Road to US Civil War

Essential Questions

What was the timeline of events for the causes of the Civil War?

What role did the issue of slavery play leading up to the Civil War?

Essential Questions

What were the major events that led to the Civil War?

Constitution

1789

Allowed institution of slavery to continue

Constitution

3/5ths Clause

Missouri Compromise

1820

Louisiana Purchase

Western Expansion

Senate

Balance of power

Missouri Compromise

Missouri Statehood

1821

Primary Source

Nat Turner's Rebellion

Virginia, 1831

Born into slavery

Master allowed him to learn to read

preacher in slave communities

Nat Turners Rebellion

Sold/leased many times

Wilmot Proviso

Polk, Congress, and the Mexican American War

Aug 8, 1846

David Wilmot- D-PA

Representative of delegation

Wilmot Proviso

“Provided that as an express and fundamental condition to the acquisition of any territory

from the Republic of Mexico, by the United States, by virtue of any treaty which may be

negotiated between them, and to the use by the Executive of the monies therein

appropriated, neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall (illegible word) exist in any part

of said territory except for crime whereof the party shall be first duly convicted.”

Broke Missouri Compromise

Set new rules for Western Expansion

The Compromise of 1850

Wake of the Willmot Proviso

Senate

Compromise of 1850

Henry Clay

Stephen Douglas

Whig Party

Democrat

Kentucky

Illinois

Collection of legislation

Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854

Kansas Statehood

'popular' sovereignty

John Brown

Abolitionist

Pottawatomie Creek Massacre

1856

Bleeding Kansas

'Outside agitator'

5 killed

Massive conflict

Dred Scott v. Sanford

1857

Brings 3rd Branch into discussion

Dred Scott

Dred Scott v. Sanford

Slave

Missouri

Traveled to free territory/state

Legal argument that he is now free

Sues upon return to Missouri

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Illinois

1858

Series of 7 debates over issue of slavery

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Debates put issue of slavery at forefront of elections

Parties had to take positions

Candidates shopped parties

3rd Parties

Harpers Ferry Virginia

John Brown

Still stirring it up

1859

Harpers Ferry

Brown & armed cohort stormed US military post

Surrounded by US Gen. Robert E. Lee

1860 Presidential Election

Democratic Party

Northern Democrats

Splits over issue of slavery

Southern Democrats

Republican Party

Convergence of Whig & Abolitionist 3rd parties

1860 Presidential Election

Constitutional Union

Lets just follow the constitution word for word, good or bad (Left over Whigs)

Secession

Nov 10th, 1860- South Carolina

Approved Dec 20th, 1860

Fort Sumter

US Military in South Carolina

Behind foreign land

Need support/supplies

Jan 9, 1861

Secession & Fort Sumter

South Carolina Militia Attack