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Top 10 Events Leading to the Civil War
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Texas Becomes a State
Texas became a state which gave more power to the southern states and greatly contributed to the Civil War. -
The Mexican War Ended
With the end of the Mexican War, America was ceded western territories. This posed a problem: as these new territories would be admitted as states, would they be free or slave? To deal with this, Congress passed the Compromise of 1850 which basically made California free and allowed the people to pick in Utah and New Mexico. This ability of a state to decide whether it would allow slavery was called popular sovereignty. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act was passed as part of the Compromise of 1850. This act forced any federal official who did not arrest a runaway slave liable to pay a fine. This was the most controversial part of the Compromise of 1850 and caused many abolitionists to increase their efforts against slavery. This act increased the Underground Railroad activity as fleeing slaves made their way to Canada. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Was Released
Uncle Tom's Cabin was realeased and showed northerns the cruelty of slavery and inspired more efforts of abolitionists. -
Bleeding Kansas shocked Northerners
The Kansas-Nebraska act allowed both states to choose whether they were free or slave states. This act tore apart Kansas. -
Charles Sumner is Attacked by Preston on the Floor of the Senate
The attack on Lawrence, Kansas basically lead to Charles Sumner being attacked by Preston after giving a speech about that event about "...attacking the pro-slavery forces for the violence occurring in Kansas." -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott lost his case in a contreversial ruling, which futhered the cause of abolitionists. -
Lecompton Constitution Rejected
This was created allowing Kansas to be a slave state, but after much debate and opposition, "Kansas voters rejected the Constitution and Kansas became a free state." -
John Brown Raided Harper's Ferry
Jonh Brown lead seventeen men on a raid at Harper's Ferry, Virginia in hope to cause a slave uprising usuing the captured weapons. Later they got caught and all were hanged for treason. -
Abraham Lincoln Was Elected President
While Abraham Lincoln was running for Presidentry, 6 states including South Carolina said that they would brake off from the Union if he won causing Lincoln and the Republican Party to make is so that any states joining the Union could not be slave states.
