The Glory

 The main ideas of the Cicil War era were the idea of equality and slavery.

It is important to understand the two sides in the war.

South - America

• The majority of their economy were large plantations

• Relyd on slavery 

North - America

• It had had rapid industrialisation

• Did not rely on slavery

• Had growing numbers of movements for abolition of slavery

William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson lead one of those movements in which they claimed that slavery is immoral. Their mission was to prohibit importation of enslaved Africans and they were mainly focusing on areas such as the Deep South, the West Indies, South America.

In 1818 Missouri applied to be an independent state (used to be a part of Louisiana). The South wanted Missouri to be a slave state, the North was hoping for a  free state. The compromise was for Missouri to be a slave state and another new state, Maine, to be a free state. That way the number was equal - 11 and 11. Another part of teh compromise was a slavery line, there couldn’t have been new slavee states North of an imaginary line at 36º 30’ latitude.

In 1850 The Fugitive Slave Act was passed, which had 5 laws and slaves had to be returned to their owner. 

A very important part in all of this was the underground railroad that helped enslaved people escape to Canada. It was never found by authorities.

Dred Scott Case

Dred Scott, who was born into slavery sued his late owner’s wife to the freedom of him and his family. It was a decade long fight for freedom. The Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney made the final decision that Dred Scott does not have national citizenship and therefore cannot sue anyone. All of that led to a lot of tension that fueled the conformation of confederacy.

Shortly, 11 states decided to withdraw from the USA and they formed confederate states.

The tensions from seceeding, slavery and the question of rights caused the Civil War. At first, it was thought that the war would be short. It resulted with south states surrendering and the win of northern states. 

With the war also came the Militia Act meaning that African - Americans have the right to enlist