Transcript Causes-of-Civil-Warx

Leading to War
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During the first half of the nineteenth century the United
States saw enormous growth in population, territory, and
economy
– Population and land both increased by four times
– Grows national product increased by seven times
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With this incredible increase, along with the invention of
the cotton gin (TOK), the cotton industry grew
exponentially and became vital for the southern
economy
Leading to War
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Incomes rise and so does the economic gap
People move from farms to cities as businesses move
from the homes to factories
• Ethnic conflict between British Protestants and
German/Irish Catholics
• SLAVERY- fading out of the North, boarder states, and
urban areas while remaining a cultural part of the
southern economy
– Northerners viewed slavery as against the founding principles
Leading to War
Political Objectives for the North
• High tariff, a high tax on imports to help
promote the North’s growing industry.
• Federal aid in development of infrastructure
– Roads, canals and bridges
• Loose immigration policy, which would
provide cheap labor
• Availability of free or cheap western lands for
investment
• Containment of slavery
Political Objectives of the South
• Low tariffs, promote cotton trade with Britain
• The expansion of slavery
• Higher cost of western lands, allow planters to
control the market
• Forbid the movement of slaves to the free
north
Spread of Slavery
• The north feared the spread of slavery to the west
because they feared it threatened the idea of
capitalism.
• Missouri Compromise(1820) – with the creation of new
states the battle was on if they should be free or slave
states.
• To maintain balance in the Senate, Henry Clay came up
with the 36/30 degree line.
– North of the line free states; South of the line slave states
• Allowing Maine to come into the Union as a free state
and allowing Missouri to come in as a slave state.
• Avoided war for 40 more years
Spread of Slavery
• 1828, Congress passed a tariff that protected Northern
Industry.
• The South, led by then Vice President of the United
States John C. Calhoun, believed they could nullify this
legislation and not pay any taxes.
• Andrew Jackson, who was the President at the time,
stated that if anyone from the South refused to pay or
collect taxes that he himself would personally hand
that person to the nearest tree.
– Calhoun resigned as Vice President after that statement
Spread of Slavery
• Mexican American War broke out in 1846-47
• Texas led by Sam Houston claimed their
independence from Mexico and wanted to
annex to the United States.
• The United States annexed Texas in 1845,
however Mexico did not let hold of their claim
to Texas thus sparking the Mexican American
War
Spread of Slavery
• August of 1846, David Wilmont proposed the
Wilmont Proviso, which tried to end slavery in all
territory that was taken from Mexico.
• The this time there was 15 free states and 15
slave states in the Senate
• Passed in the house but failed in the Senate
– It was once again reintroduced later that same year
and once again passed in the house but failed in the
Senate
• South threatened to succeed from the Union if
the Wilmont Proviso was passed
Spread of Slavery
• Treaty of Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the
Mexican American War
– US had to pay Mexico 15 million for Texas and other areas
– Established the Mexican-American border of the Rio
Grande
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Mexico had to give the United States present-day Texas,
California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, and
parts of Washington and Colorado
–—
Mexican citizens could relocate or become American
citizens with full civil rights, 90% stayed
• Tried to reintroduce Texas coming in as a free state into
the treaty, however it was denied
Gold Rush
• 1849, over 100,000 new people rushed into
California to strike it rich.
• Giving California enough people to apply to
become part of the Union, they applied as a
free state.
• South said that if they accept them in the
Union as a free state then they will succeed
from the Union
Compromise of 1850
• Henry Clay proposed the Compromise of 1850
– California would enter as a free state
– Slave trade would now be illegal in Washington DC
– New Mexico and Utah would be able to enter into
the Union by a popular vote of the state to be free
or slave.
Bleeding Kansas
• Stephen A Douglas a senator from Illinois, wanted
to get the railroad through his state.
• He needed the help of the southern senators so
he created a legislation called the KansasNebraska Act of 1854
– Nebraska Territory would be broken into two Kansas
and Nebraska
– They would be allowed to determine slavery based
upon popular sovereignty
• The act was going against the Missouri
Compromise line of 36/30 degree
Bleeding Kansas
• The Act passed in both houses of Congress and was
signed by President Pierce.
• Charles Sumner, a northern senator gave a speech that
humiliated the Southern way of life, saying that slavery
was like rapping a virgin.
• The next day Charles Sumner was nearly beat to death
by Preston Brooks, a southern congressman, on the
floor of the Senate
• Northerners and Westerners were outraged raced to
the territory to protest. (violent)
• John Brown led a lot of the anti-slavery attacks in
Kansas.
Dred Scott Decision (1857)
• Dred Scott was a slave that was taken from
Missouri, a slave state, to Wisconsin, a free state.
• Dred Scott sued for his freedoms based upon the
fact that slavery was banned in Wisconsin.
• Roger Taney, was the chief justice of the Supreme
Court, he ruled;
– Slaves were considered to be property, therefore
Congress can not take property away from a person
– Also the Constitution had no citizen rights for blacks,
therefor Scott had no rights to sue for his freedoms
Republican Party
• Republican party was formed based upon the
dislike of the spread of slavery in the United
States
• They were formed from:
– Free Soilers, did not want spread of slavery
– Northern Capitalists, feared slavery affected American
economy
– Abolitionist
– Northern Democrats
– Whigs that didn’t believe in slavery
Harpers Ferry Raid (1859)
• John Brown led a group of abolitionist to
Harpers Ferry, VA and seized a federal arsenal
• John Brown believed that the only way to end
slavery was with violence.
• Brown was met at Harpers Ferry by the
Federal Army led by Robert E Lee.
• Brown was captured and hung for his crimes
against the country.
Election of 1860
• Republican- Abraham Lincoln – Contain slavery
• Northern Democrats – Stephen Douglas – Popular
Sovereignty
• Southern Democrats – opposed the containment
of slavery
• Lincoln wins despite the fact of only getting 39%
of the popular vote and not even getting on the
ballot in most Southern States
• Split of the Democratic party helped him win
South Carolina Secedes
• South Carolina believed the future of southern life
would be threatened in Congress, so in 1860 they
succeeded from the Union followed by 6 other states
• Created the Confederate States of America
– Elected Jefferson Davis President of the Confederate
• Other southern states were waiting to see what Lincoln
would do once he entered office
• Kentucky senator, John Crittenden tried to create a
compromise that would take the nation back to the
Missouri Compromise of 1820, however it failed
• War is close