Causes of the Civil War (1861-1865)

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Questions and Answers

How did the Compromise of 1850 address the issue of slavery in newly acquired territories?

  • It mandated the immediate abolition of slavery in Washington D.C.
  • It prohibited slavery in all territories acquired from Mexico.
  • It allowed residents of the territories to decide the issue of slavery through popular sovereignty. (correct)
  • It provided federal funding for the purchase of enslaved people and their relocation to Africa.

What was the main provision of the Fugitive Slave Act, and how did it affect free African Americans?

  • It established a system where the federal government would purchase the freedom of enslaved people who wished to immigrate to Liberia, and provided funding for their transportation.
  • It mandated that all enslaved people attempting to escape to freedom be returned to their owners, and led to the capture and enslavement of some free African Americans. (correct)
  • It declared that any enslaved person who reached a free state would automatically become a citizen, and granted them the right to vote.
  • It provided legal protection for formerly enslaved people, ensuring they would not be re-enslaved, and bolstered their rights to due process.

How did the Kansas-Nebraska Act contribute to rising tensions over slavery?

  • By immediately admitting Kansas and Nebraska into the Union as free states, upsetting the balance in Congress.
  • By explicitly banning slavery in all new territories west of the Mississippi River.
  • By funding infrastructure projects in territories that banned slavery.
  • Through its implementation of popular sovereignty, leading to violent clashes between pro- and anti-slavery factions known as 'Bleeding Kansas'. (correct)

For what primary reason did John Brown lead the raid on Harper's Ferry?

<p>To seize weapons and incite a large-scale slave rebellion to end slavery by force. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the central ruling in the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision, and how did it impact the slavery debate?

<p>That enslaved people were not citizens and had no right to sue in federal court, and that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories, increasing tensions. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes the main goal of the newly formed Republican Party in the 1850s?

<p>To restrict the expansion of slavery and ultimately end its existence. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which event directly triggered South Carolina's decision to secede from the Union?

<p>The election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What name did the states that seceded from the Union adopt?

<p>The Confederate States of America. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following accurately describes a key advantage held by the North at the beginning of the Civil War?

<p>Greater industrial capacity providing more resources and supplies for the war effort. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What geographical advantage did the South possess at the start of the Civil War?

<p>Its familiarity with the terrain and a defensive strategy. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 directly contribute to the outbreak of the Civil War?

<p>Lincoln's victory, despite not being on the ballot in many Southern states, was the catalyst for those states to secede, fearing federal overreach. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why did the Fugitive Slave Act intensify abolitionist sentiments in the North?

<p>By requiring Northerners to actively participate in capturing and returning enslaved people, sparking moral outrage. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In what way did the Dred Scott decision undermine the concept of popular sovereignty?

<p>By stating that Congress had no power to prohibit slavery in the territories, thus negating any territorial decision made through popular sovereignty. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the long-term strategic significance of the Confederate States of America being formed?

<p>It accelerated the polarization of the country, leading to armed conflict. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which factor gave the South an initial military advantage during the Civil War?

<p>A greater number of experienced military leaders and officers. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did differing interpretations of states' rights contribute to the outbreak of the Civil War?

<p>Southern states believed they had the right to secede from the Union to protect slavery, while the federal government argued for national unity and the supremacy of federal laws. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What distinguished South Carolina's rationale for secession from that of other Southern states?

<p>South Carolina had a greater reliance on the cash crop of cotton. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did the outcome of the 1860 presidential election directly contribute to the secession of Southern states?

<p>Lincoln's election demonstrated that the North had the power to elect a president without a single vote in the South, leading Southern states to believe their interests were no longer protected. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why was the failure of the Crittenden Compromise significant in the lead-up to the Civil War?

<p>It revealed that neither side was willing to compromise on the issue of expanding slavery. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In what way did the economic differences between the North and South contribute to the outbreak of the Civil War?

<p>The North's industrial economy clashed with the South's agricultural system dependent on slavery, creating conflicting interests and political divisions. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Compromise of 1850

Series of laws addressing slavery and territorial expansion. California was admitted to the Union as a free state, while the Fugitive Slave Act was strengthened.

Fugitive Slave Act

Federal law that made it a crime to assist runaway slaves. It allowed for the arrest of escaped slaves in free states and required their return to slaveholders.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Act that allowed residents of Kansas and Nebraska territories to decide on slavery through popular sovereignty, leading to violence.

Raid on Harper's Ferry

John Brown's attempt to start a slave revolt by capturing a federal armory. It heightened tensions between North and South.

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Dred Scott Decision

Supreme Court decision denying citizenship to slaves and declaring the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, increasing sectional division.

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Republican Party Formation

Political party formed in 1854. It was united against the expansion of slavery.

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Secession

The act of formally withdrawing from membership of a federation or body, especially a political state. South Carolina was the first state to do this.

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Confederate States of America

Government established in 1861 by the Southern states that seceded from the United States.

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North vs. South Advantages

The North possessed greater population, industrial capacity, and resources, while the South had advantages such as home-field

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Study Notes

  • The causes of the Civil War (1861-1865) include the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the raid on Harper's Ferry, the Dred Scott decision, the start of the Republican Party, South Carolina's secession, the formation of the Confederate States of America, and the advantages of the North vs South.

Compromise of 1850

  • California was admitted to the Union as a free state.
  • The South was given the Fugitive Slave Act.

Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

  • This act stated that any runaway slave could be captured and sold back into slavery.
  • Some free African Americans were also captured and sold into slavery.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

  • All new territories could vote to be a free or slave holding state
  • This act led to violence in Congress.

Bleeding Kansas

  • John Brown and two others killed five pro-slavery men with broadswords in Kansas.
  • Brown continued to use force to try and end slavery.

Raid on Harper's Ferry

  • John Brown attempted to take over Harper's Ferry arsenal to start a slave revolution
  • Brown was unsuccessful, captured, and hanged for treason.
  • His death was called the "meteor of the war".

Dred Scott v. Sanford

  • Dred Scott, a slave who had once lived on free soil, sued the federal government for his freedom after his master died.
  • Chief Justice Roger B Taney ruled that Scott was still a slave and therefore not a citizen.
  • Congress could not prohibit slavery in any territory.

Republican Party Creation

  • Preceding events separated the North and South.
  • The Republican Party formed against the Democrats.
  • The Republican Party goal was to "overthrow the Slave power."
  • Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican President in 1860.
  • Lincoln received roughly one-third of all the popular votes in the election of 1860.

Secession

  • South Carolina was the first state to leave the Union following the election of Abraham Lincoln.

Confederate States of America Formed

  • South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas formed the Confederacy.

North vs. South Advantages

  • The North had advantages, including population, railroad mileage, manufacturing plants and industrial workers
  • The South had advantages, including home field advantage, better military leaders, and better soldiers.

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