U.S. History EOC Exam Study Guide: The Civil War

Study Notes

The American Civil War

The Civil War was fought between the North (Union) and the South (Confederacy) from 1861 to 1865.
The war was sparked by the secession of Southern states, who wanted to preserve slavery and states' rights.

Key Events Leading to the Civil War

Missouri Compromise (1820): Missouri admitted as a slave state, Maine as a free state, and slavery prohibited in the Louisiana Purchase north of 36°30'N.
Compromise of 1850: California admitted as a free state, the sale of slaves banned in Washington D.C., and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 enacted.
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): popular sovereignty applied to determine whether slavery would be allowed in the remaining territories of the Louisiana Purchase.
"Bleeding Kansas" (1854-1859): a series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas Territory and western Missouri over the legality of slavery.
The Ostend Manifesto (1854): an attempt by Southern diplomats to purchase Cuba as a new slave state, which enraged Northerners.
Dred Scott decision (1857): the Supreme Court ruled that Dred Scott, an African American, was not a citizen and had no rights to sue in court.
Freeport Doctrine (1858): Stephen Douglas's view that local communities could still choose to ban slavery despite the Dred Scott decision.
John Brown's raid (1859): an attempt by abolitionist John Brown to initiate a slave revolt in the Southern states.

Causes of the Civil War

Slavery: the economics of slavery and political control of the system was central to the conflict.
States' rights: Southern states wanted to assert their authority over the federal government and abolish federal laws they did not support.
Territorial expansion: the South wanted to take slavery into the western territories, while the North wanted to keep them open to white labor alone.

The Election of 1860 and Secession

Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860 with 39% of the vote, without a single Southern electoral vote.
The election of a Republican, strongly opposed to the westward expansion of slavery, sealed the deal for secession.
Feeling excluded from the political system, Southern states turned to secession, leading to the formation of the Confederacy.

The Secession Crisis and War

South Carolina was the first state to secede, followed by six more states: Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas.
These states formed the Confederacy and did not want to be part of the federal government under Lincoln (Union).
Shots fired at Fort Sumter: Lincoln sent supplies to this Fort in Charleston Harbor, and Confederate forces fired on the Fort, starting the conflict between the North and South.

Description

Study guide for the U.S. History EOC exam, covering the American Civil War, its causes, and key events. Learn about the Union and Confederacy, abolitionists, and significant compromises that shaped the nation's history.