A LINE IN THE SAND : A TIMELINE OF EVENTS LEADING TO THE CIVIL WAR

Growth of Sectionalism

Sectionalism was a severe complication in the early 1800s, mostly due to slavery. Northerners became more and more opposed to slavery, for both moral and economical reasons, and Southerners pushed for the establishment of slavery as an institution. Many Southern efforts to uphold slavery, such as the Fugitive Slave Law and Lecompton Constitution, were thwarted by Northern endeavors of the anti-slavery movement, which was due to the increasing support gained for the North by the formation of the Republican Party. With the loss of severe political support as well as the loss of the election of 1860, the South seceded from the Union and the Civil War was finally put into effect.

FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW (1850)

• Threatened ALL blacks, free or slaves
• Forced Northern officers to aid in the recapture of runaways
• Prohibited the aid of fugitive slaves in any situation
• No due process of law for any captured slave
• Slaves were relentlessly hunted, as shown in the picture

NORTHERN VS. SOUTHERN VIEWS

• North: appalled by this law, saw free men taken away
• Court wouldn't allow a man to defend himself; further angered the North
• Underground Railroad established
• South: strongly supported this law
• Southerners believed this law created more southern superiority

UNCLE TOM'S CABIN (1852)

• Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852
• Called "The Book That Made This Great War"
• It was the most controversial piece of literature at this time
• The book itself focused primarily on the cruelties of slavery
• Sold 300,000 copies in its first year of publishment

NORTHERN VS. SOUTHERN VIEWS

• North: praised the book and began to spread its message
• Held the common quote, "slavery brings out the worst of white men"
• South: very infuriated by the message of the book
• Overall made all of the South look bad
• Believed they were "inferior to the North"

KANSAS-NEBRASKA ACT (1854)

• Created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska
• Repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, due to the idea of popular sovereignty
• Caused an issue with the balance of free and slave states
• Other territories began to follow popular sovereignty as well

NORTHERN VS. SOUTHERN VIEWS

• North: very upset by the passing of this act
• Broke the Missouri Compromise of 1820
• Agreement of prohibition of slavery above 36' 30 parallel line broken
• South: praised this act
• Rushed to new territories to sway the inquisition of slavery into Southern favor

REPUBLICAN PARTY (1854)

• Whigs fade after dissolvement of the Missouri Compromise
• Discuss the formation of a new party to compete with the Democrats
• Chose John C. Fremont as first candidate

NORTHERN VS. SOUTHERN VIEWS

• North: showed strong support for their Northern-based party
• Supported westward expansion and railroad construction
• South: feared rapid support of opposing party and opposing ideas
• Threatened to secede from the Union if Republicans won election

DRED SCOTT DECISION (1857)

• Dred Scott, a former slave, went to court to sue for his own freedom
• He believed since he had lived on free soil for a long time, he himself was free
• The Court, however, decided against Scott since he was not a U.S. citizen

NORTHERN VS. SOUTHERN VIEWS

• North: astonished by this Supreme Court Decision
• Republican party support boosted, due to their anit-slavery beliefs
• South: this decision was well received by Southerners and slaveholders
• However, Southern Democrats grew worrisome for more Republican support
• Secession issue became even bigger than before

LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION (1857)

• Contained clauses protecting slaveholders and a Bill of Rights
• The Bill contained clauses excludong free-blacks from Kansas territory
• The constitution itself had support from Southern Democrat, James Buchanan
• However, Congress balked and Kansas was able to reject this document
• More Northern refute than Southern support

NORTHERN VS. SOUTHERN VIEWS

• North: Believed this violated popular sovereignty
• Gave Northerners and Northern abolistionists a greater reason to support Republicans
• South: Supported this constitution
• Wanted to endourse pro-slavery ideals in the Kansas territory

FREEPORT DOCTRINE (1858)

• Stephen A. Douglas, a Northern Democrat, made an effort to revive the idea of popular sovereignty
• He believed that territories had the right to exclude slavery desptite previous U.S. Court decisions
• His statement in this document split the Democrat party and lost Southern support
• He gave his statement alongside Lincoln

NORTHERN VS. SOUTHERN VIEWS

• North: Republican support was gained
• Douglas, even though he was a Democrat, was idled in the North
• South: Southerners strayed from Northern Democratic support
• Began to believe they were losing too much support
• "Secession was the only option"

JOHN BROWN'S RAID (1859)

• Virginian abolitionist John Brown led a small army of 18 men into Harpers Ferry, Virginia
• He intended to instigate a major slave revolt
• He tried to seize weapons and ammunition for his great cause
• However, his plan was foiled by Colonel Robert E. Lee
• Brown was hanged, but was revered as a martyr of the anti-slavery cause in the nation

NORTHERN VS. SOUTHERN VIEWS

• North: gained a great sense of pride and worshipped Brown's attempt
• Abolitionists and anti-slavery supporters were prepared to fight for their cause
• South: very surprised by this attempt of rebellion
• It was not expected and it might happen again
• Grew even more worrisome about their participation in the Union

ELECTION OF 1860

• Democrats -Stephen A. Douglas
• Republicans - Abraham Lincoln
• With a vast amount of support for the Republican Party, Lincoln won

NORTHERN VS. SOUTHERN VIEWS

• North: very ecstatic over their victory
• South: did not expect Republican victory
• Had enough of losing
• South Carolina, followed by states of the deeper South, seceded from the Union
• This was the start of the Civil War and the efforts to end slavery once and for all

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