Answer:
The Civil War was a significant event in American history that shaped the nation's future. Three events that led up to the Civil War are:
1. Southern Secession: After the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, Southern states began to secede from the Union. This was due to their belief that Lincoln's election would threaten their way of life, specifically their ability to own slaves. By the time Lincoln took office in 1861, seven states had seceded from the Union, and the Confederate States of America had been established.
2. Dred Scott Decision: The Dred Scott decision of 1857 was a Supreme Court ruling that African Americans could not be citizens of the United States. This decision, which overturned previous legal precedents, enraged abolitionists and further divided the nation along sectional lines. The decision also emboldened slaveholders, who felt that they now had legal protection for their property.
3. Kansas-Nebraska Act: The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 was a law that allowed settlers in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery. This decision was seen as a betrayal by Northern Democrats, who felt that the law would lead to the expansion of slavery into new territories. The resulting violence and bloodshed in Kansas further inflamed tensions between North and South and contributed to the eventual outbreak of war.