Pre-Civil War: Pre-Civil War: Decade of CrisisDecade of Crisis
1850-1860
Institution of SlaveryInstitution of Slavery
Eli Whitney - Cotton GinNat Turner’s Revolt 1831Missouri Compromise 1820
–36 degrees 30 minutes
Compromise of 1850Compromise of 1850California (49ers) apply to become a
FREE state–Popular Sovereignty
South RejectsCompromise proposed by Henry
Clay, Daniel Webster, Stephen Douglas
They Propose:They Propose:Allow California in as free state
(Northern Victory)Create New Mexico and Utah
territories without restrictions about slavery
Stricter fugitive slave law (Southern Victory...hurt Underground RR)
Results of Compromise of Results of Compromise of 18501850
4 Southern States threaten to secede
North upset about fugitive slave law
Uncle Tom's CabinUncle Tom's CabinHarriet Beecher
Stowe - 1852
Dramatic account of a slave fighting for freedom
Result...more people wanting to abolish slavery
Kansas-Nebraska Act Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)(1854)
Background (RR, etc)Stephen Douglas, Senator (ILL) He
Proposes:– Create Kansas and Nebraska Territories– Scrap the Missouri Compromise (36
degrees 30 minutes). Instead, allow Popular Sovereignty
Results of the K-N ActResults of the K-N Act
Stephen Douglas -very ambitiousBirth of the new Republican
PartyHelped unify the NorthBleeding Kansas
"Bleeding Kansas"-"Bleeding Kansas"-miniature Civil War 1855-57miniature Civil War 1855-57
ElectionWar
–Free Soil Group...John Brown
Dred Scott Dred Scott Decision...1857Decision...1857
BackgroundSupreme Court (Chief Justice Roger
Taney) decides:– Slaves = 3/5ths of a person, so NO RIGHT
to sue– Slave=Property– Congress cannot restrict property within
TERRITORIES.
Results of Dred Scott Results of Dred Scott Ruling:Ruling:Wipes out:
–Kansas-Nebraska Act
–Idea of Popular SovereigntyHuge Southern VictoryOutrages & Unifies Republicans
Other Important Events Other Important Events of the Late 1850’sof the Late 1850’s
Lincoln-Douglas DebatesJohn Brown’s Raid...attack
US Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia
Election of 1860Election of 1860
4 Political Parties!
RepublicansRepublicansNorthern PartyRESTRICT
slavery, not abolish it
Abraham Lincoln from ILL
Northern DemocratsNorthern DemocratsDemos splitNorthern Democrats supported
Stephen Douglas and popular sovereignty
Southern DemocratsSouthern DemocratsMore radical, want slavery
legal everywhereSelected John Breckinridge
(Tenn), current VP under Buchanan
Constitutional Union PartyConstitutional Union Party
Wanted a compromise over slavery
Selected John Bell (Tenn)
Popular Vote TotalsPopular Vote Totals
Pop.%
LincolnDouglas
BreckenridgeBell
0
10
20
30
40
Pop.%
LincolnDouglas
BreckenridgeBell
Lincoln
Douglas
Breckenridge
Bell
Lincoln wins with only 40% of Popular Vote
What should the Southern States do?
What options do they have?
SecessionSecessionPresident James Buchanan-
“Lame Duck”December 1860 - South
Carolina SecedesWhat should Buchanan do???Is secession irrational???
Confederate StatesConfederate Statesof Americaof AmericaBy Feb, 1861, most of the South is
goneElect Jefferson Davis (Mississippi)
as PresidentSelect Richmond (Virginia) as
CapitolFlag (11 states, yet 13 stars)
Strengths and WeaknessesStrengths and WeaknessesNorth
–(Union, Blue, Yankees) South
–(Confederacy, Gray, Rebels)
Border StatesBorder States
The Battles BeginThe Battles BeginFort Sumter (Charleston, S. C.)1st Bull Run
– “Stonewall” JacksonNaval WarfareUnion has Navy
– Ironclad Warship (forerunner to battleships) Monitor v Merrimack (Virginia) March 1862
War in the WestWar in the WestShiloh (Tenn) April 1862New Orleans and the Mississippi RiverBattle and Seige of Vicksburg (Miss)
– Heavily fortified city with RR
– 47 day seige of city
– Major turing point of war
– Union splits south & gets River
– Grant v. Pemberton
War in the EastWar in the East
Robert E. Lee, Confederate General
Battle of Antietam (Maryland) –Sept 1862 - George McClellan
Lincoln changes War - Lincoln changes War - Emancipation ProclamationEmancipation Proclamation
War in the East (continued)War in the East (continued)Union Commanders--"Revolving
Door"–Fredricksburg (VA) Dec, 1862 -
Ambrose Burnside–Chancellorsville (VA) Spring 1863
- Joe Hooker–Gettysburg (Penn) July 1863 -
George Meade
GettysburgGettysburgLee invades NorthJuly 3 - "Pickett's Charge"
(Gen.George Pickett, confederate) Great Union Victory & Major
turning point of WarMeade fails to chase LeeGettysburg Address (Lincoln)
East (continued)East (continued)
“Revolving Door” - (cont) U.S. Grant in charge (1864-)
William Tecumseh Sherman's "March to the Sea" ... (Total War) - Atlanta to Savannah
The EndingThe EndingAppomattox Courthouse (April 9,
1865) Lee surrenders
Factors of WarFactors of WarFirst American “Draft”War’s Deadly Cost
0100,000200,000300,000400,000500,000600,000700,000
Dead
Civil War
WW 1
WW 2
Lincoln's AssassinationLincoln's Assassination
April 14, 1865...Fords Theatre"American Cousin" playJohn Wilkes BoothDemocrat Andrew Johnson will
lead Reconstruction efforts
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