1. Slavery: The institution of slavery was deeply rooted in the Southern economy and social fabric. The growing abolitionist movement in the North and the increasing tension between the slaveholding South and the free North fueled the conflict.
2. Sectionalism: Over time, the nation became increasingly divided along regional lines. Differences in economic systems, attitudes towards slavery, and political ideologies created sectional divisions between the industrialized North and the agrarian South.
3. Missouri Compromise: The Missouri Compromise of 1820 attempted to maintain a balance between free and slave states admitted to the Union. It drew a line across the southern border of Missouri, stating that all states north of the line would be free, and all those south of it could allow slavery. However, the compromise only temporarily eased tensions and eventually collapsed due to new disputes over western territories.
4. Compromise of 1850: This compromise package aimed to settle issues related to the newly acquired territories from the Mexican-American War. It included provisions such as the Fugitive Slave Act, which required the return of escaped slaves to their owners, and the admission of California as a free state. While it temporarily appeased both sides, it failed to resolve the fundamental disagreements between the North and South.
5. Election of Abraham Lincoln: Lincoln's victory in the 1860 presidential election as a Republican candidate further heightened tensions. He was perceived as a threat to the institution of slavery by the South, leading to growing secessionist sentiments among southern states. South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union, ultimately triggering the start of the Civil War.
Give me 5 things that led up to the Civil War
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