CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR

PRIOR TO THE WILMOT PROVISO

Wilmot Proviso This is David Wilmot He proposed the Wilmot Proviso Would have banned slavery in any land acquired from Mexico after the Mexican- American War 1846

THE COMPROMISE OF 1850  Proposed by Henry Clay  What the North got:  California as a free state  Slavery abolished in Washington D.C.  What the South got:  Congress could not pass slavery laws for the land acquired from Mexico  Stricter slave laws

KANSAS-NEBRASKA ACT  1854  Stephen A. Douglas proposed territory broke into KS and NE  Kansas and Nebraska are admitted as states  Popular sovereignty

“BLEEDING KANSAS”   People moved to Kansas and swung the outcome of elections  Sack of Lawrence  Pottawatomie Massacre  John Brown  Started a Civil War in Kansas

CANING OF SUMNER  1856  Charles Sumner gave a speech that insulted A.P. Butler  Preston Brooks was a relative of Butler  Sumner’s legs were trapped under a desk

Dred Scott v. Sandford 1856 Dred Scott was a slave that moved from a state that slavery was legal in, to a state where it was illegal then back to the other Scott sued for freedom Supreme Court ruled slaves were property and Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional

THE ATTACK ON HARPERS FERRY  1859  John Brown and about 20 men  Harpers Ferry, Virginia  Wanted to create a slave revolt  John Brown was hung for murder and treason

ELECTION OF 1860  Lincoln vs. Breckinridge  Lincoln wanted to stop the expansion of slavery  North had a larger population so Lincoln was elected president  By the time he was inaugurated, 7 states seceded