For this portfolio project, you will explore 8–10 factors that led to the outbreak of the Civil War. You will then present your findings in a timeline. For each item, you must include an image, a caption for the image, a date (as specific as possible), and a thorough explanation of how that event or factor helped lead to the Civil War. Begin your work by completing the following steps:
1. Identify items (events or factors) that led to the Civil War through your work in your class lessons. Be sure to include factors that cover a variety of areas—social, political, and economic.
2. Identify a date associated with each item. Be as specific as possible. If your item is a single event, include the month, day, and year. If it’s not a single event, include the month and year, or just a year.
3. Identify visuals to represent each item you choose.
4. Write a caption (one or two sentences) explaining how your visual corresponds to the item.
5. Write a summary (at least one paragraph) explaining how the item helped to lead to the outbreak of the Civil War.
Your portfolio assignment has three steps:
1. Research and choose your items.
2. Gather an image and a date for each item and write a caption for each image and a summary for each item.
3. Determine the format and create your product.
Item 1: Missouri Compromise
Date: March 3, 1820
Caption: Map showing the division of slave states and free states in the United States after the Missouri Compromise.
Summary: The Missouri Compromise was a legislative effort to maintain a balance between slave states and free states in the Union. It allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state to keep the balance. This compromise temporarily settled the issue of slavery in new territories but also highlighted the growing tensions between the North and South over the issue of slavery.
Item 2: Compromise of 1850
Date: September 9, 1850
Caption: Political cartoon depicting the tension between North and South over the Compromise of 1850.
Summary: The Compromise of 1850 aimed to address the issue of slavery in newly acquired territories from the Mexican-American War. It included provisions such as the Fugitive Slave Act and the admission of California as a free state. While it temporarily postponed conflict, it also exacerbated tensions between the North and South as the debate over slavery intensified.
Item 3: Dred Scott v. Sandford
Date: March 6, 1857
Caption: Portrait of Dred Scott, slave at the center of the Supreme Court case Dred Scott v. Sandford.
Summary: The Dred Scott decision declared that African Americans, whether free or enslaved, were not citizens of the United States and therefore could not sue in federal court. This ruling fueled abolitionist sentiment in the North and deepened divisions over the legality and morality of slavery between the North and South.
Item 4: John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry
Date: October 16-18, 1859
Caption: Illustration depicting John Brown's raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry.
Summary: John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry was an attempt to initiate a slave rebellion in the South. While ultimately unsuccessful, the raid heightened tensions between abolitionists and pro-slavery advocates, further polarizing the country and pushing it closer to the brink of war.
Item 5: Election of Abraham Lincoln
Date: November 6, 1860
Caption: Campaign poster for Abraham Lincoln during the 1860 presidential election.
Summary: Abraham Lincoln's election as the President of the United States in 1860 triggered the secession of Southern states that feared his anti-slavery stance. The election of a Republican candidate who opposed the expansion of slavery further exacerbated tensions between the North and South, ultimately leading to the outbreak of the Civil War.
Item 6: Secession of Southern States
Date: December 20, 1860
Caption: Map showing the secession of Southern states from the Union.
Summary: Following Lincoln's election, several Southern states, beginning with South Carolina, seceded from the Union in protest against the perceived threat to their way of life and institution of slavery. These secessionist actions set the stage for the Civil War by forming the Confederate States of America and challenging the authority of the federal government.
Item 7: Formation of the Confederate States of America
Date: February 4, 1861
Caption: Flag of the Confederate States of America.
Summary: After the secession of Southern states, representatives from these states convened in Montgomery, Alabama, to establish the Confederate States of America. The formation of the Confederacy marked a significant step towards open conflict with the Union and solidified the divide between North and South.
Item 8: Attack on Fort Sumter
Date: April 12, 1861
Caption: Artistic depiction of the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter.
Summary: The attack on Fort Sumter in South Carolina marked the beginning of the Civil War. The Confederate bombardment of the federal fort forced its surrender and ignited hostilities between the North and South. This event solidified the division between the Union and the Confederacy and set the stage for a prolonged and bloody conflict.