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Invention of the Cotton Gin
In 1793 Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. The importance of slavery in the South had decreased due to the decline of the tobacco production, but it regained an importance with the invention of the cotton gin. Cotton replaced tobacco as the profitable crop. Southerners had to protect slavery because they needed slaves to grow cotton.This led to the Civil War. -
The Missouri Compromise of 1820
Maine was admitted as a free state and Missouri was admitted as a slave state. Jesse Thomas proposed an amendment prohibiting slavery in the rest of the Lousiana Purchase north of the southern boundary of Missouri. The Missouri Compromise helped maintain a balance between the "free" and "slave" states but the argument over slavery continue. When new territory joined the Union the states were divided between North and South.This led to the Civil War. -
Compromise of 1850
Compromise was introduced by Henry Clay. The compromise was made up of five sections, the most controversial was the Fugitive Slave act. Northern states did not respect the sections of the compromise over slaves which made southern states angry. The North and the South were not satisfy with the compromise. This led to the Civil War. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act was passed by Congress as part of the Compromise of 1850, it stated that runaway slaves were required to be return to their owners. The northern states opposed to this law,they passed their own laws prohibiting the deportation of fugitive slaves. Southern states were angry that the act they had considered a victory was not respected and became meaningless. This led to the Civil War. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was a popular novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. This book portrayed the horror of slavery and changed the point of view of many. The opposition of slavery increased,many abolitionists felt that they had to do something to end slavery and southerners were angry that the novel exposed the treatment of slaves. This led to the Civil War. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Stephen A.Douglas introduced a bill that stated that the status of slavery in a territory would be determined by "popular sovereignty". By opening this issue again, it caused conflict between the North and the South. The "free" states were angry because new territory could become "slave" states which would be a disadvantage for them. A new organization named the Republican Party was created by people who were against the act .This led to the Civil War. -
Pottawatomie Massacre
Led by abolitionist John Brown. He and his six followers murdered five pro-slavery settlers in Kansas. Tension between the north and the south increased because it showed that violence had to be used in order to destroy the slavery institution and that more violence would be use against pro-slavery settlers.This led to the Civil War. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
After his owner died, Dred Scott sued for his freedom but Chief Justice Roger Taney declared that Scott could not sue because he was not a citizen,but property. He also concluded that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional. The southerners were delighted by the ruling but in the North, the settlers were outraged and even threatened to reverse the decision when they won control of the government. This led to the Civil War. -
Jonh Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown and eighteen followers attacked and seized control of the arsenal in Harpers Ferry,Virginia. Slave owners felt that their slaves could rebel against them. The southerners felt threatened in the Union and they believed that the North was committed to revolt against slavery. This led to the Civil War. -
The Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln won the election of 1860 with a majority of the electoral votes but only two-fifths of the popular vote. Abraham Lincoln was not an abolitionist but he was against slavery. With the election of Abraham Lincoln many southerners felt that their position in the Union was hopeless. This led to the Civil War.
