The document summarizes key events leading up to the American Civil War: 1) The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 required Northern states to help capture runaway slaves, angering Northerners and convincing them of the evils of slavery. 2) The Dred Scott decision ruled that slaves were not citizens and the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional, allowing slavery in all territories. 3) After Lincoln's election, 11 Southern states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America, with Jefferson Davis as president. The Civil War began after shots were fired at Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April 1861.