3-5 Elementary Causes of the Civil War Video
In this elementary history lesson, explore how growing disagreements between the North and South led to one of the most important events in American history—the Civil War. Discover how differences in farming, slavery, and beliefs about states' rights caused rising tension across the country. Learn about key moments like the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the Dred Scott decision, and how they deepened divisions. Meet important figures like Abraham Lincoln and John Brown, and see how the election of 1860 pushed the nation to the breaking point. From sectionalism to secession, this powerful story shows how conflict and courage helped shape the United States we know today.
0:00 Hi young historians. Today we are going to learn about a time in American history when the country was not getting along. Nations like the United States have disagreements, just like families do, but this one got out of hand and sadly led to a civil war.
0:21 Let’s begin in the south, like the north. The majority of people lived on small farms. The South also had large farms called plantations. These southern farms relied on enslaved people to farm the land and harvest crops like cotton and tobacco.
0:43 This was not the case in the North, where slavery had been outlawed. Around this time, people in the North called abolitionists became more outspoken, saying slavery was wrong and should end. They saw slavery as a violation of the natural rights of humans, as outlined in the Declaration of Independence.
1:06 This worried people in the South, because a lot of the ways the South made money depended on the use of enslaved labor. They saw slavery as a property rights. These differences and others led to something called sectionalism. This means people were more loyal to their own region
1:28 than to the whole country. Many events happened quickly in this time period that showed these deep divisions. First was the compromise of 1850. In this compromise, Congress tried to calm down
1:50 the tensions around slavery by trying to keep things even. Then came the Kansas-Nebraska act in 1854. This act lets settlers vote to decide whether new states would be free or allow slavery. Free and slave supporters rushed into the territory,
2:13 which led to violence and chaos. Then, in the Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court said that Congress could not make rules about slavery. It also stated that blacks were not citizens and could not become citizens.
2:33 The decision stated that blacks were not included in the Declaration of Independence or Constitution, and had no natural rights. Northerners like Abraham Lincoln and abolitionists everywhere strongly disagreed. Then, in 1859, violence erupted when abolitionist John Brown and his followers
2:57 tried to raid a government arsenal at Harpers Ferry. They planned to gain weapons in an attempt to start a slave revolt, but they were stopped. Tensions were at an all time high. The divisions in the country were very deep. This division was on the minds of Americans as they went to vote for president in 1860.
3:21 There were four candidate for president in this election John Bell, Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, and John C Breckinridge. John Bell wanted to find a compromise to minimize conflict between the North and the South. Abraham Lincoln was against the spread of slavery,
3:41 but believed the federal government could not end slavery where it already existed. Stephen Douglas wanted people in each state to choose what to do about slavery. John C Breckinridge was a southern candidate who warned that Lincoln threatened the existence of slavery.
4:10 Lincoln and Douglas fought for votes in the North, while Bell and Breckinridge fought for votes in the South. In the end, Lincoln won the election, but some Southerners didn’t accept Lincoln as their president. Instead of accepting the election result. South Carolina decided to leave or secede
4:33 from the United States, and other southern states followed. They formed the Confederate States of America. Southerners believed they had the right to leave, but Lincoln and the North saw it as a rebellion. In April 1861, fighting broke out and the Civil War began.
4:56 So that’s how the election of 1860 and sectionalism led to the Civil War. It was a tough time, but it is an important part of our story that helps us understand United States today. Our story for today ends here, but the story of our history is still being written by us.
