Controversy over the extension of slavery into western territories increased tensions

between the already sectionalist North and South, as neither of them were willing to fully
compromise nor give up on what they thought was right. The South saw slavery as necessary for
success and therefore wanted to extend it, while the North was extremely opposed to its spread.
Controversy over the extension of slavery into western territories had many causes, but can
primarily be seen through the Compromise of 1850, the Dred Scott decision, and the Freeport
Doctrine, which heightened tensions between the North and South, contributing to the coming of
the Civil War.
Although the Compromise of 1850 helped push back the Civil War for ten years, it did
little to resolve the present friction between the North and South. Under the compromise, the
slave trade was abolished in D.C. and California was admitted as a free state, upsetting the South
due to the new unbalanced power in the Senate between slave versus free states. To appease the
South, the Mexican Cession would be decided by popular sovereignty, and a more stringent
fugitive slave law was passed. The stricter fugitive slave law heightened the antislavery cause in
the North and was the single biggest source of friction between the North and South up to the
Civil War.
Under the Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court ruled that African Americans, whether
free or slave, were not citizens. Therefore, under the Fifth Amendment, Congress could not deny
someone of their right to own property. This meant that the Missouri Compromise was
unconstitutional and that the government could not ban slavery in the territories. The South was
overjoyed at this, because they were now guaranteed security in keeping their slaves and had the
opportunity to extend slavery. The North hated it for the exact reason the South loved it, causing
increased friction over a decision that helped to extend slavery into the west.

During the Lincoln and Douglas debates, Douglas responds to Lincolns questions about
the use of popular sovereignty following the Dred Scott decision by saying that under the
Freeport Doctrine, although a state cannot vote down slavery, they can pass laws that are
unfriendly to slavery, undermining what the Dred Scott decision confirmed. This would kill
plantation agriculture in the west and effectively get rid of slavery in the territories. The South
loathed Douglas following the Freeport Doctrine, while the North saw hope for the future of the
west, creating further tension over the overturning of a decision that helped extend slavery.
The Freeport Doctrine indirectly decided the election of 1860 and led to the secession of
South Carolina. Following the Freeport Doctrine, the South loathed Douglas, who ran for
president in 1860. This led to the split of the Democratic Party, which skewed the election,
allowing a minority candidate, Lincoln, to win. South Carolina threatened to secede if a
Republican won, and following Lincolns election, South Carolina went through with their thread
and seceded, with eleven states following their lead shortly after.