The Decent into Civil War 1787-1860

Throughout its brief history as a nation — from its inception in 1787 with the drafting of the Constitution to the election of President Lincoln in 1860 and the start of the Civil War — the country had struggled with the issue of slavery. Map is from “Graphic Maps” http://www.graphicmaps.com (2004). Accessed December 21, 2004. Here is how the nation grew during those tumultuous years.

Free States: Vermont Slave States: Kentucky, Tennessee 1790–1799 14. Vermont (1791) Vermont had the first government to abolish slavery (1777), doing so even before it was a state. 15. Kentucky (1792) 16. Tennessee (1796) Map is from “Graphic Maps” http://www.graphicmaps.com (2004). Accessed December 21, 2004. Free States: Vermont Slave States: Kentucky, Tennessee

Free States: Ohio Slave States: — 1800–1809 17. Ohio (1803) Map is from “Graphic Maps” http://www.graphicmaps.com (2004). Accessed December 21, 2004. Free States: Ohio Slave States: —

1810–1819 18. Louisiana (1812) 19. Indiana (1816) 20. Mississippi (1817) 21. Illinois (1818) 22. Alabama (1819) Map is from “Graphic Maps” http://www.graphicmaps.com (2004). Accessed December 21, 2004. Free States: Indiana, Illinois Slave States: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama

Free States: Maine Slave States: Missouri 1820–1829 Maine’s entry into the Union was allowed only with acceptance of Missouri as a slave state. As part of the agreement, it was decided that in the future, slave states would be confined below a latitude roughly along Missouri’s southern border. The agreement became known as the Missouri Compromise. 23. Maine (1820) 24. Missouri (1821) The Missouri Compromise of 1820 allowed for the entrance of Maine (a free state) with the admission of Missouri as a slave state. Earlier, Missouri had petitioned for statehood, and since many of its settlers were from the South, it was expected that Missouri would be a slave state. But resistance by representatives from the North was strong. Representative Arthur Livermore of Holderness, N.H., asked, “How long will the desire for wealth render us blind to the sin of holding both the bodies and minds of our fellow men in chains?” In the House of Representatives, the bill to admit Missouri was amended to forbid importing slaves into the state and to eventually free existing slaves. The Senate rejected the amended bill. The following year, when Maine petitioned to enter the Union, the Senate tied the admission to the admission of Missouri. As a compromise, it was agreed to forbid slavery in future entries from the Louisiana Purchase above the latitude of 36º 30’ (the southern border of Missouri.) Map is from “Graphic Maps” http://www.graphicmaps.com (2004). Accessed December 21, 2004. Free States: Maine Slave States: Missouri

Free States: Michigan Slave States: Arkansas 1830–1839 25. Arkansas (1836) 26. Michigan (1837) Map is from “Graphic Maps” http://www.graphicmaps.com (2004). Accessed December 21, 2004. Free States: Michigan Slave States: Arkansas

Free States: Iowa, Wisconsin Slave States: Florida, Texas 1840–1849 27. Florida (1845) 28. Texas (1845) 29. Iowa (1846) 30. Wisconsin (1848) Entry of Texas into the Union was fiercely opposed by abolitionists and “free-soilers” from the North. At issue was the fact that Texas would be a populous — and therefore powerful — addition to the ranks of slave states. In Concord, N.H., Franklin Pierce and John Parker Hale debated the issue in 1845. Hale opposed annexing Texas because of the immorality of slavery; Pierce countered that the preservation of the Union should not be pegged to a single issue. Map is from “Graphic Maps” http://www.graphicmaps.com (2004). Accessed December 21, 2004. Free States: Iowa, Wisconsin Slave States: Florida, Texas

Free States: California, Minnesota, Oregon Slave States: — 1850–1859 31. California (1850) 32. Minnesota (1858) 33. Oregon (1859) New compromises — including a tough fugitive-slave law — allowed the entry of California as a free state. Map is from “Graphic Maps” http://www.graphicmaps.com (2004). Accessed December 21, 2004. Free States: California, Minnesota, Oregon Slave States: —

1854 Earlier disagreements over admitting Texas and California flared again with proposals to admit Kansas and Nebraska. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 undid the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and allowed freedom of choice for the residents of Kansas. This act precipitated a rush to Kansas by slave-sympathizers from Missouri to influence the vote for statehood. The territory became known as “Bleeding Kansas” from the violence that followed. In 1861, as southern states were seceding from the Union, Kansas was admitted as a state loyal to the Union. Nebraska would be admitted in 1865, shortly before the end of the war. Map is from “Graphic Maps” http://www.graphicmaps.com (2004). Accessed December 21, 2004.

Kansas became known as “Bleeding Kansas.” 1854 Earlier disagreements over admitting Texas and California flared again with proposals to admit Kansas and Nebraska. President Pierce’s signature on the Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed residents of a territory to choose for themselves whether they wished to be a “free” or a “slave” state. Abolitionists from the North and slave-holders from the South both raced into Kansas Territory to influence the vote — often with incredible violence. Kansas became known as “Bleeding Kansas.” President Pierce was widely blamed for signing the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. He became so unpopular that he was not invited by the Democratic Party to run for re-election. To charges that the 1854 law undid the Missouri Compromise of 1820 by allowing freedom of choice for the residents of a territory and by allowing a slave-state to exist above the agreed-upon latitude, Pierce could point out that California’s petition to enter as a free state had been accepted even though parts of the state lay well below the established latitude.

South Carolina secedes from the Union. 1860 In December, 1860, South Carolina is the first state to secede. The state had been the focus of dissatisfaction with the Union from the very beginning. Along with Georgia, in 1787, South Carolina threatened not to join the Union without a promise that no action would be taken to impinge upon the institution of slavery for twenty years. In 1832, South Carolina threatened secession because of unfavorable tariff laws. It even organized an army at this time. Map is from “Graphic Maps” http://www.graphicmaps.com (2004). Accessed December 21, 2004. South Carolina secedes from the Union.

1861 Following (1) South Carolina’s secession, ten other states secede as follows: 2. Mississippi 3. Florida 4. Alabama 5. Georgia 6. Louisiana 7. Texas 8. Virginia 9. Arkansas 10. North Carolina 11. Tennessee Map is from “Graphic Maps” http://www.graphicmaps.com (2004). Accessed December 21, 2004. Ten other slave states secede and declare themselves the Confederate States of America.

All the free states remain loyal to the Union. 1861 Map is from “Graphic Maps” http://www.graphicmaps.com (2004). Accessed December 21, 2004. All the free states remain loyal to the Union.

1861 Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware all had many Confederate sympathizers, even though their governments remained loyal. Conflicted feelings were strong enough that Kentucky and Missouri fielded regiments on both sides in the Civil War. Map is from “Graphic Maps” http://www.graphicmaps.com (2004). Accessed December 21, 2004. Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri — all slave states — remain loyal to the Union. Civil War begins!

1861–1865 34. Kansas (1861) 35. West Virginia (1863) 36. Nebraska (1865) Map is from “Graphic Maps” http://www.graphicmaps.com (2004). Accessed December 21, 2004.

1861–1865 34. Kansas (1861) 35. West Virginia (1863) 36. Nebraska (1865) Map is from “Graphic Maps” http://www.graphicmaps.com (2004). Accessed December 21, 2004. Three states join the Union during the war: Kansas (1861), West Virginia (1863)*, and Nebraska (1865) *West Virginia seceded from Confederate Virginia.

Photograph of dead Union soldiers at the Battle of Gettysburg was accessed through the Civil War Home Page (http://www.civil-war.net/).