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Created with Fabric.js 1.4.5 After the American Revolution, the North and South developeddistinctly different ways of life. Causes of the Civil War Should slavery be allowed to spread to new Americanterritories west of the Mississippi River? After the Louisiana Purchase (1803), the United States doubled in size. The Missouri Compromise, Missouri applied as a slave state.The admission of Missouri would upset the balance of powerin the Senate where at the time there were 11 free states and 11 slavestates. With Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin in 1793, cottonbecame very profitable. The southern economy became aone crop economy, depending on cotton and therefore onslavery. (Southern) The northern economy was based more on industrythan agriculture. In fact, the northern industries werepurchasing the raw cotton and turning it into finishedgoods. (Northern) The difference between the two are that the South was based onthe plantation system while the North was focused on city life.This change in the North meant that society evolved as people ofdifferent cultures and classes had to work together. On the otherhand, the South continued to hold onto an outdated socialorder. States Versus Federal Rights Since the time of the Revolution, two camps emerged, thosearguing for greater states rights and those arguing thatthe federal government needed to have morecontrol. The thirteen states formed a loose confederationwith a very weak central government. However, whenproblems arose, the weaknesses of the Articlescaused the leaders of the time to come together at theConstitutional Convention and create the US Constitution.Many felt that the new constitution ignored the rights of statesto continue to act independently. They felt that the states shouldstill have the right to decide if they were willing to accept certainfederal acts, resulting in the idea of nullification. The Fight Between Slave and Non-Slave State Advocates As America began to expand, first with the lands gained from theLouisiana Purchase and later with the Mexican War, the question ofwhether new states admitted to the union would be slave or free.The Missouri Compromise passed in 1820 made a rule thatprohibited slavery in states from the former Louisiana Purchaseexcept in Missouri. Wilmot Proviso During the Mexican War, conflict started aboutwhat would happen with the new territories thatthe US expected to gain upon victory. David Wilmotproposed the Wilmot Proviso in 1846 which would banslavery in the new lands. However, this was shot downto much debate. Compromise of 1850 The Compromise of 1850 was created by Henry Clay and othersto deal with the balance between slave and free states, northernand southern interests. One of the provisions was the fugitive slaveact. Another issue that further increased tensions was theKansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 It created two new territories that would allow the states to usepopular sovereignty to determine whether they would be free or slave.The real issue occurred in Kansas where pro-slavery Missourians beganto pour into the state to help force it to be slave. They were called "BorderRuffians." Problems came to a head in violence at Lawrence, Kansas.The fighting that occurred caused it to be called "Bleeding Kansas." Thefight even erupted on the floor of the senate when anti-slavery advocateCharles Sumner was beat over the head by South Carolina's SenatorPreston Brooks. Growth of the Abolition Movement THE ELECTION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN Even though things were already coming to a head, when Lincolnwas elected in 1860, South Carolina issued its "Declaration of the Causes of Secession." Theybelieved that Lincoln was anti-slavery and in favor of Northern interests.Before Lincoln was even president, seven states had seceded from the Union: South Carolina,Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. And Then There Was War!!! The Civil War was a fight to preserve the Union, which was the United States of America. Northerners became more polarized against slavery.Sympathies began to grow for abolitionists and against slaveryand slaveholders. This occurred especially after some majorevents including, the publishing of Harriet Beecher Stowe's 'UncleTom's Cabin', the Dred Scott Case, John Brown's Raid, andthe passage of the fugitive slave act that held individualsresponsible for harboring fugitive slaves even if they were locatedin non-slave states (Fugitive-Slave Act).
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