Was the Civil War Inevitable?

There were many SECTIONAL issues that divided the nation in the 1800’s.

Economic issues like the tariff divided Northerners (who favored the tariff) from Southerners (who didn’t).

Northern manufacturers wanted the tariff so foreign goods would cost more and people would buy American goods.

Southerners were unhappy because tariffs made the goods that they purchased more expensive.

As the U.S. acquired western territory (California, Oregon, the Mexican Cession), arguments arose over whether slavery would be allowed in those areas.

Politicians wanted to keep a balance between slave and free states so that representation in Congress would stay relatively equal. Equal representation meant that one group could not outvote the other on sectional issues.

Many people believed in popular sovereignty — the idea that people living in a territory had the right to decide if slavery would be allowed there.

Compromises were needed to settle the disputes over western lands (Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850).

Many Southerners feared that Northerners wanted to abolish slavery, which they believed would ruin their economy and destroy their way of life. They argued that states’ rights supercede federal rights and laws.

Remember: **The United States Constitution says that FEDERAL law always supersedes state law. ** The Civil War was fought over this key disagreement.

Steps to the Civil War

Missouri Compromise Missouri entered as a slave state Maine entered as a free state No slavery in the Louisiana Purchase north of the 36°30‘ parallel

Missouri Compromise Effect—preserved the balance between slave and free states in Congress; temporarily stopped the debate over slavery.

Compromise of 1850 CA—free state No restrictions on slavery in NM NM/TX border disputed settled Slave trade abolished in Washington D.C. Stronger fugitive slave law

Compromise of 1850 Effect—temporarily settled argument over slavery.

Fugitive Slave Act Required ALL citizens to help catch runaway slaves; anyone aiding a fugitive could be fined or imprisoned.

Fugitive Slave Act Effect--led to mounting anger in the North, convincing people of the evils of slavery.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin A book written by Harriet Beecher Stowe which showed slavery to be a cruel and brutal system.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin Effect—Had a great impact on the public’s opinion about slavery.

Kansas-Nebraska Act The Missouri Compromise would be abandoned and the Kansas and Nebraska territories would decide the issue of slavery by popular sovereignty.

Kansas-Nebraska Act Effect—Bleeding Kansas.

Dred Scott Decision Dred Scott sued for his freedom because he had lived on free soil for part of his life as a slave. The decision had 3 parts.

Dred Scott Decision As a slave, Scott was not a citizen and had no right to bring a lawsuit. An enslaved person is property and can be taken anywhere. Congress had no right to prohibit slavery in any territory.

Dred Scott Decision Effect—made the Missouri Compromise and popular sovereignty unconstitutional.

John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry, Virginia John Brown was an abolitionist who believed that God had commanded him to free the slaves by force. He attacked the government arsenal at Harper’s Ferry in the hopes of starting a slave rebellion.

John Brown’s raid The slaves did not rise up; Brown was captured, tried for treason, and executed.

John Brown’s raid Southerners, fearing similar incidents in the future, began forming militias that eventually became the Confederate army.

Election of 1860 The Republican party was formed before the election of 1856 from Whigs and anti-slavery Democrats. The purpose of the new party was to keep slavery from spreading to the western territories.

Election of candidates Democratic party split north and south Voting was along purely sectional lines

Election of 1860 Abraham Lincoln—the Republican—won and the Southern states (beginning with South Carolina) began to secede and form the Confederate States of America.

The Civil War begins… In April 1861, Confederate troops fired on Ft. Sumter, a U.S. military post in South Carolina. This action was the start of the Civil War.