missouri Compromise (1820)  Compromise of 1850  Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

Sectionalism  Sectionalism (n.) An intense devotion to one’s region to the extent it harms the whole.

Sectionalism North South The North: Primarily industrial Mostly urban and small farms Supported tariffs and internal improvements For strong central government Relied on free labor Wanted to limit spread of slavery in West The South: Primarily agricultural Mostly small farms and plantations Generally opposed tariffs and internal improvements For “states’ rights” Relied on slavery due to smaller population Supported extending slavery in West

North South

Slave Auction

Slavery  Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and forced to work.

Slavery  The first African slaves landed in Jamestown, VA in  By 1860 the United States had over four million slaves.

Slavery existed in all of the 13 colonies but it was a major benefit to the economic well-being to the South colonies… Eventually, the country began to divide over the issue of slavery.

States’ Rights  States’ Rights refers To the struggle between the federal government and individual states over political power.  In the Civil War era, this struggle focused heavily on the institution of slavery and whether the federal government had the right to regulate or even abolish slavery within an individual state.

Missouri Compromise (1820)  GOAL – To keep BOTH the North and the South happy over the debate over slavery  A compromise bill was worked out with the following provisions:  (1) Missouri was admitted as a SLAVE state and Maine as FREE state.  (2) Creation of the Missouri Compromise Line.

Missouri Compromise (1820)

Compromise of 1850  GOAL - To keep BOTH the North and the South happy over the debate over slavery.  A compromise bill was worked out with the following provisions:  (1) California is admitted as a FREE state.  (2) South get an upgraded version of the Fugitive Slave Act.  The Fugitive Slave Act required that all escaped slaves were, upon capture, to be returned to their masters and anyone caught helping an escaped slave would face 6 months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)  Created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, and allowed settlers decide if they would allow slavery by popular sovereignty.  EFFECT = led to “Bleeding Kansas,” a mini civil war.

American Anti-Slavery Society  Created in 1833, its members wanted immediate emancipation and racial equality for African Americans.

Free-Soil Party  A new political party of anti-slavery northerners who supported Wilmot Proviso (no slavery in new territories) created for the Election of  They feared expanded slavery would mean less jobs for white workers.

Famous Abolitionists

Dred Scott Decision  WHO: Dred Scott  WHAT: A slave who wanted freedom & citizenship through the American legal system. Scott attempted to sue his owners…his case ended up in the U.S. Supreme Court.  WHEN:  WHERE: U.S. Supreme Court (Washington, D.C.)  RESULT: Dred Scott lost the case… the court held that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, could not be American citizens and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court.  EFFECT: Divided the nation more over the slave debate.

John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry  WHO: White abolitionist John Brown & 20 men.  WHAT: Attempted to raid a federal arsenal to start a slave rebellion.  WHEN: October 16,  WHERE: Harper’s Ferry, Virginia  RESULT/EFFECT: John Brown was executed for treason. The event created more tension over the issue of slavery.

Election of 1860

 In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected 16 th President after winning EVERY Northern state and the South believed that Lincoln was anti-slavery and in favor of Northern interests.  EFFECTS = December 12, 1860 – South Carolina held a convention and voted to secede from the Union as Congress was unable to create a compromise to prevent secession.  February 1861 – Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia seceded.  Formation of a new government calling themselves the “Confederate States of America”

Events Leading to Civil War EventPosition of the North Position of the South Compromise Provisions EFFECT /Significance Missouri Compromise (1820) Do NOT admit Missouri as a slave state Do admit Missouri as a slave state Missouri SLAVE state & Maine FREE state Kept the balance between North & South Wilmot Proviso (1846) No slavery in new territories Slavery in land taken in Mexican Cession Proviso passes in House but NOT Senate (stalemate) Failed to fix slave issue in West/increased tension Compromise of 1850 California admitted as a FREE state Not to upset the balance of FREE/SLAVE states California as a FREE state/Fugitive Slave Law Saved the Union, but tensions continued to rise Kansas- Nebraska Act (1854) NO slavery in Kansas Wanted slavery in Kansas Slavery decided by popular sovereignty Led to a mini civil war in Kansas – Bleeding Kansas Election of 1860 YES – Lincoln opposes slavery expansion NO – fear he will abolish slavery NO compromise – Lincoln WINS Secession begins with South Carolina