-
Period: to
Colonial Period
-
First Recorded Slaves in Jamestown
If you want to start with what led to the Civil War, then you must first put blame on the introduction of what initially caused the Ciivil War, slavery itself. In 1619, a Dutch Man-o-War was blown off course for the Caribean, and landed near Jamestown. The Dutch traded 20 slaves for supplies from the Colonists, and slavery in the Colonies was born. -
Period: to
Revolutionary Period
-
Period: to
Pre-Civil War
-
Invention of the Cotton Gin
Slavery itself was expenisive, and the process of getting cotton was strenuous. Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin cut the time it took it to get rid of the seeds in cotton considerably. By doing this, cotton became more profitable which made slavery more of a necessity. In turn, this kept the country on the road towards the Civil War by keeping slavery alive. -
The Louisiana Purchase
This land purchase of the Louisiana territory by the Jefferson Administration from Napoleon which doubled the country's size, and added much wanted farmland into the United State's grasp. In turn, this brought into question wether the territory would be Free or Slave. This arose much tension between the Free and Slave states that would very much last and add on feelings of seccesion later on towards the Civil War, even with the Missouri Compromise. -
Nat Turner's Slave Rebllion
This slave rebellion led by African American preacher, Nat Turner, caused the most fatalities of any slave rebellion of around 60 whites. In the aftermath, the South became engulfed in fear, and up to 200 blacks, who were innocent, were murderd from a back lash. Adding on, the laws regarding slaves became harsher, and even free blacks in many southern states were denied education. In turn, this led to the Civil War by adding more disagreement on the treatment of slaves. -
The Nullification Crisis
This sectional crisis, which took place under Andrew Jackson's presidency, was a threat from South Carolina of succesion over the "Tariff of Abominations," enacted by John Quincy Adams. The problem of defying the law was inflated by John C. Calhoun and the idea of states rights. The issue was resolved through the "Compromise Tariff of 1833," headed by Henry Clay, but through this compromise the idea of states rights grew which proved to be a great motive for succesion, and causing the Civil War. -
Manifest Destiny
This 19th century idea, coined by John O'Sullivan in 1845, of "America's God given destiny to expand over the continent," proved to be one of the biggest causes for the Civil War. The drive to add land to the United States put into question the expansion of slavery int the territories. The question of balance between Free and Slaves states within the Senate would arise, and give cause for the South to secede from the Union for not having a fair balance on the issue of slavery. -
Treaty of Gudalupe Hidalgo
This treaty ended the Mexican-American War, and gave the U.S. half of Mexico's land (The land between and including Texas and California). This again questioned the expansion of slavery within new territory, and threatend to upset the balance of Free and Slave states in the Senate. Again, the fear of inbalance by the Slave states gave them cause for seccesion which initally sparked Civil War. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
This very famous, and infamous novel put slavery in a very realistic perspective for it's readers. The abolitionist North loved the novel and engraved in their minds what slavery truely was. The South hated the ablotiionist novel and defended slavery by stating that their slaves were better taken care then those African Americans who were free. In general, the novel arose even more tension between the free North and the slave holding South in ideology, thus provoking Civil War. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This act permitted people to move into the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, and allowed them to base the decision of becoming a Free or Slave state, when they met the requirements, based on popular soverignty (the people within the territoy would chose). In Kansas this caused conflict between Pro and Anit-slavery advocaters, and essenitally cause a mini civil war before the Civil War actually began. Indeed this "Bleeding Kansas" was technical start of the Civil War. -
The Election of 1860
With the election of Abraham Lincoln, an anti-slavery adovcate, the final spark that led the South to succesion was ignited. The Southern fear of Lincoln taking away their slaves finally drove them seccesion, even though Lincoln said he would not try to do so. With the attack on Fort Sumter soon there after, the Civil war offically begun.
