AICE US History I - Unit 1: Origins of the US Civil War 1846-1861 Notes
Origins of the US Civil War (1846-1861)
Guiding Questions:
How was the issue of slavery addressed between 1820 and 1850?
Political system and the balance of sectional interests in 1820.
Impact of territorial expansion: westward expansion and absorption of Texas.
Impact of population growth and movement.
Attempts at compromise including the Missouri Compromise (1820) and the Compromise of 1850.
How and why did sectional divisions widen between 1850 and 1856?
Problems arising from the implementation of the Compromise of 1850 and the application of the Fugitive Slave Act.
The issue of Kansas and its impact.
Changes in the party-political system: rapid decline of the Whig Party and the rise of the Republican Party.
Significance of States’ Rights.
Why did the Republicans win the 1860 presidential election?
Growing strength of abolitionism, e.g., John Brown.
Emerging notion of ‘slave power’, e.g., Dred Scott.
Increasing confrontation within and between the North and the South.
The Lincoln–Douglas Debates (1858).
The election campaign of 1860 and the divisions of the Democratic Party.
Why did the Civil War begin in April 1861?
Reactions to the 1860 presidential election results.
Secession of the seven Deep South States.
The Battle of Fort Sumter and its impacts.
The aims of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis.
Key Vocabulary & Concepts:
36° 30´ latitude line: The line established by the Missouri Compromise to regulate slavery in new territories. Any new states north of this line would be free states, while states south of it would be slave states.
Tallmadge Amendment: Proposed restriction on Missouri entering the Union as a slave state. It stipulated that no more slaves could be brought into Missouri and that children born to slaves would be freed at age 25. This amendment ultimately failed but fueled the debate over slavery.
Cotton Gin (Eli Whitney): A machine that revolutionized cotton production by vastly speeding up the process of separating cotton fibers from their seeds. This invention led to an increased demand for slave labor, particularly in the South.
Tariff of Abomination: A protective tariff passed in 1828 that was designed to protect northern industry. However, it greatly hurt the South, whose economy was largely based on agriculture and imported goods.
South Carolina Exposition (John C. Calhoun): A document written by Vice President John C. Calhoun in 1828, protesting the Tariff of Abominations and introducing the concept of nullification, in which a state could declare a federal law unconstitutional and void within its borders.
Force Bill (Andrew Jackson): Passed in 1833, authorizing the President to use military force against South Carolina if they resisted paying the tariffs.
Tariff Compromise (Henry Clay): Proposed in 1833 by Henry Clay as a resolution to the Nullification Crisis. It gradually reduced the Tariff of Abominations over a period of ten years, averting a potential civil war.
King Cotton: A phrase used to describe the dominance of cotton in the Southern economy. The South's economic reliance on cotton led to its strong defense of slavery.
Slave Apologists: Individuals who defended slavery, often using religious, historical, or economic arguments to justify the institution.
Peculiar Institution: A euphemism used to describe slavery in the United States, particularly in the South.
Abolitionists: Individuals who sought the immediate end of slavery. They employed various tactics, including moral persuasion, political action, and sometimes violence, to achieve their goals.
Gag Rule: A series of rules passed in Congress between 1836 and 1844 that prohibited the discussion of anti-slavery petitions. It was eventually repealed.
Wage Slaves: A term used to describe Northern factory workers who were perceived as being exploited, drawing a comparison to chattel slaves in the South.
Nat Turner: An enslaved African American who led a rebellion of slaves and free blacks in Southampton County, Virginia, in 1831. The revolt resulted in the deaths of dozens of white people and led to stricter laws against slaves.
Texas Revolution: The revolt of American colonists in Texas against the Mexican government in the 1830s. Texas eventually won its independence and later sought annexation by the United States.
James K. Polk: The U.S. President during the Mexican-American War. He was an advocate of Manifest Destiny and sought to expand the United States westward.
