🟢Topic 6.1 | The Causes of the Civil War

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

• Created the Northwest Territory and established conditions for self-government and statehood, including a Bill of Rights, and permanently prohibited slavery.

• Established the first national bank and regulated interstate commerce.

• Granted women the right to vote in federal elections.

• Created the Articles of Confederation and established a weak central government.

Chattel Slavery (1600 - 1800's)

• A system where enslaved individuals are treated as property and can be bought and sold.

• A form of slavery where individuals are given freedom after a certain period.

• A type of labor system that allows for fair wages and rights for workers.

• A practice that only existed in the Americas during the 19th century.

The Underground Railroad (1780's - 1863)

• A network of secret people, routes, and stops used by escaping enslaved people to help them reach freedom in the North or Canada.

• A series of underground tunnels used for smuggling goods during the Civil War.

• A government program that provided financial aid to freed slaves in the North.

• A military strategy employed by the Union to transport troops during the Civil War.

Compromise of 1850

• A series of laws passed to resolve the issue of slavery in the newly acquired territories from the Mexican Cession.

• A treaty that ended the Mexican-American War and established new borders.

• An agreement that allowed California to enter the Union as a slave state.

• A law that abolished slavery in all territories acquired from Mexico.

Fugitive Slave Clause (1788)

• Article IV, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution, which stated that enslaved persons who escaped must be returned to their owners.

• A law that allowed enslaved persons to gain their freedom after a certain period of time.

• A provision that granted citizenship to all enslaved persons in the United States.

• An amendment that abolished slavery in the United States.

Dredd Scott v. Sanford (1857)

• Supreme Court ruling that stated that Congress had the authority to prohibit slavery in the territories of the United States.

• Supreme Court ruling that stated that people of African descent are citizens of the United States.

• Supreme Court ruling that stated that Congress didn't have the authority to prohibit slavery in the territories of the United States.

• Supreme Court ruling that stated that slavery was legal in all states.

John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry (1859)

• Abolitionist John Brown's plan to invade the South with armed slaves.

• A military campaign led by Robert E. Lee to capture federal arsenals.

• A peaceful protest against slavery organized by Northern abolitionists.

• A battle between Union and Confederate forces over control of Virginia.

Election of 1860

• Abraham Lincoln, the Republican party candidate, won the election of 1860.

• The election of 1860 was won by Stephen A. Douglas of the Democratic party.

• The election of 1860 resulted in the election of John Bell from the Constitutional Union party.

• The election of 1860 was primarily focused on the issue of women's suffrage.

Abolitionist Movement (1780's - 1890)

• A movement to promote slavery as a moral good

• An international movement to condemn slavery as morally wrong

• A campaign to expand slavery in the United States

• A political party formed to support slave owners

Wilmot Proviso (1846)

• A proposed Amendment by Congressman David Wilmot to prohibit slavery in new territories acquired from Mexico.

• A law that allowed slavery in all territories acquired from Mexico.

• A treaty that ended the Mexican-American War and allowed for the expansion of slavery.

• An act that granted citizenship to all former slaves in the United States.