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Diane Heinle's Events Leading up to the Civil War
Included in this timeline are events leading up to the Civil War. Americans try multiple failing compromises in attempt to prevent a war over slavery between the free North states and the slave South states, but they could not avoid the inevitable Civil War. -
Missouri Compromise
Missouri was admitted to the Union as a slave state, and Maine was admitted as a free state. A line was drawn at latitude 36°30'. Except for Missouri, slavery was banned north of the line. Slavery was allowed south of the line. Because of this, some people called the Northerns that voted for the Missouri Compromise traitors. In the South, people were worried about the territories that did not allow slavery. However, the Missouri Compromise kept peace in the Union for some time. -
Compromise of 1850
California was admitted to the Union as a free state. The Mexico and Utah territories got popular sovereignty. Slave trade in Washington, D.C. was banned. A stronger fugitive slave law was created. This pulled apart the nation because the North was made responsible for helping to catch the slaves, a task the North strongly opposed. The South thought it did not do enough to catch their slaves and were angry at the North for not obeying the fugitive slave law. The compromise caused more debate -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This act created the Kansas and Nebraska territories, got rid of the Missouri Compromise, and gave Kansas and Nebraska popular sovereignty. The North was worried that slavery would spread throughout the Great Plains, and the North and South raced each other to get more people in the new territories to support or oppose slavery. Border ruffians attacked the antislavery government, and John Brown led an attack on a proslavery town. These attacks divided the Union and foreshadowed the Civil War. -
Dred Scott Decision
The Supreme Court decided that African Americans, free or slave, cannot be citizens. The Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional because according to the Fifth Amendment, property, including slaves, cannot be taken without due process of law. The South was very happy about this decision, but the North was outraged and thought the decision to be immoral. These opposite views of the North and South pulled the Union apart. -
Election of 1860
The Republicans voted for Abraham Lincoln. The Northern Democrats voted for Stephen Douglas. The Southern Democrats voted for John Breckinridge. The Constitutional Union Party voted for John Bell. This shows that the Union was divided because the parties voted just for their candidate. They did not support each other. Lincoln won because he had the biggest supportive party. The South no longer had any power in the Legislative or Executive branches, and thought the North might end slavery. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a federal fort located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The Confederates attacked it, and the fort surrendered. This made the North furious, and they gave up hope of compromise. This marked the beginning of the Civil War.
