“A HOUSE DIVIDED”
CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
Slavery will cause the Civil War BUT
It will not cause the fighting.
There are 3 main causes to America’s worst tragedy
SECTIONALISM SLAVERY SECESSION
Beginning vocabulary to understand this event:
Civil War
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Sectionalism
State’s Rights – the south’s belief that their State had more power than the US
government and the states have the right to do whatever they wish and not obey Federal Laws.
Secede (also means secession)
SECTIONALISM CONCEPT LABELS
These concept labels belong to either the North, South, or found in both sections. Write N or S or
both N & S for which section you believe the concept belongs. Label these on the “House”.
Small Farms -N and S
Tariffs Help Factories - N
Very Industrial - Many Factories Cash Crops: tobacco-cotton-rice
Few Industries – Few Factories Free Blacks
More Railroads & Canals “The Union”
Irish and German Immigrants States Rights
Plantations Frederick Douglass
Cotton Gin “Rebels”
Racism No slavery going west
“Dixie” John Brown
Distinct “Accent” Wanted slavery going west
Abolitionists Abe Lincoln
Yankees Jefferson Davis
Underground Railroad
Confederacy
Cotton Kingdom
Factory worker “Wage Slaves”
STEPS LEADING TO THE CIVIL WAR:
The Step Names: Use this link to find the step names listed below:
http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/American_Civil_War/Timelines
Below are the most famous events which cause The Civil War. These step names are out of
order. Using the time-line you will match the name to the date on your house. Write each name
by the date very small.
STEP NAMES (out of order)
John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry, Election of Abe Lincoln, Missouri Compromise,
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Mexican Cession, The South Secedes,
Dred Scott Decision, Compromise of 1850, KS-NE Act -“Bleeding Kansas”
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STEP DESCRIPTIONS: Using the time-line again, find out which description below matches
to each date and name on the steps. Print (small lettering) what you see below on to the matching
step.
US Congress passed the KS-NE ACT letting settlers vote whether new states Slave or
Free. Took away MO Compromise. New settlers began killing each other.
7 Slave States hate Lincoln, Secede, and create a new nation: “The Confederacy”
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote a best-selling novel about slavery and made South look
cruel. More Northerners became Abolitionists. South angry and fearful.
A lawsuit: Supreme Court declared slaves have no rights, were “property”, and slavery is
allowed everywhere in America. Abolitionists really mad.
A boundary line drawn across country: No slavery above the line & Maine became a free
state. Slavery below line & Missouri became a slave state. Arguments stop…for a
while.
John Brown, an abolitionist, captured arsenal in VA to try and give guns to slaves for a
revolt. It failed/he was hung. North made him a martyr. South angry and fearful at
North.
To prevent war: CA became a free state and Slave owners got a Fugitive Slave Law.
Underground Railroad more active stealing slaves to freedom.
Abe Lincoln became 16th President. He didn’t want slavery going WEST. South
feared he would abolish slavery everywhere.
Manifest Destiny & Mexican War Peace Treaty gives new lands out west. But will the
new lands have Slavery or be Free? Congress debates.