History Final #4

Events Leading up to the Civil War

Popular Sovereignty

rule by the people; in this context, meaning that people in states would decide whether to have slavery

Missouri Compromise 1820

Settled debate over slave status of states; Missouri entered as a slave state, while Maine entered as a free state; the 36'30" line was drawn to determine whether a state would be a slave state or free state, but this was not a lasting solution

The Compromise of 1850

5 parts: California entered as a free state; Utah and Mexico (from Mexico cession) would decide slavery issue by popular sovereignty; slave trade ended in Washington, D.C.; created Fugitive Slave Law; settled border problems between New Mexico and Texas

Fugitive Slave Law

This law was part of the compromise of 1850: REQUIRED citizens to catch runaway slaves. If a person did not comply, they could be fined up to $1000 or put in jail for SIX months. MANY blacks who were free were captured and sent back into slavery. Northerners HATED this law because it forced them to become part of the system of slavery.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

NOVEL written by Harriett Beecher Stowe to show the EVILS of slavery by telling the story of an older slave who was whipped to death by his owner; After reading it, MANY Northerners began to change their view of slavery while southerners said the book was full of LIES!

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

Divided lands into Kansas and Nebraska territories; Decided that SLAVERY issue would be decided by POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY (issues voted on by the people in the territory/state).; Led to violence in the Senate. Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner; Pro-slavery and Anti-slavery settlers in ONE AREA and this led to conflict! Northerners believe this REPEALED the Missouri Compromise; violence breaks out in Kansas

Pottawatomie Creek Massacre

Because of the violence going on in Kansas, John Brown and four of his sons rode into a small town named Pottawatomie Creek and pulled five pro-slavery men out of their beds in the middle of the night. Murder the men. John Brown believed he was doing what "GOD has told him to do". Many Northerners, while they didn't believe in slavery, were appalled at what he did.

Dred Scott Case 1857

Dred Scott was a slave who lived in a free territory with his owner. His owner moved back into a slave state and died. Scott had ABOLITIONIST attorneys file a lawsuit for him. The Court ruled he was NOT a citizen but RATHER property and therefore he could not file a lawsuit. Carried the additional ruling that Congress could NOT ban slavery in any of the territories thus repealing the Missouri Compromise. Southerners loved this but northerners hated it.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate 1858

Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debated! Douglass believed in deciding slavery by popular sovereignty while Lincoln believed that slavery should NOT be allowed to spread into the territories and that the nation could not survive if the fighting continued to rip the Union apart with the slavery issue.

Raid on Harpers Ferry

John Brown led five African American men and thirteen white men into Harpers Ferry with the goal to raid an arsenal and start a slave revolt. No slaves "rose" to help. A number of his men died and Brown was arrested by Robert E. Lee. Brown was tried and found guilty of murder and treason so he was hanged. Some Northerners thought of him as a martyr.

Election of 1860

Lincoln vs. Douglas; Lincoln victorious despite Douglas's support from the south; southerners began to discuss seceding from the union as a result.

South Secedes

December 20, 1860 - South Carolina voted to secede from the Union. Efforts are made to extend the Missouri Compromise line to the West but fail. February 1861 - Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia secede. February 4th, 1861 - In Montgomery, Alabama the Confederate States of America is formed. Jefferson Davis - Selected to a 6 year term as President of the Confederate States.

Attack on Fort Sumter

The Confederate forces seized Federal Forts. April 12, 1861 - The attack began in Charleston Harbor at 4:30 A.M. P.G.T. Beauregard led the attack against Robert Anderson. Anderson is forced to surrender the Fort. (Yankee Doodle) April 14th, 1861. Union Flag is re-raised on April 14, 1865.

Lincoln Calls for Volunteers

After news of the attack and capture of Ft. Sumter Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers. Many people North and South rushed out to volunteer for military service. Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas voted to join the Confederacy. The Civil War officially began.