What Are The Factors That Led To The Civil War

The Civil War was a very complicated war and had more than one cause. The Fugitive Slave Act, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Dred Scott decision, John Brown’s Raid, and the election of 1860 were all factors that led to the Civil War. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 out the Federal government behind slave catchers. This now made the assisting of runaway slaves a federal offence. This also was a problem for free African Americans because if a white slave catcher said that a free African American was a runaway slave and they go to court the Judge would be paid five dollars if the African American was free and ten dollars if he says the free African American was a slave. This angered the North even more which further divided the nation into the North and South. The Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854 was put into place by Stephen Douglas. He wanted to win the support of the southern states. The Territory of Nebraska would be split into two territories, Kansas and Nebraska. The issue of slavery would be based on popular sovereignty, repealing the Missouri Compromise. This was an issue because people in Missouri would move west into the territories to vote to make it a slave state.
Dred Scott was a slave in Missouri. His owner moved to Illinois and set Dred Scott free, but the owner later decided to move back to Missouri and told Dred Scott that him and his family are still his slaves and have to come back to Missouri with him. Dred Scott took the case to court, but the court ruled he was a black slave and not a citizen so he could not sue in a Federal Court. The Supreme Court ruled that Congress does not have the authority to ban slavery in the territories and Dred Scott’s long-term residence in a free state does not make him free. The judge said blacks are property and there was no such thing as a slave state. The North was infuriated while the south was pleased with the