Stepping Stones to the Civil War
Pick three (3) of the leading causes of the American Civil War.
The three leading causes of the American Civil War include The Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, and Uncle Tom’s Cabin of 1852. The Novel ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin, or Life among the Lowly’ by H.B. Stowe was published nine years before the commencement of the Civil War. The novel set record sales never before witnessed in its era. It also inflamed tensions in some sections of the country, resulting in the war. The novel was majorly in protest of the Fugitive Slave Law that was enacted in 1850 (OpenStax, 2019). The significance of the Compromise of 1850 was in the peace that was achieved from the time the Missouri Compromise of 1820 came into place. Although there were sectional differences, the Compromise of 1850 had the Southerners and Northerners express their polarized views. The compromise was intended to revitalize the peace and union of the states. Most politicians knew the compromise was only a temporary solution to an inevitable war (Cook, 2014).
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The Fugitive Law also referred to as the Fugitive Slave Law, was a set of congressionally approved Bills that aimed at resolving the much-debated issue of slave ownership. The slave issue was close to splitting the nation. The highly controversial law was passed following several Capitol Hill battles. The law was bound to fail in popularity, as were the provisions therein. Four years later, the Act was found to be unconstitutional by the Wisconsin state high court. In the ruling, the judge favoured Sherman Booth, an abolitionist who earlier had helped save an enslaved person named Joshua Glover by aiding his escape. However, this ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court of the U.S., which declared that the Fugitive Act was within the constitutional boundaries. The abolitionists were admittedly infuriated by the Supreme Court ruling and were determined more than ever to stand for their political beliefs (OpenStax, 2019).
Based on the historical facts given in this module, assess if the American Civil War was inevitable.
Based on the selections, the Civil War was inevitable because of the incitement caused by Stowe’s novel, the patchwork Compromise of 1850, and the weakening of the Fugitive Law by the Supreme Court. According to McNamara (2019), the Fugitive Law is one of the main reasons the Civil War erupted, as it further strengthened the earlier law of 1793, also referred to as the Fugitive Slave Act. The Supreme Court’s decision pressured citizens to draw lines for or against the slave trade. The tension between Northern and Southern states increased, resulting in secession and the eventual eruption of the Civil War.
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References
Cook, R. (2014). Civil War America: Making a Nation, 1848-1877. Routledge.
OpenStax. (2019). U.S. history. OpenStax CNX. Retrieved from https://cnx.org/contents/p7ovuIkl@6.18:gMXC1GEM@7/Introduction
McNamara, R. (2019). The Compromise of 1850 Delayed the Civil War For a Decade. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-compromise-of-1850-1773985
Randall, J. G., & Donald, D. (2016). The Civil War and Reconstruction. Pickle Partners Publishing.
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Question
Week 4 Discussion 1 Stepping Stones to the Civil War
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
- Textbook: Chapters 12, 14
- Lesson
- Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, pick three (3) of the leading causes of the American Civil War:
- The Compromise of 1850
- The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
- Uncle Tom’s Cabin 1852
- The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854
- The Dred Scott Case of 1857
- The Lincoln Douglas Debates 1858
Then, address one (1) of the following for your selections:
- Based on the historical facts given in this module, assess if the American Civil War was inevitable.
- Analyze if the United States Supreme Court can settle legal and moral issues through judiciary review. In your response, provide a documented example of a modern parallel of a legal or moral issue settled by the United States Supreme Court.
Follow-Up Posts
Compare your selections and analysis of selections with those of your peers. If they chose different events, examine how yours are similar and different. If they chose the same events, build on their posts by providing additional information about the events that you have not already noted in your post.
Writing Requirements
- Minimum of 3 posts (1 initial & 2 follow-ups)
- APA format for in-text citations and list of references
Grading
This activity will be graded using the Discussion Grading Rubric. Please review the following link:
- Link (webpage): Discussion Guidelines
Course Outcomes (CO): 1, 2, 3, 4
Due Date for Initial Post: By 11:59 p.m. MT on Wednesday
Due Date for Follow-Up Posts: By 11:59 p.m. MT on Sunday