Journal A

A plethora of causes contributed to the Civil War. Firstly, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was a large contribution to the Civil War. In 1854, Stephen Douglas helped push the Kansas-Nebraska Act through Congress. Douglas wanted lands to develop west of Illinois and a railroad built from Illinois through Nebraska to the Pacific Coast. This would create the Kansas and Nebraska Territories which would use popular sovereignty to determine slavery in order to please the South as they were upset that these territories were above the Missouri Compromise line. However, the North was upset as this undid the Missouri Compromise and reopened the debate on slavery where it hadn’t already existed. Thus, this would lead to the Civil War as these disagreements …show more content…
The Election of 1860 and Southern Secession were large causes associated with Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln was the Republican candidate. The Democratic Party split up, and Southern Democrats supported John C. Breckinridge as he sought to maintain slavery. In the end, Abraham Lincoln won all free states and Breckinridge won all slave states except four. The South was not pleased with this as they disagreed with many policies proposed by Abraham Lincoln. As a result, the Civil War was soon to begin as the South decided secession was in their best interest. Actions of President Lincoln such as enacting the Emancipation Proclamation which freed all slaves residing within the Confederacy would only reaffirm their beliefs. Thus, Abraham Lincoln was an immense contribution to the Civil War. Lastly, the Southern Secession would also contribute exponentially to the Civil War. The South was certain the North was out to destroy their way of life by trying to outlaw slavery. Viewing actions by the North regarding slavery as a threat, the South determined that their way of life could only be preserved by seceding. Therefore, the South seceded and the Civil War commenced as President Lincoln aimed to reunite the …show more content…
When the South seceded from the Union to preserve their way of life, President Lincoln aimed to reunite the nation as one. In doing so, his actions aggravated many Southerners and would eventually lead to his demise. His view opposed slavery, but he never planned to abolish slavery in the South. However, his actions regarding slavery such as enacting the Emancipation Proclamation which freed all slaves residing within the Confederacy only strengthened the South’s case against the North. Of the many upset Southerners, John Wilkes Booth was among them. On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth entered President Lincoln’s private lounge in Ford’s Theatre and took the life of the President. Booth’s motive for killing President Lincoln isn’t completely clear, but Booth and Lincoln’s views opposed each other. As a result of actions taken by President Lincoln in the Civil War, President Lincoln would be assassinated. Moreover, another effect of the Civil War would be the Freedmen’s Bureau. The Freedmen’s Bureau was a U.S. federal government agency which set up a support system for freedmen. The Freedmen’s Bureau Bill was enacted by President Lincoln on March 3, 1865. This agency helped former slaves find work and shelter after becoming freemen. President Lincoln proposed this agency to correct the wrongdoings of slavery and ensure all men be treated equal. The Freedmen’s Bureau was to be in operation a year after the