18 The Election of 1860 & the Road to Disunion

Practice flashcards summarizing key concepts from John Green's Crash Course on the causes of the Civil War.

What was the primary cause of the Civil War?

Slavery caused the Civil War.

What controversial law under the Compromise of 1850 required citizens to assist in the capture of runaway slaves?

The Fugitive Slave Law.

How did the Fugitive Slave Law affect people of colour in the North?

It terrified them because it allowed courts to send them into slavery based on the testimony of one person.

What conspiracy theory developed in response to the Fugitive Slave Law?

The idea of 'slave power,' a belief that Congress was controlled by pro-slavery congressmen.

What significant legislation did Stephen Douglas push forward in 1854?

The Kansas-Nebraska Act.

What idea did the Kansas-Nebraska Act formalize, allowing states to decide on slavery?

Popular sovereignty.

How did the Kansas-Nebraska Act impact the Missouri Compromise?

It effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise by allowing slavery in territories north of the line.

What political party emerged in opposition to the expansion of slavery due to the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

The Republican Party.

What famous Supreme Court case ruled that Dred Scott was still a slave?

Dred Scott v. Sandford.

What was the significance of the Dred Scott decision regarding slavery in the United States?

It declared that black people were property and that free states did not exist.

Who led a raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859 to incite a slave uprising?

John Brown.

What was the result of Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860?

It led to several Southern states seceding from the Union.

What did Abraham Lincoln promise regarding slavery in states where it already existed?

He would leave it alone.

When did the Civil War officially start?

April 12, 1861, when Southern troops fired on Fort Sumter.

What key failure contributed to the inevitability of the Civil War?

The failure to recognize that the rights of black Americans were as inalienable as those of white Americans.