Sabrina Chavez
History 1376- Paper 2
Slavery and the Coming of the Civil War
The mid-1800s were the most turbulent years in American history. Several issues contributed to the split between northern and southern states. Among these were the economic, social and political differences in regards to the institution of slavery. These views, guided through different interpretations of the constitution, caused a series of confrontations between both sides. The three most significant events that led to the outbreak of bloodiest conflict in the history of North America, the Civil War, were the Missouri Compromise of 1820, The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 and Abraham Lincoln’s Election in 1860, and it was with this president’s election that the war became inevitable.
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 marked the beginning of an extensive conflict over the expansion of slavery, which led to the American Civil War. In the developing years after the Louisiana Purchase, Congress was pressured to set up a policy that would direct the expansion of slavery into the new territory. There was an even balance between free and un-free states in the union. When Missouri applied to join the union as a slave state, it created a severe national debate, as it would offset that balance in the Senate . To ease sectional tensions, Senator Henry Clay came up with a major compromise, stating that Missouri would join the union as a slave state only if another free state was also added. Accordingly, Congress reached a series of agreements known as the Missouri Compromise in which both Missouri and Maine were admitted to the union, successfully conserving the Congressional balance. In addition, a line was drawn through the country along the 36°30’ parallel, where north of that line would prohibit slavery and south of it, would not prohibit it . This Compromise led to the Civil War because it created sectionalism, it made each new state become a battleground between the North and the South for power, and made the issue of slavery more contentious between the two sides of the country.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 resurfaced the issue of slavery and started a chain of violent events in the territory of Kansas that foreshadowed the American Civil War. In 1854, Stephen Douglass introduced this bill to organize the large area of the country that was not claimed; he proposed to split both Nebraska and Kansas territories and abandon the Missouri Compromise for the adoption of popular sovereignty – the people choose what labor system they want . The bill passed and became a law with the president’s approval and the support of Southern and Northern Democrats. After both pro and anti-slavery groups fled to the holy ground of Kansas and participated in two fraud elections, the territory was divided into two different governments. As time progressed, violence arose between the pro slavery forces in Lecompton and the anti slavery forces in Lawrence, resulting in a mini civil war – known as “bleeding Kansas.” The passage of the bill is among the most significant events leading to the Civil War because it split up the Whig Party, resulted in the collapse of the second American party system2, and led sporadic violent outbreaks that shocked and troubled the nation. The conflicts between both factions in the aftermath of the act’s passage, helped pave the wave for the American Civil War.
President Abraham Lincoln’s election in 1860 played a big role in the start of the Civil War. In the midst of all paranoia after John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry and the Dred Scott case, the Democratic Party split into two groups for the upcoming presidential election: North and South. Northern Democrats nominated Stephen Douglas, while Southern Democrats nominated John C. Breckenridge. The Constitutional Union Party nominated John Bell and the new Republican Party that rose on the ashes of the Whigs nominated Abraham Lincoln, who was dedicated to preventing slavery expansion. Lincoln was not placed in the ballot in the South, but he won majority of the vote in the North, beating his opponents with less than 40% of the popular vote and 180 electoral votes. (FACT CHECK) These results made the Deep South grow tremendously concerned about the future of the country and their institution of slavery, and pushed towards their secession from the Union. South Carolina was the first to secede after stating their rights were not being protected; followed by seven other slave states, they gathered at a convention to create The Confederate States of America and elected Jefferson Davis as their President. The election of President Abraham Lincoln struck fear into many Southerners because of his party’s anti-slavery outlook, separated the nation into two and became the leading event that started the American Civil War.
Illinois legislator and Republican Party nominee, Abraham Lincoln, failed to keep the union from officially separating and started the Civil War the minute he was elected President. His platform stated that slavery would not expand any further than it already had, infuriating the pro-slavery southern states and causing them to retaliate. They felt that because expansion was vital for the survival of slavery was and their economic system, their lifestyle was being threatened. After already being on the verge of seceding, the outcome of this election became their last straw. The American Civil War became inevitable when Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860, causing a political and ideological divide between the North and the South over the slavery debate and the state of the economy in the U.S.
The institution of slavery was the key element in the conflict between the North and the South. A series of critical events and confrontations escalated during every decade leading up to the Civil War, creating a wider division between the states and shocking the nation with terror. However, there were three events that I believe were the most significant leading to the war: the Missouri Compromise of 1820, The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 and Abraham’s Lincoln Presidential Election of 1860. The Missouri Compromise created sectionalism using a geographical line, while the Kansas-Nebraska Act caused violent outbreaks that laid the groundwork for the war that was to come. The election of Abraham Lincoln as president caused the deep southerner states to secede from the Union and create the Confederate States of America, resulting in the Civil War to become inevitable.