Manifest Destiny: The belief that the United States was destined to expand across the North American continent, justified by the alleged superiority of American institutions and culture.
Santa Anna: The Mexican general and political leader during the Texas Revolution and the Mexican-American War.
Nueces River vs. Rio Grande: Disputed border between Texas and Mexico. Texas claimed the Rio Grande as its southern border, while Mexico claimed the Nueces River.
Spot Resolution (Abraham Lincoln): Introduced by Congressman Abraham Lincoln, demanding to know the precise location where American blood had been shed on American soil, questioning President Polk's justification for the Mexican-American War.
Conscience Whigs: Northern Whigs who opposed slavery and the Mexican-American War on moral grounds.
Wilmot Proviso: Proposed but never passed, it would have banned slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico. It intensified the debate over slavery in the newly acquired territories.
Treaty of Guadeloupe-Hidalgo: The treaty that ended the Mexican-American War in 1848. The U.S. acquired vast territories, including California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming.
Mexican Cession: The land ceded to the United States by Mexico in the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo.
Gadsden Purchase: A purchase of land from Mexico in 1853 that included parts of present-day Arizona and New Mexico. It was acquired for the purpose of building a transcontinental railroad.
William Lloyd Garrison: A prominent American abolitionist, journalist, and social reformer. He was the editor of the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, and one of the founders of the American Anti-Slavery Society.
Free-Soilers: A political party that opposed the expansion of slavery into the territories. They argued that slavery should not be allowed to compete with free labor.
“Fire-eaters”: Pro-slavery extremists in the South who advocated for secession from the Union.
Gold Rush-49ers: The mass migration to California following the discovery of gold in 1848 led to rapid population growth and tensions over the issue of slavery.
Compromise of 1850: A series of laws passed by Congress in an attempt to resolve the issue of slavery in the territories acquired from Mexico. It included the admission of California as a free state, the organization of the territories of New Mexico and Utah with no explicit decision on slavery, the abolition of the slave trade in Washington, D.C., a stronger Fugitive Slave Act, and the resolution of a border dispute between Texas and New Mexico.
Daniel Webster: A prominent American statesman and orator who advocated for the preservation of the Union and supported the Compromise of 1850.
William Seward: An American politician who served as Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. He was a staunch opponent of slavery.
Popular Sovereignty: The principle that the residents of a territory should decide whether or not to allow slavery.
Fugitive Slave Act: Part of the Compromise of 1850, it required citizens to assist in the capture and return of runaway slaves. It imposed harsh penalties on those who aided escaped slaves or obstructed their return.
Underground Railroad: A network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved African Americans to escape to freedom in the North and Canada, aided by abolitionists and sympathizers.
Harriet Tubman: An escaped slave who became a leading conductor on the Underground Railroad, helping hundreds of slaves escape to freedom.
Sojourner Truth: An African-American abolitionist and women's rights activist. She was born into slavery but escaped to freedom in 1826.
Frederick Douglass: An escaped slave who became a prominent abolitionist, orator, and writer. He was a leading voice in the anti-slavery movement.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin: An anti-slavery novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe, published in 1852, that had a profound impact on attitudes toward slavery and fueled the abolitionist movement.
Aunt Phillis’ Cabin’ (Mary Eastman): A pro-slavery novel written in response to Uncle Tom’s Cabin, defending the institution of slavery.
Ostend Manifesto: A document written in 1854, describing a rationale for the United States to purchase Cuba from Spain while implying that the U.S. should declare war if Spain refused.
Kansas-Nebraska Act: Passed in 1854, it allowed the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide whether or not to allow slavery through popular sovereignty. This effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise and led to violence in Kansas.
Stephen Douglas: An American politician who designed the Kansas-Nebraska Act and championed the idea of popular sovereignty.
Republican Party: Formed in 1854, it was a political party that opposed the expansion of slavery into the territories. It quickly became a major political force in the North.
