The Civil War

Table of Contents Vocabulary Questions Introduction The Slavery Issue Westward Expansion Failure to Compromise Southern Secession Outcome Summary

Vocabulary Westward Expansion Secession Confederacy Mason Dixion Line Missouri Compromise 1820 Kanasas-Nebraska Act 1854 Emancipation Proclamation

Questions What were the issues that divided America during the Civil War? Why did the South want a confederacy? Why did the North want to end the system of slavery?

Introduction Had a nationalist position Supported federalism Had an economy that depended on industry North Had a states’ rights position Were anti-federalists Had an economy that depended on agriculture South

The Slavery Issue Felt slavery was immoral Their economy did not depend on slavery North Felt slavery was part of their way of life Their economy did depend on slavery. South

Westward Expansion: The nation growing Felt that the National government should determine if new states would be free or slave states. North Felt that the new states should decide if they wanted to be free or slave states. South

Failure to Compromise The North and South failed at compromising on the issues that divided them. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 established the mason dixion line. Above the line would be free below would be slave. The Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854 changed that an established that the citizens of these states would vote on the slavery issues. Northerns and southerners rushed to vote in these territories and ended up clashing with each other.

Mason Dixion Line

Southern Secession After the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 South Carolina was the first of several southern states that seceded from the Union. This meant that they broke away from the rest of the Nation. The National government deemed that this was a rebellious act and sent in the military to preserve the Union. The South establish their own government and called it The Confederacy.

Confederate Flag

Outcome The Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 officially freed the slaves. The 13 th Amendment established that slavery was illegal in the Constitution. The 14 th and 15 th Amendments were supposed to guarantee slaves be included in the Bill of Rights. The National government was established to be more powerful than the states.

Summary Was slavery the reason for the Civil War or was it a final settlement of the dispute between states’ rights position and nationalist position? Historians have debated this issue for decades and have not come to a final determination. Your job is to choose a side in this debate. Once you choose a side you must use 3 facts to defend your position.