Summary Answer

While we will examine some various reasons for the buildup of tension between the Southern states and the

Federal Government there is a key concept answer. During the 1840-1850’s the states from the North and South were evenly divided in Congress. The ultimate battle becomes not over slavery itself, but rather over whether slavery would be allowed to expand. If it did expand the South would ultimately control the Congress and the reigns of the Government. The same holds true for the north.

Now for the specific long term reasons,

I. Congress’ Attempts to Deal with the Expansion of Slavery

A. The Missouri Compromise

Now remember the goal here is to preserve the balance of power in the Congress. So, the Missouri Compromise of 1820 was the first attempt was a simple plan, draw an invisible line across the map. North of the line (drawn through Missouri) was free land, below it was slave land.

B. The Compromise of 1850 (real original name)

California represented a problem in 1850 when it wanted into the family, the balance would be upset. So Congress went to work. Here are the three components of the Compromise

· California was admitted to the Union as a free state. (Yeah North)

· The Fugitive Slave Act was passed. (Boo, south)

The Fugitive Slave Act is in itself a cause of the Civil War. Its intent was that Northerners would be legally obliged to return escaped slaves. Although a win for the South it ended up causing more trouble for them. I call this the poop in your own back yard concept. Before the Fugitive Slave Act, Northerners were not for slavery but did not actively fight against it. By making them part of the system they smelt the stench of slavery and began to believe that it needed to be destroyed.

· New territories in the future would be settled by popular sovereignty. This seemed to conflict with the Missouri Compromises invisible line.

C. The Kansas-Nebraska Act

· In 1854 the Kansas-Nebraska Act put the invisible line to death and allowed for popular sovereignty in the two new states. (Voting) It had some unintended consequences.

· Instead of a peaceful vote on slavery, the radicals from each side came and bloodies the place up, coining the term Bloody Kansas by the papers.

· The vote caused the issue to explode across the nation, somehow everyone knew the issue was slowly becoming slavery and sides were chosen.

II The Stench gets Worse

A. The Dred Scott Decision

· Well here is Judicial Review at its worse. This Supreme Court decision in 1857 is simple, Dred Scott was a slave brought to free land, and he then claimed he should be treated as a free man. The court could of coursed freed him and took a activist stand. Sadly they did not, the ruling basically said, SLAVES ARE PROPERTY.

· The silver lining is the EFFECT, which was it really got under the skin of northerners. Its one thing to ignore a problem that is far off and silent, but splash it across the papers and you take notice, Northerners did and it turned them against slavery and more willing to take a stand.

· The effect of the effect is the South began to see that the tide was turning against them and it might be time to jump ship and SECEDE.

John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry

· John Brown was a radical abolitionist who believed that violence was the only way to end slavery. During Bloody Kansas he and his followers knifed to death a pro-slavery family who came to vote for slavery in Kansas.

· Following that event he and his followers began an uprising and tried to take over a Federal arsenal. They failed were tried for treason and executed.

· John Browns death made him a martyr to the abolitionist movement and made the flames goes higher. He even became immortalized in a famous poem and song. Listen to JOHN BROWN’S BODY HERE

III The trigger is pulled

The rise of the Republican Party

· Remember the Federalist Party? The ones who died, well they were the party of the North so there was a sort of void. A Third Party, the Free Soil Party who was devoted to stopping the spread of slavery changed into a new party with support for economic nationalism and Federal supremacy and yes opposed to slavery spreading. Their name? The Republican Party

· To the South, this Republican Party was the devil. A Party devoted to fighting against their precious institution. A party that was for tariffs and investment into Northern manufacturing. A party devoted to destroying the Southern states right to rule themselves.

The Election of Abraham Lincoln

· Many saw Lincoln as a crusader against slavery. I’m not saying he was for it, he wasn’t, but he never proposed it should be abolished. What he did propose is it should be contained in the South. This made him Unacceptable to the South.

· IN 1860, Lincoln was NOT even on the ballot in the South. When he won the election, the Deep South, led by South Carolina seceded immediately. Not even a phone call.

· Now we gots ourselves a WAR folks.

· Check out the lopsided ELECTORAL MAP OF 1860