Causes of the Civil War

1. Causes of the Civil War Stewing up trouble and turning up the heat

2. Why Stew?? • What types of things go into stew? • How long does it take to cook? • Why might this be a good way to look at the causes leading up to the Civil War?

3. Our Ingredients John Brown’s Raid Harpers Ferry Kansas Nebraska Act Election of Abraham Lincoln Bleeding Kansas Slavery States Rights Missouri Compromise Compromise of 1850 Fugitive Slave Act Dred Scott

4. Missouri Compromise 1820 Compromise of 1850 Proposed by Henry Clay Maine = FREE state Missouri = SLAVE state Missouri Compromise preserved the balance between free and slave states, and ended the debate in Congress over slavery in new states and territories – for a while

5. Missouri Compromise (1820) and Compromise of 1850 • Why an issue? • Continued the conflict over slavery and the attempt to maintain a balance between slave and free states. • Balance of Power… • North and South continued to look for ways to change this balance and gain control. Potatoes take a while to prepare, they must be cleaned and peeled and act as a filler in the stew. These two compromises were issues that filled the county with conflict, but never addressed the problem.

6. Wilmot Proviso • Congressman David Wilmot proposed that slavery be forbidden in any land acquired from Mexico. In contrast, John C. Calhoun proposed that Congress not be allowed to prohibit slavery in any way. Both proposals failed. • The debate led to the formation of a new party, the Free Soil Party; the antislavery Whigs & Democrats lost the presidential election to Whig Zachary Taylor, hero of the Mexican War.

7. Compromise of 1850 • California entered as a free state. • New Mexico territory would have no restrictions on slavery. • Texas- New Mexico border would be settled (in New Mexico’s favor) • Slave trade, but not slavery, was banned in Washington, DC • Fugitive Slave Law passed

8. Fugitive Slave Act 1850 • Required citizens to help capture slaves who ran away. • People who helped runaways could be fined or imprisoned. • Many Northern juries often refused to convict people accused of breaking this.

9. Fugitive Slave Act Conditions under the Fugitive Slave Act helped create the Underground Railroad. Carrots grow underground and slaves were often caught and returned even though they often hid underground. Also Caught and Carrots both start with C.

10. Uncle Tom’sCabin • Author: Harriet Beecher Stowe • Date: 1852 • vivid characters, dramatic incidences, showed slavery as a cruel and brutal system. • Inspired strong feelings in the North and the South • Northerners felt a stronger urge to abolish slavery • Southerners felt even more threatened.

11. Uncle Tom’s Cabin = "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war.“ Abraham Lincoln Uncle Tom’s cabin, the Broth or base for our stew, helps to flavor the issue of Slavery in both the North and the South.

12. Kansas-Nebraska Act

13. Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854 • During the presidency of Franklin Pierce • Opened the door for slavery in the Kansas and Nebraska territories. • Increased the tension and mistrust between the North and the South. Kansas and Nebraska are both known for growing corn. Stephen A. Douglas proposed that states choose for themselves whether to be free or slave states; popular sovereignty

14. Bleeding Kansas Tomatoes and Blood are both red. • Pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups rushed to the territories, armed themselves, and fought for control. • Led to creation of Republican Party

15. Dred Scott FREEDOM Chief Justice Taney Dred Scott

16. The Dred Scott Decision • Slaves = property. • Slaves are not citizens not protected under the U.S. constitution. • Missouri Compromise = unconstitutional. • popular sovereignty = unconstitutional. • outraged abolitionist in the North, pleased Southerners, dividing the country more than ever. Dred Scott thought he was a free man, sweet peas, the onions make you cry when you find out he was considered property and not free.

17. Lincoln/Douglas Debates • Senate Race in Illinois in 1858. Senator Stephen Douglas vs. the little known Abraham Lincoln. Douglas was against slavery personally, but believed that popular sovereignty would resolve the issue without interfering with national unity. Lincoln also personally opposed slavery, but thought there was no easy way to eliminate it where it already existed. He thought the solution was to prevent its spread into the territories. • Lincoln challenged Douglas to a series of debates leading up to the election. The seven debates took place between August and October 1858. Slavery was the main topic. • Douglas won the Election but Lincoln gained a national reputation. Southerners were feeling increasingly threatened by antislavery movement in the Republican Party.

18. Raid on Harpers Ferry • October 16, 1859, abolitionist John Brown led a raid on an arsenal at Harpers Ferry. • The aim was to spark a slave uprising. • John Brown’s death = rallying cry for abolitionists. • Fears of a great northern conspiracy confirmed. This event was the meat of the idea that the North had a Conspiracy against the South.

19. Election of 1860 • Lincoln opposed slavery, but thought there was no easy way to eliminate it. • He thought the solution was to prevent its spread into the territories. • Lincoln won the election. Abraham Lincoln was tall and skinny like a string bean.

20. South Secedes Stirring the pot… • November 20, 1860, South Carolina secedes, others states follow February 1861. • February 4, 1861 Confederate States of America created, Jefferson Davis elected president. • South grievance against US = not enforcing Fugitive Slave Act, denied Southern states equal rights in the territories violating their contract with the Union. • Lincoln’s inaugural speech secession = unlawful and would not be permitted; pleaded for reconciliation.

21. Firing on Fort Sumter • Confederate army opens fire on the fort April 12, 1861. • Union forces surrender April 14, with no loss of life on either side. • The Civil War begins… These were the events that kicked off the Civil War, in other words, turned up the heat.

22. States Rights • Rights and powers independent of the federal government that are reserved for the states by the Constitution. • The belief that states rights supersede federal rights and law. State’s Rights was a hot topic, constantly heating up the differences between the North and South.

23. Cultural Differences The North and the South had very different societies and cultures. Each was very loyal to their distinct region (Sectionalism) North • Center of Manufacturing, • Favored high protective tariffs • strongly opposed to slavery • Efficient roads and transportation • Largest Cities

24. Cultural DifferencesSouth • Economy based on agriculture. • Plantations grew cash crops, cotton. • Opposed tariff on manufactured goods • Favored Slavery. The North and the South were as different as salt and pepper.

25. Our Ingredients