Events Leading
to the
Civil War
Mr. McNichols’ Class
Events Leading To The Civil War
• Events leading to the Secession of the South
– Political Sectionalism
• Missouri Compromise 1820
– Missouri - slave state
» Controversial provision would have barred immigration of free
blacks
– Maine - free state
– Entry of states into the Union must be balanced
• Gag Rule of 1836
– Automatically tabled all petitions related to slavery
» Avoided debate on 1000s of antislavery petitions being sent to
northern congressmen
» Circumvented concerns about limiting citizens’ right of petition by
tabling petitions rather than prohibiting them
» Strengthened support of abolitionist cause (abolitionists claimed
slavery impacted free citizens’ rights too, this demonstrated it)
» Rescinded in 1844
An Alternative
The Road to Secession
Throughout the first half of the 19th century, Congress
was bitterly divided on the question of slavery.
The Road to Secession
Congressmen from free and
slave states each feared
that the other faction would
gain enough power to
change federal law
concerning slavery.
They worked together
to avoid upsetting the
balance and to ensure
they could conduct
other Congressional
business in spite of
their disagreements
about slavery.
The Road to Secession
• Two strategies they used to
maintain harmony within
Congress were
– the Missouri Compromise of
1820 and
– the Gag Rule of 1836.
• Ultimately, no compromise
was successful in keeping the
country from war.
The Missouri Compromise
• In 1820, the United States Senate was perfectly
balanced between slave and free states.
• If a slave or free state were allowed into the
Union, it could tip the balance of power in favor
of one faction.
SLAVE STATES
FREE STATES
The Missouri Compromise
36°30’ N
It also required that all future states above 36°30’
N. latitude (the southern boundary of Missouri)
prohibit slavery.
1820-1854
The Gag Rule of 1836
• 1830s: Anti-Slavery Society
sponsors anti-slavery petitioning to
Congress
• Focused on the District of
Columbia, which avoided states’
rights issues
• Northern Congressmen brought up
for debate
The Gag Rule of 1836
• House
Gag Rule to
prevent
petitions
The Gag Rule of 1836
• Senate
Agreed to table all
petitions
• Compromise
allowed Congress
to pass other
legislation
What Did Citizens Think?
• Abolitionists had already
been arguing that the
presence of slavery
threatened the rights of
free citizens.
• Why was the Gag Rule
seen as an example of
this?
Inalienable Rights
• The First
Amendment: Right to
petition government
• Restrictions on some
(slaves) led to
restrictions on others
(freemen)
• This kind of problem is called a
“slippery slope.”
• When you allow such a slope to
exist, it is hard not to slip down to
the bottom.
• Despite the unpopularity of the Gag
Rule, it was not revoked until 1844.
1836-1844