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Causes of the American Civil War - Coggle Diagram
Causes of the American Civil War
Long Term Causes
Economics
Economics of the South
The economics of the South was mainly based off of small scale agriculture and benefitted of mass slave labour. This included cotton picking.
Economics of the North
Economics of the North was heavily dependant on the economy of the South. They had factories that turned the cotton produced into clothes.
Slavery
Clays Compromise 1850
The slave holders in the South believed they were losing power and influence as the Northern population grew. They decided to create the clay compromise which scrapped the idea of the Missouri Compromise, and instead let the state decide whether or not it wanted to be a slave state..
Abolitionists
John Brown
John Brown was a radical abolitionist who lead massive
John Brown planned to seize arms in the town of Haper's Ferry, free the slaves there and continue south, ensiting a massive slave uprising.
However, poor planning and execution led to Brown, some slaves and some hostages being surrounded by Robert E Lee and his soldiers.
Brown was captured and later executed for treason.
Brown was martyred by the North, the South thought Brown was an example of how the North and South could not co exist.
William Seward
New York Governer, later senator
The Underground railroad
This was a network of routes for escaped slaves to escape to the North, aided by abolitionists.
Brown was a radical abolitionist
North vs South
South = Confederate
South Carolina
South Carolina seceded because they felt Abraham Lincoln did not represent them. This later caused a chain which meant other states decided to leave.
Democrats
Pro-Slavery and Pro-Agriculture supporters. They believed in a strong government
Mainly supported by Southern States, yet lost support from their Northern supporters as slave holders became too powerful
North = Unionists
Republicans
Republicans were capitalists that preferred small scale agriculture
Therefore earning the support of small business owners for example shop keepers and farmers.
They believed slave holders were too powerful
Maine
Maine became a state as a result of the imbalance of free and slave state after missouri joined, declaring itself a slave state.
Politics
In 1856 a politician called Charles Sumner made a speech condemning slavery and those who practise it, this led to representative Brooks, from South Carolina caning Sumner.
To show their support southern Democrats sent Representative Brooks new canes as a replacement for his broken one.
In the name of self defence politicians carried weapons on the floors of congress, escalating tensions massively.
Law
The founding fathers wrote all men are created equal, however, people began to question this, wondering if it meant 'All
white men
are equal' or 'All
men
are equal'.
In the Dred Scott Case of 1857 the Supreme Court ruled that anyone of African Decent, regardless of if they were free could not be citizens, and therefore not sue for their freedom.
The missouri compromise line was the compromise that didn't allow slave states above a certain line.
Short Term Causes
Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854
Pro-Slavery members passed this act meant any state could decide whether or not they supported slavery
This act was the birth of republicans
Bleeding Kansas
Stephen A Douglas wanted to build a railway through Kansas and Nebraska, through the Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854 voting was held, in the months leading up to the vote many radicals from both parties travelled to Kansas, hoping to sway the vote
Tensions rising culminating in "Bleeding Kansas", were it erupted in fighting,
The fighting was used by secessionists to prove that the North and the South could not co exist if one didn't want slavery and one did
Overview: The American Civil War lasted 4 years (1861-1865). Over 750,000 Americans, both Soldiers and Civilians died. The war started when 7 slave holding states (lead by South Carolina) seceded from the US.