Long Term and Immediate
Causes of the Civil War
Social Studies Solutions
19-20
You need a blank piece of paper!
Key Event
Compromise of 1820
Sectionalism
(Slavery, Economics, Tariffs, Land,
etc.)
Wilmot Proviso
Compromise of 1850 (Stronger
Fugitive Slave Law)
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Dred Scott v. Sanford
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
John Brown’s Raid
Election of 1860
How does it lead to division?
Review of LONG TERM causes
Question of State’s Rights vs.
Federal Rights
Idea of Nullification
Compromise of 1820
Debate over slavery
Sectionalism
Compromise of 1850
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Depicted evils of slavery
to public
Written by Harriet
Beecher Stowe
Uncle Tom, Simon
Legree—characters in
the book
1852—sold over 1 million
copies
Why? The undecided now
favor anti-slavery side,
angers Southerners
Kansas-Nebraska Act:
popular
sovereignty will determine slavery in KansasNebraska territory
1854—popular sovereignty passed as
law in Compromise of 1850
Rush to populate state with voters
leads to Bleeding Kansas: abolitionist
and pro-slavery sides result to violence!
Foreshadows fighting in Civil War,
shows popular sovereignty will not work
Sumner/Brooks Incident — fight in
the US Senate, Brooks beats Sumner
with a cane for his attacks on slavery
in the South, foreshadows Civil War
Dred Scott v. Sanford
1857
Scott is a slave  he is taken into free
states  sues for freedom based on
Missouri Compromise  Supreme Court
(majority Southern) rules:
Blacks are not citizens, slaves are property
Can’t ban slavery
Missouri Compromise is illegal
Development of Republican Party
Topic of slavery has come to dominate
political parties
By 1850—differences have peaked within
Whigs, Democrats, and Free-Soilers: those
that oppose slavery form a new party
The Republicans: official party policy was
to oppose the growth of slavery where it
didn’t already exist
Political Parties (1850-1860)
Party
Established
Major Platform
Free-Soil
1848
Anti-extension of
slaver, pro-labor
Know-Nothing
1854
Anti-immigration, antiCatholic, nativism
Whig
1834
Pro-business
Divided on slavery
Republican
1854
Opposed expansion of
slavery into territories
Democratic
1840
States’ rights
Limited Govt
Divided on slavery
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
Senate Race 1858: Stephen Douglas
(Democrat) and Abraham Lincoln
(Republican)
Debate over slavery: neither man favored
slavery, so how argue it?
Douglas issues: Freeport Doctrine—slavery
needs certain laws in order to exist, if you
don’t want slavery don’t pass the laws
Douglas goes on to win election, but Lincoln
gains national fame from the debates
John Brown’s Raid
John Brown—extreme abolitionist
Attempted to capture Harper’s Ferry (a
military arsenal in Virginia) with the intent
to arm slaves to rebel
He and his men were surrounded and
forced to surrender
Brown found guilty and then hanged—
becomes a martyr for abolitionists
Southerners believe Brown represents
Northerners who want control of the
South
Southern Secession
1860 election—slavery had divided the parties:
Republican Lincoln pledges to stop spread of slavery
(not end it), Douglas and Breckinridge split the
Democratic vote, John Bell runs under Constitutional
Party
LINCOLN wins election of 1860 with NO
SOUTHERN ELECTORAL VOTES
South secedes due to fear of no voice in gov’t and
losing the only way of life (slavery) ever known
Dec. 24, 1860: State of South Carolina secedes
(withdraw) from the Union
Confederate States of America
Officially formed before Lincoln
takes office
Jefferson Davis is elected President
South Carolina leaves first followed
by Mississippi, Florida,
Alabama, Georgia,
Louisiana and Texas
Response of North
“This country will be drenched in blood…the
people of the North…are not going to let
the country be destroyed without a might
effort to save it…”
Can the use of force preserve the nation?
Lincoln says states do not have the right
to secede
Review Questions
1.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Which event convinced many
Southerners that they had lost their voice
in the national government?
The Dred Scott decision
The issuance of the Freeport Doctrine
John Brown’s raid at Harpers’ Ferry
Lincoln’s election as president
2. Which of the following was the LEAST
divisive issue in the election of 1856?
a. The candidacy of James Buchanan
b. The Kansas-Nebraska Act
c. The expansion of slavery
d. The rise of the Republican Party
3. Why did Kansas become a center of
controversy over the issue of slavery?
a. Because it extended the power of the Missouri
Compromise
b. Because the Kansas-Nebraska Act opened
the territory to slavery and popular sovereignty
c. The Know-Nothing Party disagreed with
opening the territory to slavery
d. All of the above
4. Why did most Free-Soilers object to
slavery?
a. They believed slavery was morally wrong
b. They believed the South should be forced
to industrialize
c. They believed that white workers could
not get jobs in competition w/ slaves
d. The party actually had no opinion on
slavery
5. What was the significance of the Dred
Scott decision?
a. It declared slaves were property
b. It effectively repealed the Missouri
Compromise
c. It stated that because Scott was a slave,
he had no rights in court
d. All of the above
6. What was the significance of the election
of 1856 for Abraham Lincoln?
a. He won the election
b. His debates against his opponent,
Stephen Douglas afforded him national
attention
c. Stephen Douglas became president
d. Lincoln learned nothing about running for
office in the national spotlight
7. “So you’re the little lady that started this
big war,” stated by Lincoln, most likely
refers to whom?
a. Harriet Tubman
b. Harriet Beecher Stowe
c. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
d. Sojourner Truth
Civil War Timeline Part 1
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Create a timeline (events
must be in order by
month and year)
Include 2 major facts
about each event—
should include
significance of event!
Give your timeline a title
Include at least 3 pictures
This is the 1st part of the
timeline, you will
complete the 2nd half on
Thursday. The entire
timeline will count as a
QUIZ GRADE!
Due at beginning of class
on Friday!
John Brown’s Raid
 Kansas-Nebraska Act
 Compromise of 1850
 Lincoln’s Election
 Dred Scott v. Sanford
 Compromise of 1820
 Uncle Tom’s Cabin
 Lincoln-Douglas Debates
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Civil War Timeline Part 1






Create a timeline (events
must be in order by
month and year)
Include 2 major facts
about each event—
should include
significance of event!
Give your timeline a title
Include at least 3 pictures
This is the 1st part of the
timeline, you will
complete the 2nd half on
Thursday. The entire
timeline will count as a
QUIZ GRADE!
Due at beginning of class
on Friday!
John Brown’s Raid
 Kansas-Nebraska Act
 Compromise of 1850
 Lincoln’s Election
 Dred Scott v. Sanford
 Compromise of 1820
 Uncle Tom’s Cabin
 Lincoln-Douglas Debates
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