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U.S. History Unit 14
All of the events that lead to the Confederacy, and the Civil War -
Missouri Compromise
Members of congress in 1820 in Washington, D.C. were arguing about what to do about Missouri. Henry Clay wrote a compromise that admitted Missouri to the union as a slave state, and Maine as a free state. Also, it made every state above the 38th parallel a free state. This put a band aid on the issue of slavery, without solving the issue. -
Wilmot Proviso
Wilmot Proviso, a representative from Pennsylvania, made a proposed ban on slavery in all Mexican cession territories in 1846. The bill passed the house in congress, but was stopped in the senate. The bill was viewed by the south as an attack on slavery from the north. -
Compromise of 1850
California wanted to be a free state in 1850, but it would upset the balance in congress. Henry Clay wrote another compromise to solve this issue. It admitted california as a free state, would have utah and new mexico territories to vote on the slavery issue, ban the slave trade in Washington D.C, and make a new fugitive slave law. Like the missouri compromise, this made everyone more happy, but did not solve the issue of slavery. -
Fugitive Slave Act
In the compromise of 1850, congress made a stricter fugitive slave act. It allowed slave owners to go after slaves in the north, even if they have been free for years. This means that any African american can be picked up by a slave owner, regardless if they are free, and bring them to the south. -
Uncle Tom´s Cabin
In response to the fugitive slave act, Harriet Beecher Stowe, in 1852, wrote a book called uncle tom's cabin, exposing the awfulness of slavery. This book was a bestseller, especially to the north. It woken up the northerners to the horrors of slavery in the south. They thought that even if only part of the things are true in this book, this practice must be stopped. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act / Bleeding Kansas
The Kansas Nebraska act, passed in 1854 with the help of Steven Douglas, made it so that popular sovereignty would be used for the slavery issue. After this act, thousands from the north and south moved to Kansas to vote on the issue. Because of this, violence broke out quite often, which gave this the nickname of “Bleeding Kansas”. This violence even spread to congress. -
Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott was a slave who lived with his master in two areas where slavery is illegal. In 1857, he sued to try to earn his freedom, his argument was that being in these areas meant that he is a free man. The Supreme Court said that he couldn’t sue, since he is a slave and not a U.S. citizen, and the U.S. constitution protects property, including slaves. The south was delighted to hear that slavery is now legal in all places, while the north feared that slavery would now advance westward. -
Lincoln Douglas Debate
The Lincoln Douglas Debate was a debt that took place in 8-21-1858, this event was about the Illinois Senate race, and the fight of slavery. Douglas wanted to keep slavery going and Lincoln wanted to stop the spread of slavery, this was not just one debate, there were actually six other debates about who should run for senator. After the election Douglas was elected, but Lincoln and the Republican Party gained popularity, and lead to his 1860 election victory. -
John Brown´s Raid
John Brown was an abolitionist who loved his country and would die for it and went by the bible for all of this. He, along with his group of followers, created a big attack in Harper's Ferry to steal the confederate artillery. He got into the fort, but the confederate army cornered him, and later sentenced him to death. The south saw this man as a way the north were coming after their lives, but the north saw him as a Hero. -
Election of 1860
During the election of 1860 there were four parties: Republicans, Abraham Lincoln, North Democrats, Douglas, South Demonstrates Breckenridge, and finally Constitutional Party, John Bell. Douglas wanted to keep slavery, Breckenridge wanted popular sovereignty, Lincoln wanted to end slavery, and John Bell wanted to keep the country together. Lincoln won the election with less than 45% of votes, but won all the free states. This led him to the presidency and later led the south to succeed. -
Southern Succession
After the election, the south decided they had enough and South Carolina was the first state to succeed from the union. After that, seven other states followed, making the confederate states of America, with their President, Jefferson Davis. In Fort Sumter, in South Carolina, american forces were trapped, and the confederacy wants to take them as theirs. Lincoln sent food to Fort Sumter, but the south attacked the fort, and the Americans surrendered, starting the civil war.
