Causes of the Civil War

States Rights The south believed that the Union is a voluntary group of states and if the central government goes too far, each state has the right to nullify that law. Nullify means to declare void or no longer good.

Slavery Without firing a gun, without drawing a sword, should they make war on us, we could bring the whole world to our feet... What would happen if no cotton was furnished for three years?... England would topple headlong and carry the whole civilized world with her save the South. No, you dare not to make war on cotton. No power on the earth dares to make war upon it. Cotton is King. -Senator James Henry Hammond of South Carolina Only 25 percent of Southerners owned slaves but almost all Southerners supported slavery while most northerners opposed it. Slavery was important to the booming cotton industry

Tariff Disputes Tariff= a tax on imported goods. South= wanted low tariffs to keep prices low on the goods they bought North= wanted high tariffs to protect its manufactured goods against foreign goods.

Cultural and economical Differences South= life revolved agriculture, wealthy planters and the economy they controlled. North= industry; cities were the center of society.

Events leading to the Civil War

Uncle Tom’s Cabin 1852 Book by Harriet Beecher Stowe It portrayed the moral issues of slavery Many southerners believed the book falsely criticized the South and slavery.

Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854 the Kansas-Nebraska Act opened up new land for settlement. Allowed people in the territory to vote if they wanted Slavery. Fighting broke out against Free-Soil Jayhawks and Border Ruffian’s (pro-slavery). Kansas was voted a Free State in 1861

1854-Charles Sumner attacked by Preston Brooks Preston Brooks a Senator from South Carolina beat Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner with his cane on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

Dred Scott Decision 1856 The Supreme Court decision ruled Scott (a slave) was not a U.S. citizen Dred Scott, a Missouri slave, sued for his freedom after his owner died. His owner had lived in non slave states. Ruling meant no slaves could ever be a U.S. citizen

1859: Abolitionist John Brown and his followers seized the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia. They hoped to stir a slave revolt and end slavery in Virginia. Brown (who had murdered slavery men in Kansas) was captured and hanged. Harpers Ferry

The Election of Abraham Lincoln The south was opposed to Republican Lincoln in the White House and threatened to leave the Union if he won the election of 1860. Lincoln won 40 percent of the votes and became the 16th President. Southern propaganda of Lincoln. “Thus always to tyrants “

Abe Lincoln in 1860 Abe Lincoln in 1865