Causes of the Civil war

Economic Sectionalism

The North and the South had different views, so they split into 11 Northern states and 11 Southern states.

Economic Sectionalism: How it Relates to Slavery

The South believed that slaves should exist, but the North thought that they shouldn’t exist.

Westward Expansion

While we moved West, we started to have the issue with whether the states were gonna be free or slaved.

Westward Expansion: How it Relates to Slavery

This made it confusing for the slaves. They didn't know if they were gonna be free or enslaved.

Missouri Compromise

Maine was made and separated from Massachusetts to become the 12th free state because Missouri wanted to be a slave state.

Missouri Compromise: How it Relates to Slavery

This added another state where slaves were enslaved, but they gave us another state for the North, aka the freed.

Compromise of 1850

California was formed as a free state. The Southern states didn’t want to give the Northern states more area.

Compromise of 1850: How it Relates to Slavery

This made the slave states increase, which made more slaves be enslaved.

Fugitive Slave Law

This law was made to make people send slaves back to where they originally were if they tried to run away.

Fugitive Slave Law: How it Relates to Slavery

This put all the slaves at risk even more. This made it so that if they got out, they could still be brought back and couldn’t live a free life.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Harriet Beecher wrote a book about an enslaved man and his cruel master.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin: How it Relates to Slavery

This book changed the way Northerners thought about slavery.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

A bill was made to separate Kansas and Nebraska so they can make the states even when it comes to pro-slavery or anti-slavery.

Kansas-Nebraska Act: How it Relates to Slavery

The South wanted both to be pro, and the North wanted both to be anti. This made a lot of fights break out, and they killed over 200 people over slavery.  This made enslaved people more vulnerable.

Dred Scott Decision

This made all slaves and blacks unable ever to become US citizens. A man went to the Supreme Court to be freed, but because he was black, he didn’t have any rights according to them.

Dred Scott Decision: How it Relates to Slavery

This made life a lot harder for black people. This made it so the enslaved and black people would have to go through a lot for years just to have any rights.

Raid of Harpers Ferry

John Brown raided a Virgina fairy and believed that violence was needed to end slavary. 10 people were killed, and he was put on trial and sentenced to death for murder.

Raid of Harpers Ferry: How it Relates to Slavery

This showed that people were willing to be violent to get their freedom. Most people werent even willing to be violent. This made slaves targets.

Election of 1860

Lincoln didn’t try to end slavery, but he said that every new state would be a free state.

Election of 1860: How it Relates to Slavery

The people in the South were upset because they believed that Lincoln would take their slaves away, so they fought back.

The secession of the South

The South was worried that Lincoln would take their slaves, so they thought secession was the only option. They wrote that they were a part of the USA, so they didn’t have to listen to Lincoln.

The secession of the South: How it Relates to Slavery

This showed that the Southerners were so stubborn in keeping slaves that they would leave the country. This also showed that people ‘couldn’t’ live without slaves. That made more people slaves.

Confederate States

TX, LA, AR, MS, AL, TN, FL, GA, SC, NC, VA

Union States

OR, CA, KS, IA, MN, WI, IL, IN, MI, OH, PA, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, VT, NH, ME

Border States

MA, KY, MD, DE

Territories

Indiana Territory, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Nev., Nebraska, Washinton, Dakota Territory