what are 8 events that led up to the civil war
1. Missouri Compromise (1820): This was an agreement between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in Congress to admit Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. It also established a line (36°30' parallel) for future western territories, where slavery would be prohibited north of the line and allowed south of it.
2. Publication of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (1852): Harriet Beecher Stowe's influential novel exposed the harsh realities of slavery and generated strong anti-slavery sentiment in the North, further polarizing the North and South.
3. Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): This legislation allowed the newly established Kansas and Nebraska territories to decide whether to allow slavery through a process called "popular sovereignty." This led to violence between pro- and anti-slavery settlers, known as "Bleeding Kansas."
4. Formation of the Republican Party (1854): The Republican Party was established as a political organization opposed to the expansion of slavery, drawing support from anti-slavery Whigs, Democrats, and Free Soilers.
5. Dred Scott Decision (1857): The Supreme Court ruled that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, were not U.S. citizens and therefore had no right to sue for their freedom. The decision also declared that Congress had no authority to ban slavery in federal territories, further escalating tensions between the North and South.
6. John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry (1859): Abolitionist John Brown led a group of men in an unsuccessful attempt to seize the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, intending to arm slaves and spark a rebellion. Brown's actions alarmed Southerners and led many to believe that the North would stop at nothing to abolish slavery.
7. Election of Abraham Lincoln (1860): Lincoln, a Republican and vocal opponent of the expansion of slavery, won the presidential election without carrying a single Southern state. Southerners interpreted his election as a direct threat to their way of life.
8. Secession of Southern states (1860-1861): Following Lincoln's election, South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union in December 1860. By February 1861, six more states had seceded, and they formed the Confederate States of America. In April 1861, when Confederates attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina, the Civil War officially began as more states joined the Confederacy.