Topic #17: Describe Major Events, Compromises, and Incidents Leading up to the Civil War.
Starting in the 1770's, slavery was a growing issue in the United States. Occuring mainly in the southern states, plantation owners bought and employed dozens of African American slaves to harvest and plant their crops. These slaves were often treated very poorly, sometimes getting whipped and beaten to work harder. This unfair treatment became recognized by the states towards the north who considered slavery to be cruel and unjust. As the north became more dependent on industrialization rather than agriculture, the two sides became divided on the issue of slavery and argued whether or not it should be considered legal. This was the starting point for many major events, compromises, and incidents that led up to the Civil War between the northern and southern states.
In 1787, Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance which made slavery illegal in the states which were northwest of the Ohio River. Eventually, every state north of the Mason-Dixon line became known as "free states" meaning slavery was not allowed. The states south of the line however, remained "slave states" and could practice slavery as much as they wanted. In 1804, Congress outlawed the international slave trade and the Royal and U.S. Navys later joined in to enforce the new law. Many abolitionist groups actively worked to end slavery throughout the entire United States, organizing slave revolts and publishing works like The Liberator, and The Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World. Whenever a new state joined the U.S., the north and south debated over whether it should become free or slave. This led to three different compromises including the Missouri Compromise of 1820, and the Compromise of 1850. The Missouri Compromise settled a big disagreement between the north and the south. By this time, both sides had eleven states, making the split equal. Missouri, already a slave state, wanted to join the north and become free, as well as the newest state, Maine. Adding these two states as free would upset the balance and anger the south. To keep both sides happy, Maine would become a free state and Missouri would remain part of the south. With the Compromise of 1850, came the new concept of popular sovereignty, giving new states the ability to vote on being free or slave. With popular sovereignty came the Kansas-Nebraska Act. This act was brought up to decide whether to make the Kansas and Nebraska territory free or slave. Under the Missouri Compromise, the territory was legally free until Senator Stephen Douglas came up with a new idea. He proposed that the land be divided, Nebraska in the north, and Kansas in the south, and under popular sovereignty, the new states would be able to make the free/slave decision for themselves. After many debates between the north and south, the Kansas and Nebraska Act became legal in 1854. By this time, the Federal census had recorded at least three million slaves in the U.S. population.
Both supporters and opponents of slavery raced to populate Kansas in order to make the vote which would ultimately decide if the state would become free or slave. Many Missouri residents crossed into Kansas and voted illegally, however, the territory became proslavery in the end. This event outraged the north starting a series of bloody violences which gave Kansas the name "Bleeding Kansas". Even in Congress, the violence was getting out of control. Congressman Preston Brooks struck Senator Charles Sumner in the head with a cane after he verbally attacked slavery and Brook's uncle for his beliefs, causing him brain damage and rendering him unable to return to the Senate for three years.
In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected as the new president of the United States. At this time, Southerners thought that the government was becoming too strong and they felt that they should not have to be told how to live. They also felt threatened by the north and believed that they would soon be controlled by the free states. Some southern states decided that they would secede from the United States meaning that they would become their own independent nation called the Confederate States of America. South Carolina was the first to leave, followed by the other ten later on. Known as the "Confederacy" for short, the states elected Jefferson Davis as their president. The northern states became known as the "Union" and President Lincoln vowed that he would do whatever it takes to get the southern states back, even if that meant fighting for them. The Union set up forts in the south and refused to leave, angering them even more. On April 12, 1861, Confederate troops took fire at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina and the battle between north and south, free and slave, began. This single battle marked the beginning of the Civil War.
I enjoyed writing about this topic because I find the Civil War and history in general to be really interesting and its one of my favorite subjects. I think the whole debate about slavery was ridiculous and should never have been allowed anywhere. I understand that a lot of workers were needed on the large plantations but I think the plantation masters could have hired a lot of Americans to do the job and actually paid them for their help. I also think that treating a human being so cruely, no matter their race, is very harsh and unjust. African Americans are people just like the white men and they should have been treated as such.
Sources:
http://www.pocanticohills.org/civilwar/south.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_events_leading_to_the_American_Civil_War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_the_United_States
Online History Book: Section 4-1
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