The Civil War: The Nation Moves Towards War, 1850-61

New laws and regulations regarding slavery were enacted by Congress. Cases involving slavery were heard and decided by the courts. The movement to abolish slavery carried on with its efforts throughout this time period. Political parties, which were also impacted by issues relating to slavery, realigned themselves and underwent reform. Newspapers, novelists, activists, and reformers all joined the discussion, each in their own unique way providing a response to the crisis or even attempting to inflame it further. In the ten years leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s election and the beginning of the Civil War, each of these occurrences played a significant role.

The war of 1850

The Compromise of 1850 was a set of laws that were passed by Congress in an effort to avert a civil war. These laws came to be known by their collective name. Among these was an updated version of the Fugitive Slave Law. This law mandated that law enforcement officers from all over the country assist in the capture of people who were suspected of escaping from slavery. It sparked a debate on a national scale, and a significant number of people in the North refused to comply with its mandates.

The anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and first published in 1852. Within the first year of its publication in the United States, it was able to sell a total of 300,000 copies, which both encouraged those who advocated for the abolition of slavery and infuriated those who supported the institution of slavery. In addition to this, it was the inspiration for a number of other plays and musicals, some of which continued the storyline begun in the book, while others advocated for the institution of slavery. Although the author of the book, Harriet Beecher Stowe, strongly opposed the institution of slavery, her work also contributed to and reinforced negative stereotypes about African Americans.

In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed by Congress. This law gave settlers in the new territories of Kansas and Nebraska the ability to decide for themselves whether they would allow slavery. In response to the decision to legalise slavery in the Northern territories, the Republican Party was established.

1855 anti-slavery In Kansas, there was a conflict between pro-freedom and pro-slavery Border Ruffians. Because it lasted for several years, the conflict was given the name the Border War, but it was also referred to as Bleeding Kansas.

The war of 1857

The Dred Scott ruling was issued by the Supreme Court of the United States (Scott v. Sandford). According to the ruling, no one of African descent could be eligible for citizenship in the United States. Abolitionists were made even more incensed by this decision.In 1859, radical abolitionist John Brown led a group of approximately 20 other people on a raid on the United States arsenal located in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Brown had hoped that his plan would result in a slave uprising, but it was unsuccessful. Brown and a number of other men were executed after being apprehended.

The war of 1860

Abraham Lincoln, who was running against Stephen A. Douglas, the Democratic candidate for president, was able to win the nomination for the Republican Party. Even before Lincoln was elected president, Southern states began to threaten secession in the event that the Republican candidate was successful in winning the election. On December 20, South Carolina officially severed its ties with the United States of America after Lincoln’s victory.

The war of 1861

In January and February, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas declared their independence from the United States. The Confederate States of America, also known simply as the Confederacy, was a government that was formed by the six states that seceded from the United States. Jefferson Davis was chosen to serve as the nation’s president. In the month of March, Lincoln became president. The United States Congress gave its approval to organise a volunteer army. On the 12th of April, Confederate forces opened fire on Fort Sumter, which was located in South Carolina. Fort Sumter was ceded by the United States under the command of Major General Richard Anderson.

Conclusion 

On April 15, Lincoln issued a proclamation that declared the Southern states to be engaged in an insurrection against the Union. He issued a call for 75,000 members of state militias to enlist in the regular army of the United States.

Between the months of April and June, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee all declared their independence from the Union and joined the Confederacy.

The Road to Civil War, 1850-1861 begins with an investigation into the various ways that historians throughout the ages have attempted to make sense of the predicament facing the Union. An account of the political and social history of the 1850s follows a discussion of the institution of slavery and its central role in the economies of both the south and the nation. This occurs after a discussion of the 1850s.