New England Emigrant Aid Co.: An organization that encouraged and assisted anti-slavery settlers to move to Kansas in order to influence the vote on whether or not to allow slavery.
Bleeding Kansas: A series of violent confrontations between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in Kansas following the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
Border Ruffians: Pro-slavery activists from Missouri who crossed the border into Kansas to influence the vote on whether or not to allow slavery.
John Brown: Pottawatomie: Abolitionist who led a raid on pro-slavery settlers at Pottawatomie Creek in 1856, killing five people. This event intensified the violence in Kansas.
Caning of Charles Sumner: An event in 1856 in which Congressman Preston Brooks attacked Senator Charles Sumner on the Senate floor with a cane, severely injuring him. This was in response to Sumner's anti-slavery speech.
William Walker-Filibuster: An American adventurer who led several private military expeditions into Latin America, with the intention of establishing English-speaking colonies under his personal control.
Lecompton constitution: A pro-slavery constitution proposed for Kansas in 1857. It was highly controversial and ultimately rejected by the voters of Kansas, solidifying Kansas as a free state.
Dred Scott v. Sandford: A Supreme Court decision in 1857 that ruled that African Americans were not citizens and that Congress had no power to prohibit slavery in the territories. This decision further divided the nation.
Lincoln-Douglas Debates: A series of debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas during the 1858 Illinois Senate campaign. The debates focused on the issue of slavery and helped to raise Lincoln's national profile.
“House Divided” speech: A speech given by Abraham Lincoln in 1858, in which he stated that the United States could not remain permanently divided between slave and free states.
Harper’s Ferry raid: An attempt by abolitionist John Brown in 1859 to start a slave uprising by seizing a federal armory at Harper's Ferry, Virginia. The raid failed, and Brown was captured and executed.
Freeport Doctrine: Articulated by Stephen Douglas during the Lincoln-Douglas debates, stating that a territory could effectively exclude slavery by failing to pass laws to protect it, even if the Supreme Court had ruled that slavery could not be prohibited in the territories.
Election of 1860: Abraham Lincoln won. The election triggered the secession of several Southern states, eventually leading to the Civil War.
Constitution Union Party: A political party formed in 1860 that sought to avoid secession by supporting the Constitution and the Union.
Secession: The act of formally withdrawing from membership of a federation or body, especially a political state.
Confederate States of America: The government formed in 1861 by the Southern states that seceded from the Union.
Jefferson Davis: President of the Confederate States of America.
Alexander Stephens: Vice President of the Confederate States of America.
Crittenden Compromise: A series of constitutional amendments proposed in 1860 in an attempt to resolve the secession crisis. These amendments would have extended the Missouri Compromise line and guaranteed the protection of slavery in the territories south of it. The compromise was ultimately rejected.
Formulas and Equations
The 36° 30´ latitude line can be represented as , where slavery was prohibited above this line according to the Missouri Compromise.
Origins of the US Civil War (1846-1861)
Timeline of Events:
1820: Missouri Compromise - Established the 36° 30´ latitude line to regulate slavery in new territories.
1820: Tallmadge Amendment - Proposed restriction on Missouri entering the Union as a slave state.
1828: Tariff of Abomination - Protective tariff passed to protect northern industry, hurting the South.
1828: South Carolina Exposition (John C. Calhoun) - Introduced the concept of nullification.
1831: Nat Turner's Rebellion - Slave revolt in Virginia led to stricter laws against slaves.
1833: Force Bill (Andrew Jackson) - Authorized the President to use military force against South Carolina.
1833: Tariff Compromise (Henry Clay) - Gradually reduced the Tariff of Abominations.
1836-1844: Gag Rule - Prohibited the discussion of anti-slavery petitions in Congress.
1830s: Texas Revolution - American colonists in Texas revolted against the Mexican government.
1848: Treaty of Guadeloupe-Hidalgo - Ended the Mexican-American War; the U.S. acquired vast territories.
