Causes leading to the Civil

War
 What was Manifest Destiny?
• Manifest destiny was the belief that America had
the right (from God) to inhabit the entire
continent.
• This belief made it easier to take lands from
Native Americans
 Manifest Destiny Quote
• "(It is) ..our manifest destiny to over
spread and to possess the whole of the
continent which Providence has given us
for the development of the great
experiment of liberty"
• In 1845 these words were written by John
O'Sullivan, a democrat leader and editor
of the New York newspaper 'The Morning
Post'.
 How did our young country grow?

• From the Louisiana

Purchase in1803
(plains states)

• From Wars
– 1812- Midwest region
Mississippi area
– 1848 Mexican War -
Texas area California &
SW
What was the Louisiana Purchase?

• 1803
• Cost 15 million
dollars
• Purchased by
Jefferson from
Napoleon
• Doubled the size
of the U.S.
Actual Map of Expansion
• Henry Clay Debates the Compromise of
1850
 What was the Sumner Brooks
Affair?
• During an argument in 1856, Senator
Preston Brooks beat Senator Charles
Sumner with his walking cane in the
hall of the Senate
• Brooks continued to beat Sumner
even as he lay unconscious on the
floor of the Senate until his cane
broke.
• Sumner was unable to return to duty
for more than three years while he
recovered
 What did Sumner even say?
• Sumner said Douglas (who was present in
the chamber) was a "noise-some, squat,
and nameless animal...not a proper model
for an American senator."
• Butler had taken "a mistress who, though
ugly to others, is always lovely to him;
though polluted in the sight of the world, is
chaste in his sight—I mean, the harlot,
Slavery."
 Sectional Division Grows
• Territories - westward expansion yields more
space for growth
– New states with votes in Congress
– New governments, new rules, laws for protection
– Requires much more money and
– Conflict over who will decide for territories and who
will benefit
 Government Concepts
• Strong Federal Government
– Helps trade both interstate and international
– Helps settlement through exploring, protection of
people, deeding land, other incentives
– Restricts rights/power of states

favored by North
 Strong States Rights
• States have ultimate say within their borders
• Gives state control over issues that are most
important to them
• Restricts "equal" treatment (our state is better
than yours?), interstate commerce, "fairness"

favored by South
 Balance through Compromise
• US Government has relied on compromise to
resolve problems.
• Key compromises revolve around territory and
new states to keep balance in senate (states
enter in pairs)
– Missouri Compromise 1820 (estab. S. boundary line)
– Compromise of 1850 (popular sovereignty and Fugitive Slave
Law)
– Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854 (repeals MO boundary, but
causes more sectional conflict)
 Slavery Issues
• 1820 Missouri Compromise designed to settle
issue permanently
• 1854 Kansas-Nebraska shatters Northern
confidence in containing slavery
• Both pro and anti-slavery forces send their
people to Kansas to influence popular
sovereignty.
Spread of Slavery
“Era of Good Feelings”
States extend to
Mississippi River

Slave states
appear West of
Mississippi River

Texas is added
and conflicts arise
over Kansas
 Dred Scott

• Test of the “Fugitive Slave Law” that was

associated with Kansas-Nebraska Act
• Dred Scott had traveled to free state so
argued that he WAS free
• Court rules slaves are property and have not
rights under constitution
 Slavery as an Industry
• Cotton prices and other economic issues cause
owners to sell more slaves
• The market for slaves needed to extend to new
territories and states
• Slave families were likely broken up. This leads
more to consider running away to North.
 Underground Railroad
• Slaves fear new rules and unstable conditions
• Northern Abolitionists organize
• Safe houses are provided by Quakers and
others along various routes
• Tubman and other “conductors” lead thousands
to freedom in late 1850’s
 Fanning the Flames
• Bloody Kansas
• Abolitionists
– Douglas
– Garrison
• “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Most widely read book in US and world.
 Political Changes
• Early parties: Democrats and Whigs
• Late 1850’s: Split in Whigs over issues of
slavery yields new party: Republicans
 Moving to Election of 1860
• By election of 1860:
– Whigs have folded
– Democrats Split into North and South
– Four parties have candidates:
Rep., N Dem., S Dem., Constitutional Union Party
– Strong feeling and no majority in election!
• Lincoln (R) Wins and then South Secedes!
 Election Aftermath
• Dec. 1860 – S. Carolina and other
states secede from Union
• Feb. 1861 – Confederate States
Congress (6 South States) appoints
Jefferson Davis President
• March 1861 – Lincoln sworn
into office. He vows to hold property
that belongs to the government
 The Civil War Begins

• Confederate States start “claiming” forts in

their territory (who would stop them?)
• Not claimed were three forts in FL that were
not important
• Conflict: Charleston SC – Fort Sumter has
strategic importance and “siege” begins in
April.
• Sumter bombing last two days. North
surrenders for 1st South win