Causes of the American Civil War
South
- Economy was based on Plantations, but only ¼ of the population were plantation owners
- Supplied the world ¾ of its cotton, which also benefited the north as they were exporting the cotton.
- Old customs & Traditions
- The cotton gin was invented in 1793 by Eli Whitney. The machine made it easier to pick the seeds out of the cotton. This increased the demand for slaves, as they needed more cotton to be picked to keep up with the machine.
- Slave revolts put harsher and stricter rules on slaves
North
- Industrial Revolution: Factories, cities, visiting Europeans brought over new products
- Large population moving to the future
- Large abolition movement
- The Amistad Case and the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin opened their eyes to what slavery was really like.
- They were outraged by the Fugitive Slave Act, which allowed southerners to go into the north and recapture runaway slaves.
Events
1. The 10th Amendment = State’s Rights
o This gave states the right to make their own laws as long as they do not go against federal laws
o There were disagreements about how strong should the federal laws be.
2. The Nullification Crisis
o In 1832, South Carolina almost seceded over state vs. federal laws.
o They wanted to cancel a federal tariff that was hurting it’s economy
o Tariffs are taxes on trade. They favoured northern industry and hurt southern farmers
3. The Missouri Compromise
o 1803, the USA purchased the territory of Louisiana from France. This was known as the Louisiana Purchase
o The north did not want any more new slave states
o 1820, there were 11 slaves states and 11 free states
o Missouri joined as a slave state and Maine was made a free state in order to keep the balance. This was called the Missouri Compromise
4. The Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)
o This removed the ban on slavery on some northern states for a railroad. The new states of Kansas and Nebraska could determine whether they were going to be a slave or a free state.
o Pro-slavery and anti-slavery supporters rushed to Kansas to influence the vote. Violence broke out and Kansas was known as Bleeding Kansas as the death toll rose.
o Henry Ward Beecher supplied weapons to anyone that was opposed to slavery in these territories. These rifles became known as Beecher’s Bibles. John Brown and his 5 sons also went to Kansas to fight. Frederick Douglass spoke out against the act.
o Pro-slavery supporters were illegally crossing the border and participating in the vote.
o It was not until 1861 that the dispute was settled and Kansas joined the Union as a free state.
o The Supreme Court upheld this Act by the Dred Scott Decision (hand-out)
*** Washington, D.C. (the capital) had the largest slave market in North America.
*** Time of Patriotism: campaigns, debates, songs, banners etc..