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The compromise of 1850 including the fugitive slave act
-The Compromise of 1850 was a series of laws aimed at easing tensions between the North and South over slavery.
-This led to political tension between the North and the South.
-This was aimed to maintain the Union by balancing the interests of both regions, but it ultimately set the stage for further conflict over slavery.
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Timeline of events leading to Civil War
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Kanas-Nebraska Act
-The Kansas-Nebraska Act, passed in 1854, allowed settlers in the new territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide if they wanted slavery.
-This led to war by allowing settlers to decide of slavery, creating fierce debates and conflicts.
-Violence erupted in Kansas between the pro and anti slavery groups.
-This cause the Whig Party to collapse.
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Preston Brooks vs Charles Sumner
-Charles Sumner delivered a speech called "The Crime Against Kansas," he criticized pro-slavery forces and specifically attacked South Carolina Senator Andrew Butler, whom he accused of dishonoring the Senate.
-On May 22, 1856, Preston Brooks a congressman and Butler's cousin, was infuriated by Sumner's remarks . He brutally caned him multiple times and started whaling him in the senate Sumner was severely injured.
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Preston Brooks vs. Charles Sumner
-Sumner was a senator from MA. He said the speech "The Crime Against Kansas," this showed the violence in KS over the slavery issue & personally attacked pro-slavery senators.
-Brooks confronted Sumner. He attacked Sumner with a metal cane striking him repeatedly. Sumner was left severely injured and unconscious.
-The affair exemplified the rising tensions between pro- & anti-slavery and highlighted the violence and hostility in American. This deepened the divide leading up to the Civil War. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
-The decision intensified national tension over slavery. Abolitionists and people in the north, viewed it as a direct attack and support of slavery expansion
-It denied African American citizenship & said that Congress couldn’t regulate slavery territories. This sparked outrage, intensified anti-slavery activism, and deepened political divisions. The ruling escalated violence in KS & eliminated the possibility of compromise on slavery,contributing to the rising tensions that led to the Civil War -
Lincoln-Douglas debate
-The debates were a series of 7 debates in 1858 between Abe Lincoln & Stephen Douglas, mainly focused on the issue of slavery & expansion into the territories.
-They reflected the divisions in the U.S. over slavery & foreshadowed the conflicts that would lead to the Civil War.
-The Southern states after Lincoln’s election culminated in the formation of the Confederate States of America. When Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter in April 1861, it marked the start of the Civil War. -
Bleeding Kansas
-Bleeding Kansas was a series of violent events between 1854 and 1861 over whether Kansas would allow slavery.
-Bleeding Kansas was a precursor to the larger national conflict that erupted into the Civil War in 1861.
-The inability to peacefully resolve the issue of slavery in Kansas showed that the nation was struggling to find a workable solution, setting the stage for greater conflict. Timetoast -
John Browns Raid on Harpers Ferry
In October, abolitionist John Brown led a failed raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry to incite a slave rebellion. This event heightened tensions over slavery, intensified Southern fears of violent uprisings, and polarized public opinion, pushing the nation closer to civil conflict.
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Election of Abe Lincoln
-Lincoln ran as the candidate for the newly formed Republican Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories.
-His election prompted Southern states to fear that slavery would be threatened. This led to the secession of several states and ultimately the start of the Civil War.
-This led us to war because many Southern states viewed Lincoln's victory as a direct threat to slavery. His Republican Party platform opposed the expansion of slavery, which alarmed slaveholders. -
Abe Lincoln election
-Lincoln emerged as the Republican candidate. His platform focused on halting the expansion of slavery into the territories, appealing to many in the North who opposed slavery.
-Lincoln's election was what set off a chain reaction of secession and conflict, ultimately leading to the Civil War.
-Many Southerners viewed Lincolns election as a direct threat to slavery and their way of life. His platform of preventing the expansion of slavery fueled fears that the institution itself was in jeopardy.