Causes of the Civil War Essential Question: How did the nation try but fail to deal with growing sectional differences?

ESSENTIALQUESTIONS - What political, social, and economic factors caused the Civil War? -  What were the conflicting perspectives on slavery? -  What kind of nation did the founding fathers create? -  What is to be done with the institution of slavery? -  Must sectionalism ultimately lead to disunion?

objectives To understand the series of events and resulting conditions that led to the American Civil War To understand how different experiences, beliefs, values, traditions, and motives cause individuals and groups to interpret historic events and issues from different perspectives To participate in a negotiating and compromising role- playing activity that mirrors the attempts at political compromise in the 1850s

Slavery Divides a Nation Manifest Destiny brought new lands into the US- making the US bigger This causes problems Can there be slavery in the new lands or not?

Nationalism (loyalty /pride to your country) is replaced by the idea of sectionalism Sectionalism = loyalty/ pride to a part/region of a country “A house divided against itself cannot stand.’ I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved – I do not expect the house to fall – but I do expect it will cease too be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other. Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it…or its (supporters) will push it forward till it shall become…lawful in all the states, old as well as new, North as well as South.” A. Lincoln What point is Lincoln making about the future of America? How does this fit in with the idea of sectionalism vs. nationalism?

Due to the new lands from Manifest Destiny and the idea of sectionalism – the US will need to make several compromises each time a new state wants to enter the Union (The United States) The following causes will lead the US into the Civil War !

1. States Rights The issue of States Rights will be at the center of the causes of the Civil War States Rights = the idea where the states can limit the power of the federal gov’t and make their own laws The southern states felt they should be allowed to make their own decisions regarding if their state has slavery or not. They also felt this right should apply to new states as well.

2. Missouri Compromise 1819: power in Congress was tied(11 slave states and 11 free states) Missouri wants to be a state (slave) which would give the south a majority (there would be more slave states then free)

Made a compromise (agreement) [keep things equal] Missouri- admitted as a slave state Maine – admitted as a free state Imaginary line at 36°30´N which made all the land above the line free and land below the line slave (BUT this applied only to Louisiana Purchase lands!)

Oh No!- Now California wants to be a State?

3. Compromise of 1850 New agreement between North and South - this time over slavery in Manifest Destiny lands west of L.P. California = a free state Slavery allowed in Mexican Cession lands End slave trade in Wash. D. C. Much stricter runaway slave law

4. Fugitive Slave Act 1850 Runaway slaves MUST be returned to the south By law, all Americans were required to help catch runaway slaves If not- Fined $1,000 and jail time *** judges are paid more to return a person to the south than to say they can stay in north ($10 for each slave returned)

5. Uncle Tom’s Cabin Book by Harriet Beecher Stowe= showed how bad slavery could be /was in the South North - Upset about treatment of slaves abolitionists (gained support) South Outraged ! thought it was an unfair representation of life on plantations- not all slave owners were like the master in the Book

6. Kansas- Nebraska Act Got rid of Missouri Compromise (land was above M. Compromise line and should NOT have allowed slavery ) Divided the territory into 2 parts (Kansas and Nebraska) Idea of popular sovereignty= People could vote (decide) if there will be slavery or not

7. Bleeding Kansas Conflicts in Kansas due to popular sovereignty (Voting whether to have slavery in territory or not) Violence and killing between pro slavery people and anti slavery people for 3 years Over 200 people died in the fighting

In 1856, an abolitionist named John Brown murdered five proslavery men (we will be hearing about Brown again)

Violence moves into the government at this time too … and there were violent attacks in the Senate!

8. Republican Party Formed in 1854 Goal = to keep slavery out of the west (stop the spread of slavery) Some hoped to end slavery in the south (no slavery in US) Most famous republican of the time is Abraham Lincoln (thought idea of slavery was wrong)

9. Dred Scott Decision Facts: Dred Scott was a slave who’s owner moved to free territory and then back to a slave state where owner died; anti- slavery lawyers filed a lawsuit that said because Scott lived in free land he was free

Case went to the Supreme Court: Supreme Court Decisions: Slaves are NOT citizens- they do not have the right to sue. Slaves are considered property Living in a free territory does not make a slave free (slaves are for life unless set free by their owner) Congress has NO right to outlaw slavery in any territory (makes idea of Missouri compromise unconstitutional)

Results of Dred Scott Case: Western lands were now open to slavery based on popular sovereignty

10. John Brown/ Harper’s Ferry In 1859 John Brown and his followers seized a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia US troops stopped raid; Brown was caught and sentenced to death by hanging

North: saw Brown as a hero; used him as propaganda to help gather more abolitionists South: Brown was an example of what could happen to those who try to help slaves

11. Election of 1860 4 men running for President (split by sectionalism) Douglas (Northern Dem.) Breckenridge (Southern Dem.) Bell (Union) Lincoln (Republican) South thought that if Lincoln won- they would lose STATES RIGHTS on issue of slavery Ability of states to make their own decisions (laws) (in reality Lincoln said he did not want to interfere with slavery in the south) Lincoln wins!

Lincoln becomes president

12.Southern States Secede In response to Lincoln’s win, Southern States secede or leave the Union in 1861 Form CSA (Confederate States of America)

Fort Sumter, South Carolina Union fort on CSA land (island off of S.C.) Union Army will NOT leave! Lincoln sent more supplies to the fort April 12, 1861- Confederate Army attacked the fort! 1st fight/ shots of the Civil War ! War!