Question

History question: Incidents that happened between 1840 and 1860 that led to American Civil war. can someone explain this for me, thank you

Answer 1

Before I answer your question regarding the incidents leading to the American Civil War, it’s important to first have a broad understanding of what this war was all about.

The American Civil War (also known as War Between the States) was a civil war that was fought between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America from 1861 to 1865. It fought between the Northern and the Southern states of America to be specific.

Because of the long-standing controversy over slavery, war broke out in April 1861.

The pre-Civil War events can be roughly divided into a period encompassing the long-term build-up over many decades and a period encompassing the five-month build to war immediately after the election of Abraham Lincoln as President in the Election of 1860 which culminated in the Fall of Fort Sumter (April 1861).

As aforementioned, there were in numeral events that added fuel to the fire and led to the Civil War, but let’s have a look at the specific period i.e. 1840-1860 and focus on the major incidents that led to the American Civil War.

1848 - The Mexican War Ended: With the end of the Mexican War and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, America was ceded western territories. This posed a problem: as these new territories would be admitted as states, would they be free or slave? To deal with this, Congress passed the Compromise of 1850 which basically made California free and allowed the people to choose in Utah and New Mexico. This ability of a state to decide whether it would allow slavery was called popular sovereignty.

1850 - The Compromise of 1850: The Fugitive Slave Act was passed as part of the Compromise of 1850. This act forced any federal official who did not arrest a runaway slave liable to pay a fine. This was the most controversial part of the Compromise of 1850 and caused many abolitionists to increase their efforts against slavery. This act increased the Underground Railroad activity as fleeing slaves made their way to Canada.

1852 - Uncle Tom’s Cabin: The Book “Uncle Tom's Cabin or Life Among the Lowly” was written in 1852 by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Stowe was an abolitionist who wrote this book to show the evils of slavery. This book, which was a best seller at the time, had a huge impact on the way that northerners viewed slavery. It helped further the cause of abolition, and even Abraham Lincoln recognized that this book was one of the events that led to the outbreak of the Civil War.

1854 - The Kansas-Nebraska Act: In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed allowing the Kansas and Nebraska territories to decide for themselves using popular sovereignty whether they wanted to be free or slave. By 1856, Kansas had become a hotbed of violence as pro- and anti-slavery forces fought over the state's future to the point where it was nicknamed 'Bleeding Kansas'. The widely reported violent events were a small taste of the violence to come with the Civil War.

1857- Lecompton Constitution Rejected: When the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed, Kansas could determine whether it would enter the union as free or slave. Numerous constitutions were advanced by the territory to make this decision. In 1857, the Lecompton Constitution was created allowing for Kansas to be a slave state. Pro-slavery forces supported by President James Buchanan attempted to push the Constitution through the US Congress for acceptance. However, there was enough opposition that in 1858 it was sent back to Kansas for a vote. Even though it delayed statehood, Kansas voters rejected the Constitution and Kansas became a free state.

1857 - Dred Scott v. Sanford: Dred Scott was a Virginia slave who tried to sue for his freedom in court. The case eventually rose to the level of the Supreme Court, where the justices found that, as a slave, Dred Scott was a piece of property that had none of the legal rights or recognitions afforded to a human being. The Dred Scott Decision threatened to entirely recast the political landscape that had thus far managed to prevent civil war. The classification of slaves as mere property made the federal government’s authority to regulate the institution much more ambiguous. Southerners renewed their challenges to the agreed-upon territorial limitations on slavery and polarization intensified.

1859 - John Brown’s Raid: John Brown was a radical abolitionist who had been involved in anti-slavery violence in Kansas. On October 16, 1859, he led a group of seventeen including five black members to raid the arsenal located in Harper's Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia). His goal was to start a slave uprising using the captured weapons. However, after capturing several buildings, Brown and his men were surrounded and eventually killed or captured by troops led by Colonel Robert E. Lee. Brown was tried and hanged for treason. This event was one more in the growing abolitionist movement that helped lead to open warfare in 1861.

1860- Abraham Lincoln Was Elected President: With the election of Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln on November 6, 1860, South Carolina followed by six other states seceded from the Union. Even though his views about slavery were considered moderate during the nomination and election, South Carolina had warned it would secede if he won. Lincoln agreed with the majority of the Republican Party that the South was becoming too powerful and made it part of their platform that slavery would not be extended to any new territories or states added to the union.

1861 | The Battle of Fort Sumter: Abraham Lincoln's skilful strategy forced the South to fire the first shot of the Civil War at the Battle of Fort Sumter.

With secession, several federal forts, including Fort Sumter in South Carolina, suddenly became outposts in a foreign land. Abraham Lincoln made the decision to send fresh supplies to the beleaguered garrisons. On April 12, 1861, Confederate warships turned back the supply convoy to Fort Sumter and opened a 34-hour bombardment on the stronghold. The garrison surrendered on April 14.

THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR WAS NOW UNDERWAY.

Hope the aforementioned is free of any ambiguity and is useful to you.

Thanks

Additionally, just for your better understanding and quick reference, here are some key facts about the war:

1. The Civil War was fought between the Northern and the Southern states from 1861-1865.
2. Abraham Lincoln was the President of the United States during the Civil War.
3. Before the United States was formed, many different civilizations existed on the American continent.
4. The issues of slavery and central power divided the United States.
5. The Civil War began when Southern troops bombarded Fort Sumter, South Carolina.
6. The North had more men and war materials than the South.
7. The bloodiest battle of the Civil War was the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
8. The North won the Civil War.
9. After the war was over, the Constitution was amended to free the slaves, to assure “equal protection under the law” for American citizens, and to grant black men the right to vote.

All the best!