1848: Gold Rush - Mass migration to California led to tensions over slavery.
1850: Compromise of 1850 - Series of laws to resolve the issue of slavery in new territories.
1852: Uncle Tom’s Cabin - Published and had a profound impact on attitudes toward slavery.
1853: Gadsden Purchase - Purchase of land from Mexico for a transcontinental railroad.
1854: Ostend Manifesto - Described a rationale for the U.S. to purchase Cuba from Spain.
1854: Kansas-Nebraska Act - Allowed popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska, repealing the Missouri Compromise.
1854: Republican Party - Formed to oppose the expansion of slavery.
1856: John Brown: Pottawatomie - Led a raid on pro-slavery settlers in Kansas.
1856: Caning of Charles Sumner - Congressman Preston Brooks attacked Senator Charles Sumner.
1857: Lecompton Constitution - A pro-slavery constitution proposed for Kansas, but rejected.
1857: Dred Scott v. Sandford - Supreme Court decision denying citizenship to African Americans and Congress's power to prohibit slavery in territories.
1858: Lincoln-Douglas Debates - Debates focused on slavery, raising Lincoln's profile.
1859: Harper’s Ferry raid - John Brown's attempt to start a slave uprising.
1860: Election of
Origins of the US Civil War (1846-1861)
Guiding Questions:
How was the issue of slavery addressed between 1820 and 1850?Political system and the balance of sectional interests in 1820.
Impact of territorial expansion: westward expansion and absorption of Texas.
Impact of population growth and movement.
Attempts at compromise including the Missouri Compromise (1820) and the Compromise of 1850.
How and why did sectional divisions widen between 1850 and 1856?Problems arising from the implementation of the Compromise of 1850 and the application of the Fugitive Slave Act.
The issue of Kansas and its impact.
Changes in the party-political system: rapid decline of the Whig Party and the rise of the Republican Party.
Significance of States’ Rights.
Why did the Republicans win the 1860 presidential election?Growing strength of abolitionism, e.g., John Brown.
Emerging notion of ‘slave power’, e.g., Dred Scott.
Increasing confrontation within and between the North and the South.
The Lincoln–Douglas Debates (1858).
The election campaign of 1860 and the divisions of the Democratic Party.
Why did the Civil War begin in April 1861?Reactions to the 1860 presidential election results.
Secession of the seven Deep South States.
The Battle of Fort Sumter and its impacts.
The aims of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis.
Key Vocabulary & Concepts:
36° 30´ latitude line: The line established by the Missouri Compromise to regulate slavery in new territories. Any new states north of this line would be free states, while states south of it would be slave states.
Tallmadge Amendment: Proposed restriction on Missouri entering the Union as a slave state. It stipulated that no more slaves could be brought into Missouri and that children born to slaves would be freed at age 25. This amendment ultimately failed but fueled the debate over slavery.
Cotton Gin (Eli Whitney): A machine that revolutionized cotton production by vastly speeding up the process of separating cotton fibers from their seeds. This invention led to an increased demand for slave labor, particularly in the South.
Tariff of Abomination: A protective tariff passed in 1828 that was designed to protect northern industry. However, it greatly hurt the South, whose economy was largely based on agriculture and imported goods.
South Carolina Exposition (John C. Calhoun): A document written by Vice President John C. Calhoun in 1828, protesting the Tariff of Abominations and introducing the concept of nullification, in which a state could declare a federal law unconstitutional and void within its borders.
Force Bill (Andrew Jackson): Passed in 1833, authorizing the President to use military force against South Carolina if they resisted paying the tariffs.
Tariff Compromise (Henry Clay): Proposed in 1833 by Henry Clay as a resolution to the Nullification Crisis. It gradually reduced the Tariff of Abominations over a period of ten years, averting a potential civil war.
King Cotton: A phrase used to describe the dominance of cotton in the Southern economy. The South's economic reliance on cotton led to its strong defense of slavery.
