Joey Schmitzer

Mr. W (Pd.3)
Honors U.S. History
18 January 2017
The Civil War was claimed to occur inevitably. Henry Clay and others are credited for at
least post-poning the Civil War and letting the North develop further. The Compromise of 1850,
Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the Dred-Scott decision all included a split-decision between the
North and South on the extension of slavery, increasing already high tensions.
The Compromise of 1850 is said to have helped post-pone the war a decade because of its
components. The Compromise included popular sovereignty, which gave the people of a territory
the power to decide whether to be a free state or a slave state. This was a win for the South
because it gives them more opportunities to spread slavery. Next, was the stricter Fugitive Slave
Law. This is another big win for the South because now people in the North who were assisting
escaped slaves could be fined or even arrested. There was the abolition of slave trade in the
capitol to make us look better in front of foreign diplomats that came to Washington D.C.
California is admitted to the United States as a free state. This is a win for the North because it
upset the balance between slave and free states and their representatives in government. Texas
was also given $10 million dollars for the New Mexican Territory which is just more disputed
land to argue over whether to be slave of free. Overall the Compromise of 1850 slowed down the
immediate arguments over slavery, but addressing these issues only leads to new ones.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was an overall win for the South. It stated that the Nebraska
territory is to be split into Kansas and Nebraska, and that popular sovereignty would decide if

they were to be a slave or free state. The North is furious at yet another opportunity for slavery to
spread. Kansas ends up admitting as a slave state and Nebraska, free. The Act also violated the
36 degree 30 minute line of the Missouri Compromise which results in the Missouri Compromise
being repealed altogether. This occurrence only advances the United States closer to the brink
of Civil War as slavery slowly spreads into once disputed western territories. This event also
synthesizes to the Missouri Compromise itself because they are similar in their principles but the
Kansas-Nebraska Act is overruling with a new feature of popular sovereignty.
The Dred-Scott Decision occurred when a slave, Scott, sued for his freedom. However, in
court it was ruled unconstitutional for a slave to sue for his/her freedom because they arent
people, but someones property. Property cannot be taken from a man without due process. That
would go against the Fifth Amendment. Another public event where a slave is denied basic
human rights once again raising tensions.
Overall, the Civil War was inevitable because the South kept antagonizing the North by
trying to expand. The North is forced to react if they want it to stop and it eventually comes
down to the North taking the offensive side in the war to end slavery, sure, but also to unite the
country once again to ensure our nations survival.