Key Events in the Civil War
Compromise of 1850
Divisions were made concerning slavery in territory gained. Wars surrounding this were then resolved in the Compromise of 1850. It consisted of laws that let California become a free state, creating Utah and New Mexico territories. Both territories had the question of slavery. This had to be determined by popular sovereignty, settling a Texas-New Mexico boundary conflict. This all made it easier for southerners to recover fugitive slaves.
The Kansas Nebraska Act
Tension rose between Kansas and Nebraska because Nebraska was closed to slavery and Kansas was open. Even though the Missouri Compromise states that Kansas should be closed, they were not. Therefore, the two states split into two territories, Nebraska in the North and Kansas in the South. A bill was then passed by Douglas that stated popular sovereignty to exist in both territories.
Bleeding Kansas
People from Missouri called "border ruffians" came across the border to Kansas and voted on slavery illegally. The vote was then for the people who illegally voted, instead of for what Kansas wanted. The abolitionists of Kansas organized a rival group and several battles broke out.
The Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slave who was brought into a free state by his owner, but then brought back to his original non free state. He then brought this case to court stating that he was a free man. The case was in court for many years until a decision was finally made in 1857. The court ruled against Scott and stated that being in a free state does not make you a free man.
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
In a race between Lincoln and Douglas, a series of debates came about on the topic of slavery. Both men agreed that slavery was not to be practiced, but they both had different thoughts on how to keep it out. Douglas wanted popular sovereignty and Lincoln did not. Lincoln asked many question to Douglas, implying that popular sovereignty was an empty phrase. Douglas then stated that the people had to elect representatives to rule out slavery laws, presenting a way out of the Dred Scott Decision. These debates brought the public eye to Lincoln, leading him into the election of 1860.
Harper's Ferry
John Brown decided to lead 21 men, both black and white, into Harper's Ferry, Virginia. Brown wanted to seize federal arsenal there and start a save uprising. No uprisings occurred after this attack. After Brown's death, mobs were formed. The people who supported Brown were furious over his death.
Lincoln's Election
Many Southerners viewed Lincoln as an enemy because he did not want slavery. He was quite moderate in his views, too. While he was trying to stop slavery, he also tired to reassure Southerners that a Republican administration would not interfere with their slaves, or with them, about their slaves. Lincoln finally won the election with less than half of the popular vote and with no electoral votes from the South.
Fort Sumter
When the Confederacy was formed, they began to seize forts, the most important being Fort Sumter. Lincoln decided to neither abandon nor reinforce the fort. This was a huge step forward towards the brewing Civil War.
Bull Run
The first bloodshed on the battlefield occurred about three months after Fort Sumter. The Union did not have the upper hand and therefore lost this battle. Many of the Confederate soldiers believed hat the war was over, so they packed up and left the army. This left the Confederacy weak for upcoming events.
Antietam
McClellan ordered his troops to pursue Lee, which brought both sides to a clash at a small creek. Antietam has been proven to be the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. There were more than 26,000 casualties from this battle. Lincoln then removed McClellan from command after he chose not to make another move on the Confederacy.
Emancipation Proclamation
As Jefferson Davis’s Confederacy struggled in vain to gain foreign recognition, abolitionist feeling grew in the North. Although Lincoln disliked slavery, he did not believe that the federal government had the power to abolish it where it already existed. Lincoln then found a way to end slavery. He then seized enemy resources, making Emancipation a weapon of war.
Gettysburg Address
Near the sleepy town of Gettysburg, in southern Pennsylvania, the most decisive battle of the war was fought. By the end of the first day of fighting, 90,000 Union troops under the command of General George Meade had taken the field
against 75,000 Confederates, led by General Lee. In November of 1863, Lincoln held a ceremony for the battle. His speech was seen as a bond between the north and the south.
Andersonville Prison
The prison had horrible conditions to live in. Prisoners had no shelter from sun or rain. Although, they made holes in dirt to try to stay away from the harsh conditions. Prisoners had to drink from the same stream that also connected to the sewers. With 33,000 men put in a 26 acre area, one-third of the prisoner's died.
Surrender at Appomattox Court House
On April 3, 1865, Union troops conquered Richmond. Southerners fled the city after Northerners attacked it. Lee and Grant then met to have a truce between the Confederacy and the Union.
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
On April 14, 1865, five days after Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox, Lincoln and his wife went to Ford’s Theatre in Washington to see a British comedy, Our American Cousin. During the show, a man crept up behind Lincoln and shot him in the back of the head. He then died the next day, leaving his country to figure things out on their own.
Reconstruction
The need to help former slaves was just one of many issues the nation confronted after the war. In addition, the government, led by Andrew Johnson, Lincoln’s
vice-president and eventual successor, had to determine how to bring the
Confederate states back into the Union. Reconstruction, the period during
which the United States began to rebuild after the Civil War, lasted from 1865 to
1877.
Long Term Causes of the Civil War
Economic Causes
There was a lot of job competition for many immigrants coming to America. Both sides also had very different types of economies. The North had the industrial and capital economy while the South had slave labor and agriculture.
Social and Moral Causes
People started to become opposed to use of slave labor. Slave labor became a moral conflict instead of a economic issue. When Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published, people started to really see the horror in slavery.
Political Causes
The Fugitive Slave Act and Personal Liberty Laws created new conflicts between political leaders. Which led to increased sectionalism. When the Kansas-Nebraska Act was placed, people decided to illegally cross borders to keep Kansas a slave state, also known as Bleeding Kansas. This made people mad and created battles. The Dred Scott Decision made new laws for people who want to become free. This decision also affected debate topics between Douglas and Lincoln.
There was a lot of job competition for many immigrants coming to America. Both sides also had very different types of economies. The North had the industrial and capital economy while the South had slave labor and agriculture.
Social and Moral Causes
People started to become opposed to use of slave labor. Slave labor became a moral conflict instead of a economic issue. When Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published, people started to really see the horror in slavery.
Political Causes
The Fugitive Slave Act and Personal Liberty Laws created new conflicts between political leaders. Which led to increased sectionalism. When the Kansas-Nebraska Act was placed, people decided to illegally cross borders to keep Kansas a slave state, also known as Bleeding Kansas. This made people mad and created battles. The Dred Scott Decision made new laws for people who want to become free. This decision also affected debate topics between Douglas and Lincoln.
Triggering Events
-In 1860, Lincoln was elected President.
-In February of 1861, The Confederate States of America was formed, along with the Union.
-Jefferson Davis was elected President of the Confederate States.
-Confederacy fires on South Carolina Union fort at Fort Sumter in April, 1861.
-In February of 1861, The Confederate States of America was formed, along with the Union.
-Jefferson Davis was elected President of the Confederate States.
-Confederacy fires on South Carolina Union fort at Fort Sumter in April, 1861.