Slave Apologists: Individuals who defended slavery, often using religious, historical, or economic arguments to justify the institution.
Peculiar Institution: A euphemism used to describe slavery in the United States, particularly in the South.
Abolitionists: Individuals who sought the immediate end of slavery. They employed various tactics, including moral persuasion, political action, and sometimes violence, to achieve their goals.
Gag Rule: A series of rules passed in Congress between 1836 and 1844 that prohibited the discussion of anti-slavery petitions. It was eventually repealed.
Wage Slaves: A term used to describe Northern factory workers who were perceived as being exploited, drawing a comparison to chattel slaves in the South.
Nat Turner: An enslaved African American who led a rebellion of slaves and free blacks in Southampton County, Virginia, in 1831. The revolt resulted in the deaths of dozens of white people and led to stricter laws against slaves.
Texas Revolution: The revolt of American colonists in Texas against the Mexican government in the 1830s. Texas eventually won its independence and later sought annexation by the United States.
James K. Polk: The U.S. President during the Mexican-American War. He was an advocate of Manifest Destiny and sought to expand the United States westward.
Manifest Destiny: The belief that the United States was destined to expand across the North American continent, justified by the alleged superiority of American institutions and culture.
Santa Anna: The Mexican general and political leader during the Texas Revolution and the Mexican-American War.
Nueces River vs. Rio Grande: Disputed border between Texas and Mexico. Texas claimed the Rio Grande as its southern border, while Mexico claimed the Nueces River.
Spot Resolution (Abraham Lincoln): Introduced by Congressman Abraham Lincoln, demanding to know the precise location where American blood had been shed on American soil, questioning President Polk's justification for the Mexican-American War.
Conscience Whigs: Northern Whigs who opposed slavery and the Mexican-American War on moral grounds.
Wilmot Proviso: Proposed but never passed, it would have banned slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico. It intensified the debate over slavery in the newly acquired territories.
Treaty of Guadeloupe-Hidalgo: The treaty that ended the Mexican-American War in 1848. The U.S. acquired vast territories, including California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming.
Mexican Cession: The land ceded to the United States by Mexico in the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo.
Gadsden Purchase: A purchase of land from Mexico in 1853 that included parts of present-day Arizona and New Mexico. It was acquired for the purpose of building a transcontinental railroad.
William Lloyd Garrison: A prominent American abolitionist, journalist, and social reformer. He was the editor of the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, and one of the founders of the American Anti-Slavery Society.
Free-Soilers: A political party that opposed the expansion of slavery into the territories. They argued that slavery should not be allowed to compete with free labor.
“Fire-eaters”: Pro-slavery extremists in the South who advocated for secession from the Union.
Gold Rush-49ers: The mass migration to California following the discovery of gold in 1848 led to rapid population growth and tensions over the issue of slavery.
Compromise of 1850: A series of laws passed by Congress in an attempt to resolve the issue of slavery in the territories acquired from Mexico. It included the admission of California as a free state, the organization of the territories of New Mexico and Utah with no explicit decision on slavery, the abolition of the slave trade in Washington, D.C., a stronger Fugitive Slave Act, and the resolution of a border dispute between Texas and New Mexico.
Daniel Webster: A prominent American statesman and orator who advocated for the preservation of the Union and supported the Compromise of 1850.
William Seward: An American politician who served as Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. He was a staunch opponent of slavery.
Popular Sovereignty: The principle that the residents of a territory should decide whether or not to allow slavery.
Fugitive Slave Act: Part of the Compromise of 1850, it required citizens to assist in the capture and return of runaway slaves. It imposed harsh penalties on those who aided escaped slaves or obstructed their return.
Underground Railroad: A network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved African Americans to escape to freedom in the North and Canada, aided by abolitionists and sympathizers.
