Causes leading up to civil war

3/5 Clause

A compromise counting each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person for congressional representation, enhancing slave-holding states' political power.

Missouri Compromise

Admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, establishing the 36°30′ line to limit slavery's expansion.

Manifest Destiny

The belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across North America, promoting westward expansion and intensifying conflicts over slavery.

Texas Annexation

The annexation of Texas as a slave state reignited debates over slavery and polarized the nation regarding the balance of power.

Wilmot Proviso

Proposed banning slavery in territories acquired from Mexico, intensifying sectional conflict and energizing the anti-slavery movement in the North.

Compromise of 1850

Aimed to ease tensions by admitting California as a free state and allowing popular sovereignty in new territories while strengthening the Fugitive Slave Act.

Fugitive Slave Act

Required the return of escaped slaves to their owners, inflaming Northern abolitionist sentiment and leading to resistance against federal support for slavery.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

A novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe depicting the brutal realities of slavery, galvanizing anti-slavery sentiment in the North.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Allowed settlers to decide on slavery through popular sovereignty, effectively repealing the Missouri Compromise and leading to "Bleeding Kansas."

Bleeding Kansas

Violent clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers, highlighting national tensions and serving as a precursor to the Civil War.

The Caning of Charles Sumner

An incident exemplifying rising tensions between North and South, shocking many and energizing anti-slavery sentiments.

Dred Scott Decision

Ruled that African Americans could not be citizens and that Congress could not regulate slavery in the territories, enraging abolitionists.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Debates focusing on the expansion of slavery, raising Lincoln’s profile and setting the stage for his presidential campaign.

John Brown’s Raid

A failed raid aimed at inciting a slave uprising, polarizing public opinion and illustrating the radicalization of the anti-slavery movement.

Election of Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln’s election without Southern support led to fears about slavery's future and prompted states to secede from the Union.

Crittenden Compromise

Proposed amendments to protect slavery in the South to prevent civil war but ultimately failed, highlighting deep national divisions.

Secession of the Deep South States

Seven Southern states seceded after Lincoln's election, claiming their rights to uphold slavery were threatened.

Attack on Fort Sumter

The Confederate attack in April 1861 marked the beginning of the Civil War, galvanizing public support for military action.