Causes of the Civil War

Slavery

Slavery was the most polarizing issue in this time period. Abolitionists

Pro-Slavery

Slavery was not only a morally divisive issue, but also became an economic issue to the southern states. Slaves weren’t paid for their labor

Without slaves it would become even more expensive to farm a large plantation.

Why were slaves mostly in the South?

Slavery ended in the northern states for 2 main reasons: The urbanization of the northern states, due to the

industrialization of the North (North becomes city oriented, because factories were taking over the northern states).

Settlers from Europe are coming to America to work in the factories

The southern states did not experience the change associated with industry, so they continued to use slaves to cultivate the crops on the large plantations. Cheap labor

Africans weren’t viewed as fully human (3/5 Compromise in 1865).

The Cotton Gin

The Cotton Gin was a machine, designed by Eli Whitney in 1793, that allowed large amounts of cotton to be processed in a short period of time (Fibers separated from seeds).

Whitney’s invention led to the growth of slavery because production increased exponentially with the cotton gin. Slave owners wanted more slaves to be able to increase their profits on cotton.

African-American Abolitionists

Frederick Douglass: An escaped slave who became a brilliant speaker, writer and social-reformist. He became a living example to America that slaves were human, with just as much intellectual ability as Anglo-Americans. Many were surprised that an escaped slave was so polished orally. Douglass also became a politician and even ran for vice president.

Sojourner Truth: Born into slavery, Sojourner Truth escaped with her daughter. She also made history by becoming the first African-American to win a court case against a white man (the case was for the freedom of her enslaved son). Truth was a very active abolitionist and woman’s rights activist, who was instrumental in recruiting slaves to the Union Army.

Questions

Explain the benefit of having slaves on a large plantation.

Why do you think the South doesn’t embrace industrialization like the North?

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

This best-selling novel was written by abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stow, and published in 1852 (a response to the Fugitive Slave Act).

The story is about a dutiful, long-suffering slave named Tom, and his struggles to live through the injustice of slavery in the south.

The book was the 2nd best selling book of the 19th century (#1 was the Bible), and portrayed slaves as not only human, but shed light on the daily injustices of slavery in America.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin is said to have a profound impact on the viewpoints of many in the North, and added fuel to the flame of disagreement between the Northern abolitionist movement, and the pro-slavery Southern states.

The Underground Railroad

This was the system by which escaped slaves were traveling to the north, to freedom, but it was neither underground, nor a railroad.

Underground= secret

Railroad refers to the terms that were used in communicating how to get safely from one place to another (conductor, station, etc.)

Conductors were the people who would lead the escaped slaves to freedom. Harriet Tubman, a famous conductor, reportedly made 19 trips back to the South to help an estimated 300 slaves escape.

Stations were the places where it was okay for the slaves to stop and rest, or hide from those trying to capture them.

Underground Railroad continued…

The underground railroad helped unknown numbers of slaves escape bondage, but it also, inadvertently, led to the strengthening of the Fugitive Slave Laws in 1850.

Slave owners didn’t like the idea of people undermining the previous Fugitive Slave Laws by aiding the escaped slaves reach freedom in the North.

Question

What do you think is the underlying issue that caused two different mindsets about slavery between the abolitionists and slavery supporters?

Missouri Compromise (1820)

Because the US had 22 states (11 free and 11 slave), when Missouri applied for admission into the union, a compromise had to be made. The compromise terms were…

1. Missouri would be a slave state.

2. Maine, which had been part of Massachusetts, would be admitted as a free state (thus keeping the balance)

3. Missouri would be the only slave state admitted above the 36o 30’ latitude line.

Nullification Crisis

In 1828 the US passed a bill that would drastically increase the tariffs placed on imported goods.

Britain could no longer afford to buy as much cotton.

South Carolina declared the tariffs unconstitutional and refused payment.

Congress passes the Force Bill, giving President Andrew Jackson authority to use any means necessary to collect the taxes.

Question

Why would high tariffs on imported goods affect the amount of product Britain was able to buy?

Compromise Tariff of 1833

To calm the growing tension between the South and North, the leader of the Whig party, Henry Clay, proposed the tariff of 1833, which stated…

Most tariffs would be reduced to 20% of the imported items value

The tariffs that weren’t would be reduced by 10% yearly until all were below 20% by the year 1842.

All states agreed to the terms of the compromise, maybe because of the previously passed Force Bill.

Wilmot Proviso

This bill was Introduced to congress by David Wilmot

The Proviso would have banned slavery in all of the territories gained in the Mexican War.

It passed in the House of Representatives, but was rejected by the Senate.

The debate of this Provision exposed the overwhelming differences between the North and South, and further divided the country over the issue of slavery.

“Provided, That, as an express and fundamental condition to the acquisition of any territory from the Republic of Mexico by the United States, by virtue of any treaty which may be negotiated between them, and to the use by the Executive of the moneys herein appropriated, neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in any part of said territory, except for crime, whereof the party shall first be duly convicted.”

Compromise of 1850

Henry Clay comes up with another compromise for the north and south in 1850, but it isn’t passed the first time it appears before congress. Clay then splits the bill into 5 separate bills to be voted on individually and gets them all passed.

