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Period: to
events leading up to the civil war
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Popular sovereignty
Once the Mexican war ended, territories from the west were given to the U.S. to deal with this congress passed the Compromise of 1850 which let the people choose wether they wanted the state to be free or not. Popular sovereignty allowed there to be an imbalance between the slave states and free states which gave the free states more influence. -
The fugitive slave act passes
This act forced any federal official who did not arrest a runaway slave to pay a fine. This was one of the the most controversial parts to the compromise, and also caused the abolitionists to increase their efforts against slavery. It also increased activity in the Underground Railroad as more slaves made their way to Canada. -
The publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Written by an abolitionist, this book became a best seller. It had a huge impact on the way northerners viewed slavery, and helped further the cause of abolition. The publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin was even recognized by Abraham Lincoln as one of the events that led to the outbreak of the civil war. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This act reversed the Missouri compromise and allowed slavery in the remainder of the original areas of the Louisiana purchase. This sudden shift of power within the government increased the growing tension between the North and South. -
Preston Brooks attacks Charles Sumner on the U.S. Senate floor
The attack showed the people how divided the government really was, and just how pressing the issue of slavery was. Immediately following this Brooks was seen as a hero in the south, for standing up for the rights to own slaves, while Summer was seen as a martyr in the north, for defending a slaves right to freedom. -
Dred Scott loses his case to be free
Dred Scott was a slave trying to sue for his freedom in court. He eventually lost the case when the Supreme Court declared that no slave or descendant of a slave could ever be a U.S. citizen. The Dred Scott decision had the effect of widening the social and political gap between the North and South and took the nation closer to the brink of a Civil War. -
Raid on Harpers ferry
Before the time of Browns raid there was still hope that the North and South could come to a compromise and somehow put off the reckoning over the division in the country and slavery. The raid however crushed that dream, exposing and greatly widening the divide between the North and South. -
Abraham Lincoln is elected as president
Many southern democrats actually wanted their candidate to lose, so they could use that as an excuse to leave the Union. When Abraham Lincoln was voted as president, the southern states used this to try and secede from the U.S. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
The battle of fort Sumter is considered the starting point of the civil war. It was also significant because after the battle of fort Sumter, several new states seceded from the union giving the confederacy a total of 11 states. -
secession of southern states
The secession of the southern states was seen as unconstitutional, but the federal government was denied the right to use force against these states. The states seceding from the union caused a lot of strain on their relationship until it eventually snapped, as seen at the attack on fort Sumter
