South Carolina and other states secede

After the election of 1860, when President Lincoln became a threat to the south, South Carolina decided to secede from the Union on December 20,1860. South Carolina was the first of many states to secede; by February first of 1861, six more states followed South Carolina and seceded, these states were in the lower south - Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Southerners thought that the secession was a Revolutionary tradition and they believed that they were fighting for American Rights. Shortly after the following states seceded, the Confederate States of America and Jefferson Davis became the president of the Confederacy. Although the South was on it own, a few islands off of the coast of Florida remained Americans property. These islands include Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor and Fort Pickens in Pensacola Harbor. After the Battle of Fort Sumter the upper Southern states seceded. These states include: Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. As more and more southern states began to secede and the further the nation divided, the civil war inched closer. The secession of the following states contributed to the Civil War because  it caused the separation of the North and the South to be physical.

The Fall of Fort Sumter

U.S. vs. Confederates

At this point in time, the north and south have divided. The south has become thr Confederate States of America, a.k.a the confederacy. The U.S. President, Abraham Lincoln, had declared in April of 1861, that he was going to send more supplies to Fort Sumter. Now, President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, thought that the presence of federal troops in a vital harbor to the South was unacceptable. Davis also thought that firing at a supply ship would for sure lead to a war with the U.S.. As a result, Davis decided to take Fort Sumter before the supply ship could arrive, Davis's logic behind the action was this: he thought that if he was successful, there would be no war. The Confederates then sent a letter to U.S. Major, Robert Anderson, demanding that the U.S. surrender Fort. Sumter by the morning of April 12,1861. Anderson remained relentless
and the time came and Davis held true to his word and began firing upon the fort. The bombardment lasted 33 hours, wrecking the for, but killing no one, until Anderson finally surrendered. This battle had begun the Civil War.

The Bombardment of Fort Sumter

Election of 1860

Within the election of 1860, the candidates running were Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, John Breckenridge, and John Bell. This election turned into two races between the north and south. Lincoln and Douglas held the Northern power while Breckenridge and Bell held the Southern power. Overall, Lincoln and Breckenridge held highest number of votes. Lincoln wanted slavery, while Breckenridge wanted the federal government to protect slavery in the territories. Lincoln ended up winning the election, which was a good thing for the north. However, on the opposing side, the south did not trust Lincoln and believed the only way to preserve the Southern society and culture was to secede. With the nation on the brink of crumbling, the election of 1860 was one of the last things that contributed to the rivalry between the North and the South because the differing opinions had become more severe. 

John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry

John Brown

John Brown was a fiery abolitionist who wanted slaves to fight for their freedom and to rebel their slaveholders. So in 1859 he organized a raid to capture the arsenal at Harper's Ferry because he wanted the slaves to take up arms and fight. On October 16,1859 , Brown was captured at the arsenal and was hung by the U.S. Marines. Henry David Thoreau believed that the death of John Brown "would strengthen abolitionist feeling in the North," and that Brown was "an angel of light." However, Southerners thought that Brown's raid proved that the Northerners were plotting the murdering of the slaveholders. From the following information, one can conclude that the raid on Harper's Ferry further divided the North and South, therefore contributing to the Civil War.

Kansas's Lecompton Constitution

The Lecompton constitution was drafted to help resolve the slavery issue in Kansas. You see, after Bleeding Kansas, President Buchanan urged the territory to apply for statehood to help resolves the problems; so pro-slavery legislature held an election for delegates to a constitutional convention, but anti-slavery supporters from Kansas interrupted the meeting because they believed the convention was rigged. The resulting Lecompton Constitution legalized slavery in Kansas. Although Congress had passed the constitution, Kansas did not achieve statehood until 1861 because settlers did not want slavery in their state. The Lecompton Constitution pushed the nation further to the civil war because the issue, yet again, involved the North and South fighting over which state should become free or not.

