Exploring the Causes of the Civil War

What was the primary economic impact of Eli Whitney's cotton gin invention?

• Increased need for industrial machinery

• Decreased cotton profitability

• Reduced agricultural diversity

• Increased dependency on slavery

What did the Compromise of 1850 establish regarding California?

• It used popular sovereignty to decide

• It became a free state

• It was divided into two states

• It became a slave state

What was the main purpose of the Fugitive Slave Act included in the Compromise of 1850?

• To establish new slave states

• To fine officials who did not arrest runaway slaves

• To abolish slavery in new territories

• To provide financial aid to slave owners

How did 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' influence Northern perspectives on slavery?

• It supported the economics of slavery

• It promoted the expansion of slavery

• It was largely ignored

• It depicted the harsh realities of slavery

What was the outcome of the Dred Scott decision?

• All slaves in free states were emancipated

• Slavery was abolished in Missouri

• Dred Scott remained a slave

• Dred Scott was freed

What event was Charles Sumner known for in the context of pre-Civil War tensions?

• Writing anti-slavery legislation

• Being attacked after a speech

• Leading a slave revolt

• Negotiating a peace treaty

What was the Lecompton Constitution?

• An agreement to end slavery in Kansas

• A federal law mandating slavery across all states

• A proposal rejected by Kansas to become a slave state

• A document that allowed Kansas to enter as a free state

What action did John Brown take at Harpers Ferry?

• He negotiated for slaves' freedom

• He led a peaceful protest

• He wrote influential anti-slavery essays

• He raided an arsenal

Which states seceded from the Union following Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860?

• North Carolina, South Dakota, Nevada, Utah

• California, Texas, Florida, New York

• South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Georgia

• Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maine

What was a key platform of Abraham Lincoln during his presidential campaign?

• Expansion of slavery to new territories

• Abolition of slavery in all states

• Prevention of slavery expansion to new territories

• Support for the rights of Southern states