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Events Leading to the Civil War
This timeline will explain the events that lead to the final break and start of the Civil War. The Civil War was not something that began over night, a growing chasm between northern and southern states was always there. -
The Missouri Compromise
Congress didn't want to upset the balance between slave and free states by allowing Missouri to enter as a slave state. They put off the issue. When Congress met again Maine wished to enter the Union as a free state. Henry Clay thought of a compromise. Missouri would be a slave state and Maine would be free. An imaginary line would also be drawn across the Louisiana Territory. North of this line, slavery would be banned and allowed south of it. Nobody was happy and tensions were rising. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 admitted California to the Union as a free state and New Mexico and Utah would be open to slavery. It also ended the slave trade in D.C. but allowed slave holders there to keep their slaves. Lastly, a strong fugitive slave law was called for. Though this compromise was accepted, the South was still wary. They believed that the North needed to leave the issue of slavery alone and that if they didn't they would leave the Union. -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act (2)
So the final bill created two new territories; Kansas and Nebraska. It also got rid of the Missouri Compromise by stating that it was up to the settlers in this area whether to permit slavery or not. When this bill was passed people from the North and the South rushed to these territories to vote for each side. This billed deepened the resentment between the states. The North was outraged that the Missouri Compromise was completely ignored and felt that Douglas had plotted with the South. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1)
Senator Stephen A. Douglas proposed the Kansas Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854. He proposed this Act because he wanted to build a railroad to California and believed it would be easier to do this if the Great Plains was organized into the Nebraska Territory and opened to settlers. This area was north of the Missouri Compromise line, so Douglas never even mentioned slavery in this bill. However, southerners would only support the bill if it was changed. -
Dred Scott Case (2)
Congress did not have the power to create the Missouri compromise, because it states in the constitution that any powers not specifically given to Congress were retained by the states. The North viewed this as a wicked and unjust decision. The South, however, was delighted and hoped that the issue of slavery had finally been settled. -
Dred Scott Case (1)
Dred Scott was a slave from Missouri who sued his owner for his freedom after a trip to Wisconsin. Because Wisconsin was a free state, Scott believed his trip there made him a free man. After the Supreme Court reviewed the case a shocking decision was reached. Scott did not have the right to sue for his freedom because he was not a citizen, nor could he ever become one. They also said that his stay in Wisconsin had not made him a free man because the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional. -
Election of 1860
Republican Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860. Lincoln won with just 40% of the votes, all cast in the North. In some parts of the South his mane had not even been included on the ballot. The white Southerners realized what this meant. The South was now a minority and the North could make decisions without the South's consent. They feared that the North would now try to end slavery. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
The first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter. The South had left the Union. They attacked Fort Sumter and after 33 hours of bombardment, the defenders replaced the American flag with the white flag of surrender. This event ended the attempts of compromise to heal the division between the North and South, war had started.
