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Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first governmental structure unifying the thirteen states that had fought in the American Revolution. However this wasn't a strong form of government due to its many weaknesses. There was no executive branch to enforce any acts passed by Congress, no power of taxation, and there was no national court system. This lead to the Civil War. -
Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin
The cotton gin invention made the production of cotton become much easier because this machine revolutionized the process of separating cotton from its seed, making it faster and less expensive. By 1860, the South provided about two-thirds of the world's cotton supply. However as the prduction of cotton increased, so did the amount of slaves needed to work on the farms to produce all the amount of cotton needed. This lead to the Civil War. -
The Missouri Compromise
For many years the issue of slavery caused many problems between the North and the South. When Missouri wanted to become part of the nation, the North was concerned by the unbalance that it would between the Senate. Congressman James Tallmadge proposed to ban the importation of slaves into the Missouri territory. Also the House of Representatives passed a bill that admitted the state of Maine as a free state. The Southerners weren't happy with this compromise. This lead to the Civil War. -
The End of The Mexican American War
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hiidalgo ended The Mexican American War on February 2, 1848. This treaty stated that Mexico surrended and gave California and New Mexico to the US and Texas became independent. Issues began when the US had to decide wether the land was going to become slave states or free states. The Compromise of 1850 dealt with the probelm by making CA a free state and Texas became a slave state. This lead to the Civil War. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave act was the point that brought the most controversy between the North and the South. Northerners did not want to give the blacks back to the Southerners, nor did those who had managed to escape wanted to go back to slavery. Northern federal officials did not enforce the Act, which upset the South. This lead to the Civil War. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was a book written in 1852 by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Stowe was an abolitionist who wrote this book to show the horrible effects of slavery. This book impacted the way that northerners viewed slavery and it further the cause of abolition. This lead to the Cvil War. -
The Nebraska and Kansas Act
The Nebraska and Kansas Act by Stephen Douglas was passed by Congress in 1854, allowing the Kansas and Nebraska territories decided for themselves using popular sovereignty to chose whether they wanted to be a free or slave state. However in 1856 both the pro and anti-slavery groups started killing and using extreme violence against their enemies. This Act also cause the collapse of both the whig and democratic parties, the whigs were never able to reunite. This lead to the Civil War. -
The Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott was a slave in the 1840's who sued his master's widow for his freedom. He argued that his master, John Emerson, escorted him into free territory in Illinois, stated by the Missouri Compromise, and had legally granted him his freedom. However Chief Justice Roger B. Taney decided that congress had no right prohibit slavery in the federal territories and considered Scott as only a property. This caused for anti-slavery groups to fear the growth of slavery. This lead to the Civil War. -
John Brown Raided Harper's Ferry
John Brown was a radical abolitionist who had been involved in anti-slavery violence in Kansas. On October 16, 1859, he and a group of 22 members attacked the U.S arsenal located in Harper's Ferry, Virginia. He wanted to start a slave uprising using the captured weapons, but were forced to surrender by troops led by Colonel Robert E.Lee. This event was one of the abolitionist movement. This lead to the Civil War. -
Lincoln Elected President
The Democratic Party split into three groups, each holding different ideas about how to deal with slaveryin the West and each vying for control of the party. These three groups lined up against Abraham Lincoln, who wanted the West to be entirely free of slavery. However on the Election of 1860, Lincoln won against John C. Breckinridge, John Bell, and Stephen Douglas with the majority of fifty-nine percent of the Electoral vote which cause the South to secede. This lead to the Civil War.
