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In 1819, congress had the decision of whether to add Missouri to the country. Representative James Tallmadge of New York proposed an amendment to the bill saying Missouri could only join as a free state. This would upset the balance between the north and south in government. Southerners were mad because it was like congress was trying to end slavery, but in the north anti-slavery feelings were awoken.

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As tension in congress increased over Missouri, southerners were threatening civil war. To resolve this, Missouri was added as a slave state but Maine was added as a free state to keep the balance. Then a line was drawn at 36°30’ N latitude. Slavery was only allowed south of this line, and banned north of it. This contributed to war because southerners deeply hated the ban on slavery in future states north of the line.

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After Texas gained independence from Mexico, the US decided to annex it in 1845. This lead to the civil war because Texas joined the union as a slave state.

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In 1846, a document that said slavery must be banned in all new territories acquired from the Mexican American war. This was good for the north because it would prevent the spread of slavery, but was bad for the south because they could not expand their businesses.

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Kentucky senator Henry Clay decided to make the north and the south happy by admitting California as a free state but the new utah and new mexico territories would be open to slavery. The slave trade would end in Washinton D.C. but a new fugitive slave law was to be introduced. This lead to the civil war because while congress was debating over the compromise, southerners thought about leaving the union.

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A woman named Harriet Beecher Stowe had a vision while sitting at church one day. It was about a slave named Uncle Tom who was getting beaten by his master. She ran home and started writing what she saw. She published that story as well as many others in a book about the horrors of life as a slave. This made people in the north more aware and more angry about the cruelty of slavery, but in the south the book was shamed and cursed for mocking the southern way of life. This divided the country even more.

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After the admitting of the new Kansas and Nebraska territories, a new law was passed in 1854. The Missouri Compromise was abolished and the settlers of the territories would vote on whether slavery would be allowed there or not. This contributed to the civil war because northerners were terrified of slavery expanding across the great plains.

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Although most of the people settling Kansas and Nebraska were peaceful farmers looking for good land, many people came to either vote for or against slavery. It wasn't long before  there were two competing governments, one for slavery and one against it. In many situations, settlers became violent. In one scenario, so called "border ruffians" from Missouri went into Lawrence, Kansas(capital of antislavery government) and wreaked havoc. They burned a hotel, looted homes, and tossed a printing press into the river. This attack sent a wave of fury throughout the north. Now they resented slavery even more.

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In early 1875, a Missouri slave named Dred Scott travelled to Wisconsin with his owner. When he came back, he tried to sue for his freedom, saying that his trip to anti Slave wisconsin made him free. The supreme court ruled that Scott could not sue for his freedom because he was not a citizen of the US. The Chief Justice also said that no african american, free or enslaved could ever be a citizen. Also, all new territories had to be open to slavery. This was great for the south because it settled slavery in their favor. But it infuriated the north.

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John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry, VA - 1859

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John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry, VA - 1859

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A fierce abolitionist from the north, John Brown had a more extreme approach to fighting slavery. Him and his army attacked and seized a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Most of his men were captured or killed, and Brown was also executed. Southerners were scared because if the slaves rebelled, then the south would suffer. Southerners were also nervous because many northerners viewed Brown as a hero.

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Abraham Lincoln Elected President - 1860/1861

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Abraham Lincoln Elected President - 1860/1861

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Lincoln was elected president on November 6th 1860 after winning 40% of the electoral vote. All of them were cast in the north, and in 10 southern states, he wasn’t even on the ballot. This scared the south because with Lincoln in power, the south was the minority with litter power to influence national events. White southerners thought that eventually, the north would use their new power to abolish slavery.