Dred Scott Case

The Dred Scott was a slave owned by Sanford. Scott's  "owner" took him into the free state, Illinois (which was currently the territory of Wisconsin), and then was taken back to the slave state, Missouri. Because he had been in a free state, Scott thought he was a free man and the issue of his freedom was debated. Scott tried to sue his owner for his freedom, but unfortunately he lost. This case raised the issues regarding "property" rights. The U.S, declared that African Americans were not American citizens. The case presented the issue of slavery being banned all together, and was resolved by stating that Congress could not ban slavery in the territories. The Dred Scott Case brought to attention the fact that slaves were considered property, and by banning slavery the 5th amendment would would be violated. Which is contradicting because African Americans 5th amendment rights were totally dismissed and ignored. The significance of this case was that it declared that African-Americans were not U.S. citizens. The Dred Scott Case contributed to the Civil War because it made the issue of slavery more present within the society, therefore adding to the negative relationship between the North and the South.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Uncle Tom's Cabin was a novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, that was very passionate about anti-slavery. The book expressed the moral issues of slavery in an extreme way. The writing fueled abolitionists toward the abolitionist movement of the North. In 1852, the first year the book was published in book form, 300,000 copies were sold. Now these numbers were astonishing for the time. The majority of the readers were Northerners, and it changed the Northern perspectives of the African Americans and the slavery that is often involved. The novel displays Stowe's deception of the enslaved hero, Tom, and the antagonist, Simon Lee; Stowe depicted African Americans as real people that are imprisoned in their horrific situations. Stowe pictured herself as a "painter of the slavery's horrors rather than abstract debater," because she had this outlook, she evoked pathos in many of the readers, causing previous unmoved readers to feel pity and outrage. Because the novel fired up the northern abolitionists, Uncle Tom's Cabin contributed to the start of the Civil War. On the other hand, the Southerners tried to have the novel banned because of its portrayal of slavery, claiming that the writing falsely depicted slavery. Although the Southern rebuttal, the book eventually sold millions of copies and had a huge impact on the public opinion and  also greatly effected the causes of the civil war.

Gadsden Purchase

The Gadsden Purchase was a 30,000,000-square-mile strip of land that is today's southern Arizona and New Mexico. The Gadsden Purchase was, in a way, a result of the Transcontinental Railroad. The Transcontinental Railroad was a railroad that essentially attached the coasts and the Gadsden Purchase was needed because the railroad went into those regions. So Jefferson Davis, Secretary of War, sent James Gadsden, who was a strong supporter of the South's interests and a South Carolina politician, he was also a railroad promoter, to go to Mexico and buy the land needed from the Mexican leader, Santa Anna. In 1853, Santa Anna agreed to sell the 30,000 square-mile strip for $10 million. This purchase assisted in the Civil War because it provided more land for the south for the benefit of the South, which, of course, angered the North.

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas were both running to be the new Illinois Senator.During their campaign, Lincoln proposed a series of debates between the candidates, therefore exposing Lincoln to larger audiences that Douglas attracted and he did not. The main topic of their debates was the issue of expanding  slavery. Lincoln thought that slavery should be contained. On the opposing side Douglas wanted the Government to stay out of the issues and let popular sovereignty decide. Douglas usually won the debates. But Lincoln seized the opportunity in the

debates to make clear the principles of the Republican Party. He had also gained a national reputation of being a man clear, insightful thinking who could argue with force ans eloquence. Because Douglas won, the debates contributed to the Civil War because Douglas thought popular sovereignty should decide the slavery issues in the state.

Compromise of 1850

This is Henry Clay proposing the Compromise of 1850 in
the Senate.

 The Compromised of 1850 helped to ease the tensions regarding slavery. The Compromise was a bundle of different bills. For example, the Compromise gave the North the following: California was a free state, Slave trade was not allowed in Washington D.C., and Texas boundary dispute with New Mexico was lost. On the other hand the South received: Utah and New Mexico territories with no slave restrictions, Slave holding was permitted in Washington D.C.,  Texas received $10 million dollars, and the Fugitive Slave Act was passed in their favor. Overall the North received the most from the Compromise of 1850. This Compromise contributed to the Civil War because it supported the dispute between the North and South.
http://www.ushistory.org/us/30d.asp

The Compromise of 1850 lifted the Missouri Compromise. 

The Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman

The Underground Railroads

 The Underground Railroad was an informal system that was well organized and in the 1830's it helped to free thousands of enslaved people. "Conductors" were people who directed the runaways to the Northern States and Canada, along the way they gave them food and shelter. The Underground Railroad helped towards the Civil War because Northerners would illegally help the South's slaves to run away, therefore made the sectionalism grow stronger.





Harriet Tubman was a very important conductor in the Underground Railroads informal but well organized system. Harriet Tubman was a dedicated African American that made many dangerous trips to the South to guide the runaways to the North and to freedom. Harriet Tubman was a runaway slave herself, therefore the trips she made were even more dangerous to herself. She is known as "Moses" because of her courage in guiding the enslaved people to freedom. Harriet Tubman also possessed characteristics such as bravery and determination, which made her one of the most important figures in the antislavery movement. Harriet Tubman contributed to the dispute between the North and South because she helped the Southern states slaves runaway to the North, consequently making the hate grow stronger.