Harriet Tubman: An escaped slave who became a leading conductor on the Underground Railroad, helping hundreds of slaves escape to freedom.
Sojourner Truth: An African-American abolitionist and women's rights activist. She was born into slavery but escaped to freedom in 1826.
Frederick Douglass: An escaped slave who became a prominent abolitionist, orator, and writer. He was a leading voice in the anti-slavery movement.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin: An anti-slavery novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe, published in 1852, that had a profound impact on attitudes toward slavery and fueled the abolitionist movement.
Aunt Phillis’ Cabin’ (Mary Eastman): A pro-slavery novel written in response to Uncle Tom’s Cabin, defending the institution of slavery.
Ostend Manifesto: A document written in 1854, describing a rationale for the United States to purchase Cuba from Spain while implying that the U.S. should declare war if Spain refused.
Kansas-Nebraska Act: Passed in 1854, it allowed the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide whether or not to allow slavery through popular sovereignty. This effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise and led to violence in Kansas.
Stephen Douglas: An American politician who designed the Kansas-Nebraska Act and championed the idea of popular sovereignty.
Republican Party: Formed in 1854, it was a political party that opposed the expansion of slavery into the territories. It quickly became a major political force in the North.
New England Emigrant Aid Co.: An organization that encouraged and assisted anti-slavery settlers to move to Kansas in order to influence the vote on whether or not to allow slavery.
Bleeding Kansas: A series of violent confrontations between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in Kansas following the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
Border Ruffians: Pro-slavery activists from Missouri who crossed the border into Kansas to influence the vote on whether or not to allow slavery.
John Brown: Pottawatomie: Abolitionist who led a raid on pro-slavery settlers at Pottawatomie Creek in 1856, killing five people. This event intensified the violence in Kansas.
Caning of Charles Sumner: An event in 1856 in which Congressman Preston Brooks attacked Senator Charles Sumner on the Senate floor with a cane, severely injuring him. This was in response to Sumner's anti-slavery speech.
William Walker-Filibuster: An American adventurer who led several private military expeditions into Latin America, with the intention of establishing English-speaking colonies under his personal control.
Lecompton constitution: A pro-slavery constitution proposed for Kansas in 1857. It was highly controversial and ultimately rejected by the voters of Kansas, solidifying Kansas as a free state.
Dred Scott v. Sandford: A Supreme Court decision in 1857 that ruled that African Americans were not citizens and that Congress had no power to prohibit slavery in the territories. This decision further divided the nation.
Lincoln-Douglas Debates: A series of debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas during the 1858 Illinois Senate campaign. The debates focused on the issue of slavery and helped to raise Lincoln's national profile.
“House Divided” speech: A speech given by Abraham Lincoln in 1858, in which he stated that the United States could not remain permanently divided between slave and free states.
Hunter's Ferry raid: An attempt by abolitionist John Brown in 1859 to start a slave uprising by seizing a federal armory at Harper's Ferry, Virginia. The raid failed, and Brown was captured and executed.
Freeport Doctrine: Articulated by Stephen Douglas during the Lincoln-Douglas debates, stating that a territory could effectively exclude slavery by failing to pass laws to protect it, even if the Supreme Court had ruled that slavery could not be prohibited in the territories.
Election of 1860: Abraham Lincoln won. The election triggered the secession of several Southern states, eventually leading to the Civil War.
Constitution Union Party: A political party formed in 1860 that sought to avoid secession by supporting the Constitution and the Union.
Secession: The act of formally withdrawing from membership of a federation or body, especially a political state.
Confederate States of America: The government formed in 1861 by the Southern states that seceded from the Union.
Jefferson Davis: President of the Confederate States of America.
Alexander Stephens: Vice President of the Confederate States of America.
Crittenden Compromise: A series of constitutional amendments proposed in 1860 in an attempt to resolve the secession crisis. These amendments would have extended the Missouri Compromise line and guaranteed the protection of slavery in the territories south of it. The compromise was ultimately rejected.
