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Causes of the Civil War
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The Missouri Compromise
Missouri’s application for statehood as a slave state sparked a national debate about the expansion of slavery. The deeper moral issue of slavery was the major factor. The addition of pro-slavery Missouri legislators would give the pro-slavery faction a Congressional majority. -
The Wilmot Proviso
The Proviso would have outlawed slavery in territory gained by the United States and as a result of the war, which included most of the Southwest and extended to California. The intensity of the debate about the Proviso aided the first serious discussions of secession. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The law meant that any person suspected must be captured and forced into slavery with no chance at a fair trial.The law meant that any person suspected must be captured and forced into slavery with no chance at a fair trial. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe’s fictional testimate Uncle Tom's Csbin was considered an incredible eye-opener to the Northerners about the real horrors of slavery. Southerners protested her book because they said it was slanderous. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This was said to be put in place to protect the new settlers political views, which really meant to satisfy the south but northern settlers were outraged because they figured this meant the ultimate goal was to extend slavery. -
Supreme Court: Dred Scott v. Sandford
The Supreme Court decision was a factor that led to the Civil War because it implied that slaves were not people, they were property. -
John Brown’s Raid
A group of abolitionist organized a small band of white allies and free blacks and raided a government arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. John Brown was quickly surrounded and forced to surrender by soldiers under the command of Colonel Robert E. Lee. He was tried for treason and executed. He became a martyr for the abolitionist cause but southerners, began to militarize in preparation for future raids. -
Election of Abraham Lincoln
As a Republican, Abraham's party’s anti-slavery outlook struck fear into many Southerners. -
The Battle of Fort Sumter
Abraham Lincoln sent fresh supplies to the beleaguered garrisons. Confederate warships turned back the supply convoy to Fort Sumter and opened a 34-hour bombardment on the stronghold. -
3/5 Compromise
The 3/5 compromise helped lead to the Civil War because it did not solve the issue of slavery. 3 out of every 5 slaves were counted towards representation in the House of Representatives.
