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Causes of The Civil War Timeline
This timeline highlights and describes major events that lead up to the Civil War -
The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was an law passed by Congress in Washington DC on March 3, 1820. This law allowed Maine to join the US as a free state and it allowed Missouri to join as a slave state. This kept the balance between the free and slave states and it did the same to the amount of legislators from these states. This law was proposed by Virginia Congressman, Henry Clay to help keep the balance of power between slave and free states, lowering tensions between slave owners and abolitionists. -
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso was an important piece of legislature during the troubled time before the Civil War. The Wilmot Proviso was proposed by Pennsylvanian Representative David Wilmot to help slow the spread of slavery into the new territories of the US. This law outlawed slavery in the new territories that were acquired in the Mexican-American War. This affected much of the Southwest US and helped limit the spread of slavery for the time being. It increased tensions throughout the US even further. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was proposed by Henry Clay as an improvement upon the Wilmot Proviso that both sides agreed to. In this agreement, the territory of California was introduced into the US as a free state and the argument over the new territories and whether or not they allowed slavery. This helped ease tensions that were increasing due to the Wilmot Proviso, but through the introduction of this Compromise, it introduced the horrible the Fugitive Slave Act, which was a major argument point. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act was one of the parts of the Compromise of 1850. This act made it illegal to help escaped slaves get away from their owners and it made it so that if a slave escaped to a free state, they could still be recaptured and sent back into the South. This angered many Northern abolitionists at the time. This act made it more dangerous for people to help slaves but it didn't deter slaves into escaping and from people from helping them. This helped create the Underground Railroad. -
The Publishing of Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was an important part of the road to war. This book, published by a white abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe, this book highlighted the horrors and cruelties of slavery in the South. This book was a bestseller both nationally and internationally, selling millions of copies almost 5 years after being published. This book angered many Southern slave owners, but in the North, it motivated many people to become abolitionists. This book increased tensions to a very high degree. -
The Kansas Nebraska Act and Bleeding Kansas
The Kansas Nebraska Act was a failed attempt to let popular sovereignty decide if Kansas and Nebraska were free or not. This act was passed in 1854 by Congress and was meant to be a peaceful way for the people to decide. This was true in Nebraska, which chose to be a free state. However in Kansas, due to voter fraud and contesting claims, fighting broke out between pro slavery and abolitionists. This leads to many deaths and injuries, which was called Bleeding Kansas. -
The Dred Scott Case
The Dred Scott Case was one of many court cases which tested the power of the US Constitution. Dred Scott, a slave, filed a case against his former owner. They traveled from Missouri, which was a slave state, to a free state, and then to a free territory. Using this info, Dred Scott said that he was entitled to freedom because he went to these free states. In 1857, the court case was decided that Dred Scott was not entitled to his freedom because he wasn't considered a citizen. -
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates were a series of debates in Illinois in the later part of 1858. These debates were between senator candidates Abraham Lincoln, who was anti slavery, and Stephen Douglas, who was pro slavery. These debates helped show the argument between pro and anti slavery supporters. In the end, Douglas won the Senate position with his pro slavery argument. Despite this, the debate helped set up Lincoln's political position and it helped him be relevant on the national stage. -
John Brown's Raid
John Brown's Raid was a very important event that lead up to the Civil War. In this raid, John Brown, a radical abolitionist, and his sons, raided a Southern arms stash in Virginia in 1859. Brown wanted slaves in nearby areas to help join his fight to start a slave rebellion, but none did. In the end, the attack left all of Brown's sons dead, and he was captured. He was soon executed by Southern officials, making him into a martyr for the North. This event showed the tensions at the time. -
Lincoln's Election
Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860. As the Republican candidate for the spot, he supported anti-slavery and he wanted to try to limit it's spread into new territories. The South knew this and they were very angry, knowing that their way of life was threatened. This may have been the most important event in the lead up to the Civil War as it brought tensions to a very high point. The war was impending and it was about to begin shortly. -
Southern Secession
Following Lincoln's election in 1860, the Southern states began to secede knowing that their whole society was soon to be upended. A few months after Lincoln was inaugurated, South Carolina seceded from the Union. After South Carolina, many Southern states followed their lead and left the Union. After seceding, the South attempted to set up their own government and elected Jefferson Davis as president. Although Lincoln peacefully encouraged them to rejoin the Union, the war would soon begin.
