Election of 1860

Election of 1860

                 The Election of 1860 the election where Abraham Lincoln won his spot in office. Lincoln was not on the Southern ballet but the North had more power over the South at this time. The Southerners who were pro-slavery were very upset when Lincoln won the election causing more tension between the North and the South.South Carolina was the first state to succeed, followed many other southern states. Shortly after, Jefferson Davis became president of the Southern/Confederate States. This election was one of the main events leading up to the Civil War. 

http://potus-geeks.livejournal.com/222097.html

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Kansas-Nebraska Act

                      The Kansas-Nebraska Act took place in 1854, shortly after the Compromise of 1850. Both Kansas and Nebraska voted on whether slavery would be allowed in their state or not.This was a very important decision because it could break the balance between fee and slave states. The Missouri Compromise was repealed due to The Kansas-Nebraska Act breaking the balance of the states.This caused a lot of tension between the Northern states and the Southern states. Slavery was the main issue that the North and the South had. Different states had different ideas of slavery and this cause lots of disagreements. 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/lincolns-political-landscape/

Compromise of 1850, Fugitive Slave Act and Georgia Platform

Compromise of 1850, Fugitive Slave Act and Georgia Platform

              

                  During the year 1850 a lot of changes were made regarding slavery.The biggest change that occurred was the compromise of 1850. California wanted to become a state but if that were to happen, the balance between the slave and free states would become uneven. California was added as a free state and this caused lots of tension between the Northern states and the Southern states. Texas gave up part of their land for 10 million dollars and slavery was abolished in D.C. Also the Fugitive Slave Act was passed in 1850. The Fugitive Slave Act required Northern citizens return any runaway slaves. Anyone who was found helping slaves were fined lots of money and imprisoned. The Fugitive Slave Act also denied most jury trials and increased the number of  federal agents to enforce laws. The last major change in 1850 was the Georgia Platform. Georgia said that they would accept the compromise as long as the Northerners followed the Fugitive Slave Act and if the North would stop trying to ban the expansion of slavery. 

http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/media/uploads/lincolns_shifting_1850.jpg

Confederate/Union Strengths and Weaknesses and First Battles-Ft.Sumter/Bull Run

Confederate/Union Strengths and Weaknesses
 and First Battles-Ft.Sumter/Bull Run

                      During the beginning of the war the Confederacy had a better chance of winning because they had certain advantages over the Union. The South only had to defend their land, while the north had to conquer a huge amount of land. The south also had an advantage with their location. The South had to move their supplies and troops a much shorter distance than the Union did. The southern land was difficult to blockade and the South had experienced military leaders and a good moral. The North had a huge population against the South because only the free whites were included in the population.The North also got 800,000 immigrants and 180,000 African Americans during the war to boost their population. The Union had a huge advantage because they had command of the rivers, territorial waters, most of the banking, 85% of the factories, 70% of the railroads, 65% of the farmlands.
                      On April 12,1861 the civil war started at Ft.Sumter, South Carolina. Lincoln gave the south the decision on what they wanted to do. The South decided to attack and therefore the war officially started. Fort Sumter was captured by the Confederacy. On July 21,1861 30,000 Union troops marched to Bull Run Creek where the Confederates were stationed. The Union was super close to winning this battle but Stonewall's reinforcements arrived just in time for the Confederacy to win. 

http://connect.gwu.edu/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=100715

                   

The Emancipation Proclamation

                       

The Emancipation Proclamation

                         On the first day of 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. At first Lincoln was hesitant about releasing it because he needed to keep the border states happy. Before Lincoln's policy was to ignore slaves in border states because he did not want them to secede. Other reasons for him to delay the Emancipation Proclamation were because of the many prejudice northerners and he was also worried about the slaves constitutional protections. Even after the Emancipation Proclamation slavery was allowed in border states but the Emancipation Proclamation did commit the south to abolition and now Union army was not only fighting against secession and rebellion but also slavery.

http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Images/proclamation.jpg

Dred Scott Case

Dred Scott Case

                    Dred Scott was a slave and he had been living in a free state for two years with his owner. In 1857 he tried to sue to gain his freedom. The supreme court said that he could not sue anyone in court because he was a slave. Slaves were not considered citizens they were considered property. The Supreme Court said that African Americans, whether slave or free, could not be American citizens and did not have the right to sue in federal court.

http://americancivilwar.com/colored/dred_scott.html

Missouri Compromise

Missouri Compromise 

                      The Missouri Compromise was held in 1820. The purpose of the Missouri compromise was to keep a balance between the slave states and the free states. If the south had another state, they would have an advantage in congress. An agreement was made out and the north got the state of Maine to be admitted as a free state. Maine was previously a part of Massachusetts. This was so Missouri could be a part of the slave states and keep a balance between the north and the south. The 36 30 parallel line was made and slavery was not allowed past it. After the Missouri Compromise a balance would remain at 12 free states and 12 slave states.

http://umqc.blogspot.com/2010/12/question-578.html

States' Rights and Nullification

 Sates' Rights and Nullification

                    In 1832 South Carolina argued that their rights as a state should come before the federal  governments' needs. South Carolina refused to the federal laws because they were thought to be unconstitutional. Some people thought nullification was great while others believed that nullification would only cause tension. South Carolina stood alone with their ideas. A war almost broke out in 1832 when President Jackson decided to send troops to South Carolina.

http://www.curiosityshoptea.com/store/product/11384/Flag-US%3A-South-Carolina-Nullif/

Sectionalism

Sectionalism

                Sectionalism caused lots of tension between the regions of America. People were proud of where they lived and how they lived in their region. For example the south relied on their farms to grow cotton, wheat and tobacco. This required slaves to be used in the south. The north had manufacturing companies and raised cattle so slaves were not as heavily needed. People in the north disapproved of the ways the southerners lived and how they used people as their slaves. Also the traditions change between people living in the north and living in the south even though both are part of America. Americans love their country but they strongly love where they come from and their way of living.

http://www.mrgigliotti.com/Road%20to%20Civil%20War%20Sectionalism.htm