Harriet Tubman

Transcontinental Railroad

The Route for the Transcontinental
Railroad

The Transcontinental Railroad was built because Oregon was opening and California was being admitted to the Union. With both of these states becoming popular, Americans thought the railroad was needed to connect the West Coast to the rest of the country. Before the railroad was built, in the 1850's, getting to the West Coast required many weeks on land or a very long sea voyage around the tip of South America. The railroad would decrease the time and hardship of the journey to the West Coast, in fact, it would reduce the journey to four days. The railroad would also promote growth and settlement along the route. The Transcontinental Railroad was a causing factor of the Gadsden Purchase and the Kansas-Nebraska Act because the U.S. needed the territory from both to accommodate the Northerners and the Southerners, therefore the Transcontinental Railroad contributed to the Civil War.

Bleeding Kansas & Caning of Charles Sumner

Fighting at "Bleeding Kansas"

Bleeding Kansas was a battle between those who opposed slavery and those who were pro-slavery. The battle was caused because Kansas was being admitted to the union and the slavery decision of the state was left to popular sovereignty; with that knowledge, armed northerners rushed to Kansas so they could become the majority of the state, therefore Kansas would be a free state. Contradicting this action, Missourians (who were called border ruffians by the press) went to Kansas and voted illegally, therefore shifting the majority to pro-slavery. Of course, the Northern abolitionists, didn't like the Missourians actions; so they formed their own government. By March of 1856 Kansas had two governments.  After awhile, one thing lead to the other, and by the end of 1856 approximately 200 people had died fighting and about 200 million dollars of property had been destroyed. This added to the tensions leading to the civil war because the fight was over the issue of slavery, and it further divided the nation because of the differing opinions.

The Caning of Charles Sumner

Charles Sumner was the Senator of Massachusetts and he was a very passionate abolitionist. In mid- 1856 Senator s from both sides debated the fate of the future of the Western Territories. During one of the debates, Charles Sumner accused the pro-slavery senators of forcing Kansas into the possession of the slave states, more specifically he accused Senator Andrew P. Butler of South Carolina of having "chosen a mistress...the harlot, Slavery." Having been offended by this comment, Butlers second cousin, Representative Preston Brooks, progressed towards Sumner, who was sitting at his desk, Brooks then shouted that Sumner's speech had been "a libel on South Carolina, and Mr. Butler...," before Sumner could respond, Brooks savagely beat Sumner with his gold handled cane. Brooks left the Senator severely injured and left him bleeding on the floor. After the word fled through the towns, Southerners sent Brooks canes and some had the words "Hit Him Again" inscribed in them. This fueled the Civil War because it made the hate between the North and the South very strong, in fact the Northerners believed that "no way is left for the North, but to strike back, or be slaves."

Kansas-Nebraska Act

The Kansas- Nebraska Act of 1854 was a result of Stephen Douglass trying to organize the Nebraska territory. Within the act, he proposed to remove the Missouri Compromise, therefore allowing slavery into the region. The act also proposed the idea of splitting the territory into two territories, Nebraska would be north and adjacent to Iowa, on the other hand Kansas would be south and west of  Missouri. Nebraska was intended to be a free state while Kansas was supposed to be free. This contributed to the Civil War because it caused the balance of the free states and the slave states to be off, therefore heating the debate of slavery in the states.

Fugitive Slave Act & Civil Disobedience

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 said that a person could claim any African American as a runaway slave and then take them into their custody. The "slaves" had no right to a trail and were not allowed to testify in court. The act envoked the hostility of the northerners and had hurt the southern because of the active hostility. Newspapers made descriptions reguarding the act as injustice they said that "almost no colored man was safe in our streets", which angered the North more.  

The Fugitive Slave Act attributed to the civil war because is caused the hate between the Northerners and the Southerners to grow stronger.

Civil Disobedience was caused by the law enforcing citizens to capture the "runaway" slaves. This law is what drove many people to the active defiance. Many people agreed with author of the "Civil Disobedience" essay, Henry David Thoreau. The 1849 essay advocated the right to disobey the law, because of the moral consequences involved. This essay and the advocation of the disobedience contributed to the over all Northern resistance and caused the resistances to become more frequent, public, and more violent. People justified the violence of these resistances, by the violence and cruelty the slaves have to go through.   

The Wilmot Proviso & Popular Sovereignty

David Wilmot
http://www.ushistory.org/us/30a.asp

The Wilmot Proviso was propsed by David Wilmot in 1846. David Wilmot was a Democrat form Pennsylvania. The amendment was proposed as an addition to a war appropriations bill. It said that within any territory the U.S. gained from Mexico "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist."

Popular Sovereignty is the right given to the people to decide whether or not slavery should be in their state. General Lewis Cass was a veteran of the War of 1812 and he was considered the father of popular sovereignty. Popular sovereignty was liked by both politicians and the people. The people liked it because the felt they had more power to decide what was best for their region. Politicians liked it because they thought it was a good way to compromise the slavery issues of the abolitionists and the southerners. However, there is one negative aspect that people were concerned about: the fear of slavery
spreading uncontrollably.