1. Fugitive slave law is amended

2. Slave trade in Washington D.C. is abolished, but not slavery.

3. California joins the US as a free state

4. Utah Territory has a government established

5. Texas would lose all land north of the Missouri Compromise line, and cede some land to New Mexico.

Daniel Webster

A member of the Whig Party and famous congressman, Daniel Webster was very outspoken in support of the Compromise of 1850.

He thought that slavery couldn’t be stopped in the states that it already existed, but that it shouldn’t be allowed to spread.

His views were well received by moderates, but he lost support from abolitionist.

Fugitive Slave Law

Fugitive slaves laws were passed in 1793, and again in 1850.

In 1793, Congress passed the first which gave a slave-owner the right to recover an escaped slave.

In the Compromise of 1850, this law was strengthened, and required that law enforcement of the free states to capture and return slaves to their masters.

Question

Why would slave owners feel it was necessary to require Free States to apprehend and return escaped slaves?

Dred Scott Case (1857)

Dredd Scott brought a suit before the United States Supreme Court for him and his families freedom

Scott was married to and lived with free black woman, had lived with his master in Illinois and Minnesota (Free states).

The Supreme Court decided 7-2 against Scott, stating that no one of African descent could claim citizenship in the United States of America, and therefor could not bring a lawsuit before a Federal Court.

This decision ignited already strong sectional tension between the North and the South.

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

This act, created by Stephen Douglas, formed the Kansas and Nebraska Territories

Allowed for all new territories to decide on the issue of slavery by Popular Sovereignty, thus repealing the Missouri Compromise.

Bleeding Kansas

The Kansas-Nebraska act lead to Bleeding Kansas, when pro/anti slavery groups poured into Kansas to push/fight for the people to vote for or against slavery.

Northern View: Wealthy slave-owners would buy all of the best land to be worked by their slaves, leaving little farming land for those who weren’t wealthy.

Southern View: Because of Popular Sovereignty, slave-owners could bring all of their property, including slaves.

Bleeding Kansas Continued…

Abolitionists fought against Missourians (Border Ruffians) to establish control of the government in Kansas.

Abolitionist leader John Brown becomes famous when he leads his sons and other abolitionists to capture 5 pro-slavery men from their homes and kill them, and for his raid at Harper’s Ferry.

Harper’s Ferry

Next, Brown tried to organize a slave revolt in the town Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859.

The goal of the raid was to gain control of the armory there, and cause an uprising among the slaves to scare the slave-owners in Virginia. The slave revolt was unsuccessful because word

never got out to the slaves that there would be a revolt. Brown didn’t gather the manpower he would need to resist the Militia and Marines coming to regain order in Harper’s Ferry

General Robert E. Lee was called from leave to lead Marines in ending the rebellion in Harper’s Ferry

Two of Brown’s three sons were killed in the raid, while John was captured and hanged for treason.

Although many thought the attack was crazy, Brown became a martyr in the North.

Preston Brooks

Firm believer in States’ Rights and Slavery

Preston Brooks was a Democratic representative from South Carolina who was famous for beating abolitionist Charles Sumner with a cane on the Senate floor, during a debate about states rights to choose slavery.

Question

Why would popular sovereignty create a rush of people coming into the new territories?

How would that influx of people affect the voting process?

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

Lincoln was a lawyer before becoming a leader for the newly formed Republican Party. He had previously worked as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives .

He spoke out against the expansion of slavery during his campaign for the senate in 1858, but his democratic rival Stephen A Douglas won the election.

In 1860, Lincoln secured the Republican presidential nomination, and won the presidency by sweeping the North, and without much support from Southern states.

Southern States Secede

Before Lincoln can be sworn into office, 7 Southern states secede from the union.

Because there is no agreement reached about slavery, or the secession, they form the Confederate States of America (CSA). They unite under the leadership of President Jefferson Davis (1861-1865), with General Robert E. Lee advising him on military strategy.

On April 12 1861, the CSA attack Fort Sumner, and this prompts 4 more states to secede and join the CSA.

Order of Secession

1. South Carolina

2. Mississippi

3. Florida

4. Alabama

5. Georgia

6. Louisiana

7. TEXAS- February 1, 1861

8. Virginia

9. Arkansas

10. North Carolina

11. Tennessee

Discussion

Why would Abraham Lincoln’s election make the Slave States want to secede from the U.S.?

What is your opinion on states being able to secede today?

http://mrkash.com/activities/images/MissouriCompromisemap.jpg

http://cdn.history.com/sites/2/2013/12/underground-railroad-hero-H.jpeg

http://www.freemaninstitute.com/HarrietTubmanHead.jpg

https://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/images/utc/13.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/HWFireHouseBrown.jpg

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01811/lincolnSUM_1811021c.jpg

http://thehermitage.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/JacksonbyEarlc1834high-600x600.jpg

http://image1.findagrave.com/photos/2010/59/22633861_126751003919.jpg

http://mrkash.com/activities/images/CompromiseOf1850.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Slave_kidnap_post_1851_boston.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Dred_Scott_photograph_(circa_1857).jpg

http://wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/objects/1483/1518969/DIVI269.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Southern_Chivalry.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilmot_Proviso