Dred Scott v. Sanford Compromise of 1850 Sectionalism Kansas-Nebraska ActRuled slaves were property and not citizens Attempted to solve the issue of slavery through popular sovereignty; violence erupted as a result of the law Geography caused country to develop economic differences North and South agreed; California became a free state; strict fugitive slave law was passed
These events and laws played a significant role in the lead up to the American Civil War. The Dred Scott v. Sanford case reinforced the idea that slaves were property, exacerbating tensions between the North and South. The Compromise of 1850 attempted to address the issue of slavery but ultimately failed to fully resolve it, leading to further unrest. The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed for popular sovereignty in determining the status of slavery in new territories, leading to violence and conflict in the region. Sectionalism, fueled in part by economic differences between the North and South, further deepened the divide. Ultimately, these events and laws helped set the stage for the outbreak of the Civil War.
