← Period 5: 1844–1877
Causes of the Civil War
Territorial expansion reignited the question of whether new states would permit slavery, escalating sectional tensions into war.
Overview
Compromises (Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, Kansas-Nebraska Act) attempted to manage the expansion of slavery into new territories, but each ultimately deepened sectional conflict rather than resolving it, culminating in secession and war after Lincoln's 1860 election.
Practice Quiz
Question 1 of 1Score so far: 0/0
Why did territorial expansion intensify sectional conflict over slavery rather than resolve it?