Build Up to the Civil War by Katie Vojtkofsky

1619-1865 | The Peculiar Institution - Slavery

katievojtkofsky — 2023-12-08 15:00:12 UTC

slavery was getting more and more prominent during this time period, but as more slaves were being put to work, it became more and more controversial. Northern states started creating emancipation laws one by one, while in all southern states slavery was the foundation for their economic and political order. This led us closer to the civil war because the tension between the north and south was becoming greater, turning the states against each other based on the question of morals.

1820 | The Missouri Compromise

katievojtkofsky — 2023-12-08 15:06:48 UTC

the Missouri compromise drew an imaginary line between the north and south states, becoming free vs. slave in hopes of keeping a balance. But the compromise didnt last because when we continued to expand even farther to California in the future, the line wasn't effective, and the states became obsessed with having the same amount of power, so rules had to be changed and fugitive slave laws were enforced. The slave laws led the northerners to be even more mad and against the south, brining more tension towards a civil war.

1831 | Nat Turner’s Rebellion

katievojtkofsky — 2023-12-08 15:11:23 UTC

Slaves from Virginia including Nat Turner went out on a rebellion killing nearly 60 white people. After the rebellion, slaves lost nearly all of the very few rights they had. This led us closer to the civil war because slaves were now being treated even worse, so the tension from the Souths against the Norths would become even greater, causing more and more conflict and taking us out of peace.

1846 - 1850 | The Wilmot Proviso

katievojtkofsky — 2023-12-08 15:14:15 UTC

Proposed by David Wilmot, he was trying to get all of the new western territory from manifest destiny to become free states. the intensity of the debate surrounding the Proviso prompted the first serious discussions of secession. This led us closer to the civil war because more and more people were started to question slavery, and the conflict between states was growing from our westward expansion

1850 | The Compromise of 1850

katievojtkofsky — 2023-12-08 15:15:59 UTC

The compromise admitted California as a free state and did not regulate slavery in the remainder of the Mexican cession all while strengthening the Fugitive Slave Act, a law which compelled Northerners to seize and return escaped slaves to the South. This led to more polarization between the north and south, the divide between them becoming even greater because new states were being created, and power was being shifted in different ways

1852 | Uncle Tom’s Cabin

katievojtkofsky — 2023-12-08 15:18:33 UTC

book written by a slave, revealing the hidden horrors of their lives. This was the 2nd most popular book of this century, most southerners saw it as slanderous, while the north people said their eyes had been opened. This created a even bigger divide in the country, with both sides completely against each other.

1854 - 1859 | Bleeding Kansas

katievojtkofsky — 2023-12-08 15:22:50 UTC

Kansas and Nebraska were now officially US Territories, but they applied popular sovereignty, which said that the people in the state by vote got to decide if they were free or slave. Everybody in the state starting going against each other, with eventually guerilla wars between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces. This was one of the first violent events before the civil war, foreshadowing the future war we would soon be in with each other.

1857 | Dred Scott v. Sanford

katievojtkofsky — 2023-12-08 15:27:57 UTC

Dred Scott was a Virginia slave who tried to sue for his freedom in court. The case got to the Supreme Court, where they said that as a slave Dred Scott was a piece of property that had none of the legal rights afforded to a human being. This led us closer to the civil war because the political rules that prevented the civil war were now being questions, and the north and south were now in complete polarization with each other.

1858 | Lincoln-Douglas Debates

katievojtkofsky — 2023-12-08 15:32:19 UTC

Lincoln and Douglas went through multiple debates over slavery, even though Lincoln lost, his ideas were nationally open to the country now, bringing him to his presidency later on. This led us closer to the civil war because not only were the states against each other now, but important leaders were too, making everyone on one side or the other

1859 | John Brown’s Raid

katievojtkofsky — 2023-12-08 15:34:39 UTC

john brown led a raid, supplying slaves with armed weapons, bringing deaths of slaves and whites in the south. John was hung later that year. This shows violence becoming more and more prominent in the country, nobody in peace with one another at this point. The war was basically just waiting to happen.

1860 | Abraham Lincoln’s Election

katievojtkofsky — 2023-12-08 15:37:12 UTC

Lincoln was elected, bring republic ism and anti slavery perspectives into the government. This outlook brought many southerners to be scared of what would happen, directly after, many states started seceding, and nobody could do anything to stop it. This led the country to anger and division, ready to go against each other

1861 | The Battle of Fort Sumter

katievojtkofsky — 2023-12-08 15:39:48 UTC

the first battle of the war, lincoln started calling people from the north to create an army. The south and north were now violently in battle with one another.