Declaration of Independence (1776):
Key Principles: Emphasized natural rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It asserted that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed and that people have the right to alter or abolish a government that becomes destructive of these ends.
Relevance to Civil War: The ideals of equality and liberty stood in stark contrast to the institution of slavery. Abolitionists and anti-slavery advocates frequently cited the Declaration to argue against the moral legitimacy of slavery, pointing out the hypocrisy of a nation founded on principles of freedom that simultaneously enslaved a significant portion of its population. The conflict over whether these principles applied to all people, regardless of race, was a central issue leading to the Civil War.
United States Constitution (1788):
Compromises on Slavery: The Constitution contained several compromises related to slavery, reflecting the conflicting interests of the Northern and Southern states. These included the Three-Fifths Compromise (which counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for purposes of representation and taxation) and the Fugitive Slave Clause (which required the return of escaped slaves to their owners).
Federalism and States' Rights: The Constitution established a system of federalism, dividing powers between the federal government and the state governments. The interpretation of the balance of power between these levels of government became a major point of contention, particularly concerning the issue of slavery. Southern states argued that the federal government should not interfere with their right to regulate slavery, citing states' rights.
Relevance to Civil War: The compromises on slavery in the Constitution, while intended to create a more perfect union, ultimately highlighted the deep divisions within the nation. The Constitution’s silence on the legality of slavery in territories, combined with its protection of slavery in existing states, created ongoing political tension. Differing interpretations of the Constitution regarding federal power versus states' rights fueled the secession movement and the outbreak of the Civil War.
Formulas and Equations
The 36° 30´ latitude line can be represented as , where slavery was prohibited above this line according to the Missouri Compromise.
Origins of the US Civil War (1846-1861)
Timeline of Events:
1820: Missouri Compromise - Established the 36° 30´ latitude line to regulate slavery in new territories.
1820: Tallmadge Amendment - Proposed restriction on Missouri entering the Union as a slave state.
1828: Tariff of Abomination - Protective tariff passed to protect northern industry, hurting the South.
1828: South Carolina Exposition (John C. Calhoun) - Introduced the concept of nullification.
1831: Nat Turner's Rebellion - Slave revolt in Virginia led to stricter laws against slaves.
1833: Force Bill (Andrew Jackson) - Authorized the President to use military force against South Carolina.
1833: Tariff Compromise (Henry Clay) - Gradually reduced the Tariff of Abominations.
1836-1844: Gag Rule - Prohibited the discussion of anti-slavery petitions in Congress.
1830s: Texas Revolution - American colonists in Texas revolted against the Mexican government.
1848: Treaty of Guadeloupe-Hidalgo - Ended the Mexican-American War; the U.S. acquired vast territories.
1848: Gold Rush - Mass migration to California led to tensions over slavery.
1850: Compromise of 1850 - Series of laws to resolve the issue of slavery in new territories.
1852: Uncle Tom’s Cabin - Published and had a profound impact on attitudes toward slavery.
1853: Gadsden Purchase - Purchase of land from Mexico for a transcontinental railroad.
1854: Ostend Manifesto - Described a rationale for the U.S. to purchase Cuba from Spain.
1854: Kansas-Nebraska Act - Allowed popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska, repealing the Missouri Compromise.
1854: Republican Party - Formed to oppose the expansion of slavery.
1856: John Brown: Pottawatomie - Led a raid on pro-slavery settlers in Kansas.
1856: Caning of Charles Sumner - Congressman Preston Brooks attacked Senator Charles Sumner.
1857: Lecompton Constitution - A pro-slavery constitution proposed for Kansas, but rejected.
1857: Dred Scott v. Sandford - Supreme Court decision denying citizenship to African Americans and Congress's power to prohibit slavery in territories.
1858: Lincoln-Douglas Debates - Debates focused on slavery, raising Lincoln's profile.
1