Dred Scott Decision, March 1857 Dred Scott was a slave who moved from a Missouri a slave state to free states Illinois and Wisconsin In 1846 Scott sues for his freedom because he know lives in free states 1857, the Supreme Court ruled that slaves are not citizens

Dred Scott Decision, March 1857 The court also rules that the Missouri Compromise cannot infringe a slave owners rights to take his property where ever he chooses The north is convinced that the south is attempting to spread slavery

Enter Abraham Lincoln Illinois congressmen and successful lawyer He opposes the expansion of slavery into new territories like Kansas and Nebraska Lincoln takes the moral high ground against slavery and he attacks the slave system

The Lincoln and Douglas Debates Both are against the expansion of slavery Both argue that it will not survive in the west Both do not want to use the government to end slavery Lincoln comes out of the debates looking like an abolitionist

John Brown’s Raid October 1859 John Brown hopes to lead a slave revolt at Harpers Ferry, Virginia Slaves do not rush to join and he is captured and hung Northerners look at him as a hero and southerners worry that more like Brown are coming to the south

The Election of 1860 Lincoln is elected as the 17 th president of the U.S. in 1860 Southerners fearing Lincoln is going to end slavery secede from the United States Lincoln has no plans to deal with the slave issue as the south believes

The Confederate States of America Southern states before Lincoln takes office secede from the Union On December 20, South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas leave the Union They become the Confederate States of America

Fort Sumter, April 1861 After the southern states secede from the Union South Carolina demands that Union property be surrendered to the south Lincoln refuses to allow Fort Sumter to surrender Confederate forces fire on fort and eventually force its surrender