Conner Ties
Shrunk 3
12/3/14
Causes of the Civil War Essay

The United States of America had just finished the Mexican American War which ended with battle of Chapultepec. After this American victory Mexico signed the Treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo and with that gained a huge chunk of land, but with that land came decisions. Many people would believe that after fighting a war against a common enemy the country would unified together even greater. However it was far from unified and on the verge of total civil war because of the growing number of abolitionist, Harriet Beecher Stowe writes
Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Brooks beating Sumner in the halls of congress. The Fugitive Slave
Law is made harsher, Dred Scott loses his case in the Supreme Court and all African
Americans are stripped of their citizenship. And the issue of territory in the old territories and newly gained ones, the Kansas­Nebraska Act is passed giving Kansas and Nebraska popular sovereignty. Abolitionists were causing quite a stir both politically and socially, with Uncle Tom’s
Cabin, John Brown, and Brooks beating Sumner. Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s
Cabin after she helped harbor a runaway slave in Maine, the book was a huge success not only domestically but overseas as well helping to boost the Abolitionist cause. John Brown was a extreme abolitionist who murdered 5 supposedly pro­slavery men with an ax, then planned a raid on harpers ferry but failed horrible due to the fact that no slaves came to help his cause. John Brown may have failed but he was seen as a martyr to the North and was hated by the South and considered a terrorist. Another abolitionist Senator Charles Sumner from Massachusetts was beaten mercilessly with a cane by Representative Preston Brooks from South Carolina, all this happened after Sumner made offensive Remarks about Brooks fellow congressman from South Carolina in an anti­slavery speech which caused tensions to tighten. Due to the Compromise of 1850 the Fugitive Slave Law was made stricter and harsher than ever before. In the new Fugitive Slave Law or also known as the “Bloodhound Bill” fleeing slaves could not testify in their own behalf, they were also rejected from having a trial, and any black could be captured and sent back into slavery without a cause. Dred Scott was one such who sued for his freedom after living in Wisconsin and Illinois with his master, his case made it all the way up to the supreme court and it was voted against 7­2 the court ruled any person of African ancestry is not considered a citizen of the United States. Although the
Fugitive Slave Law did way more bad than good it helped fuel the cause against slavery.
When Anthony Burns was captured in Boston more than 50,000 citizens of Boston came in protest whoever Burns was sent back into slavery, but due to this event that hit close to home to many people they were able to