Civil War Timeline

Timeline of events leading up to the civil war

1848 - Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo giving the United States land in the west. This in turn caused a debate over whether slavery should be permitted in the western territories. The election of Martin Van Buren only heightened the problem because he opposed the expansion of slavery.

1850- The Compromise of 1850 was enacted which permitted California as a free state and allowing New Mexico to have slaves. It also got rid of the slave trade in Washington DC and had stricter fugitive slave laws. The refusal of the North's cooperation in returning escaped slaves under the fugitive slave laws angers the South.

1852- George Fitzhugh publishes The Pro-Slavery Argument which promoted slavery. The same year Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes Uncle Tom's Cabin which opposes slavery. These two books strengthen the defiance between the north and south.

1854- The Kansas-Nebraska Act is passed which said that popular sovereignty would decide the matters of slavery in western territories. This act repeals the Missouri Act which prohibited slavery for all new states north of the 36o 30'line, or the border of the Arkansas territory.

1854 - In anger over the Kansas-Nebraska Act a new Republican party is formed which opposes slavery. The republicans swept the northern states and Abraham Lincoln becomes Illinois leader.

1855- Bleeding Kansas occurs which was a bloody fight between people who believed in slavery versus thos who did not.

1856- Republican campaign targets anti-slavery and has a campaign slogan saying free, speech, free press, free soil, free men. Democrats come up with a campaign that warns of a civl war and winning that war.

1857- Walker Tariff is lowered hurting the northern industries. It was primarily supported by southerns.

1857- Supreme Court