Events that led up to the Civil War
Major Events that caused the Civil War
The Compromise of 1850
It was the biggest compromise of the war. It allowed the South to still have slaves work for them, but it discontinued the slave trade in Washington D. C. Which allowed California to come in as a free state. It also gave Texas $10 million to give up its claims on the New Mexico territory, which helped Texas to pay off its debts. A congressman also came up with popular sovereignty, which means that all people should be treated as equals.
Map after the Compromise
Report that sums up Compromise
The Supreme Court where they decided
The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
This was a law given to the South that says that any slave caught escaping from the South to freedom of the North should be brought back to their masters. Bounty hunters received a bounty for all of the slaves they brought back. You were always to obey a bounty hunter and give him what he wants or you will be punished. Bounty hunters also caught free black people and sold them to slave owners.
The Dred Scott Decision of 1857
Dred Scott was a free black man and wanted that for all people. He then took his case to the Supreme Court where a lot of controversy happened. The Dred Scott decision caused more fighting between the North and the South. It also said that the slave owners of the South could take their slaves with them into other free states.
Dred Scott
Dred Scott Decision on Paper
Newspaper Article about the Dred Scott Decision
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854
The bill was passed that the territories would take a popular vote over whether or not they should be a free or slave state. It caused a lot of fighting, this was called "Bloody Kansas", and though they did not now it at the time, these battles were leading up to the Civil War. Bloody Kansas was the two territories fighting against each other so that they could get there vote to win. So basically it was the abolitionist against the people who wanted slavery.
John Brown's Raid of 1859
John Brown got a group of slaves together who were willing to rebel against their masters. He then led them so that they were able to fight and marched and took down a lone watchman and captured a few prisoners (including the great grandson of George Washington). They then were stopped by a train and fired apon it killing one free black man. Then they marched into town and spent the night at a hotel. They awoke that next morning and were fired apon by the townspeople. John Brown was captured and hung for his acts. He was considered a abolitionist martyr for dying for his beliefs that all people should be considered equal.