Aim: What were the social, political, and

economic causes of the Civil War?

Social

• Uncle Tom’s Cabin causes moral outrage in North

• Abolitionist crusade strengthened by resistance to the fugitive slave act

• Underground RR helps slave escape to the north

• Personal Liberty Laws help runaways remain free.

• The South wanted to preserve their way of life and maintained their belief in states rights

• Nullification: a states refusal to recognize an act of Congress

SECTIONALISM (Economic)

• Placing the interests of one’s own region ahead of the interests of the nation as a whole

• The North and The South developed differently

• North: Industry and Manufacturing• South: Plantation Agriculture and

Cash Crops

POLITICAL

• THE CIVIL WAR WAS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE OF THE EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATIVE AND JUDICIAL BRANCH

The Executive Branch• Presidents did little to solve the

growing sectional struggle in the United States

• A string of mediocre presidents felt it was not the presidents job to settle the various issues that caused tension

• Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan were all elected because they weren’t controversial

The Legislative Branch

• Congress failed to deal with the question of slavery through compromise and popular sovereignty

• Various attempts to settle the issue of slavery only caused more tension.

Examples: The Wilmot Proviso:

Stated that no slavery would be permitted in lands won from Mexico

The Lecompton Constitution: Supported by the President and stated that slavery would be protected in Kansas

• Popular sovereignty and the Kansas Nebraska act led to fighting in Kansas

• “Bleeding Kansas”

• “Bleeding Sumner”

THE JUDICIAL BRANCH• The Dred Scott v Sanford Case

• Supreme Court ruled that slaves are property, and no law can deny a citizen of their property

• Slaves are property

• Opened all territories to slavery

• Repealed Missouri Compromise