1. Part Four Causes of the Civil War CSS 11.1.3
Essential Question: What were the causes of the American Civil War? 3-5 sentences

2. Causes of the Civil War 1. Mexican-American War, 1846
The US tried to buy California from Mexico and then went to war.
The US grew by 1/3 and then fought over whether the new territory should be free or slave.
When gold was found in 1849 a huge fight began over what to do with California.
The Compromise of 1850 made CA a state and the bad blood that followed led directly to the Civil War.
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3. Causes of the Civil War 2. Sectionalism
The northern and southern states fought over political control of the nation.
Everything came back to slavery even though they tried not to talk about it.
The senate was kept balanced so there was an even number of free and slave votes.
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4. Causes of the Civil War 3. Dred Scott decision, 1857
Dred Scott, a slave, sued for his freedom because his master took him to a northern state.
The Supreme Court ruled that a slave is property no matter where he/she is.
This made all states slave states.
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