1846-1860

By miaberasti

  • Start of Mexican-American war

    Began with a dispute over the annexation of Texas by the US, and disputes over borders. Eventually, the US won this war and gained a vast amount of territory. Impacted the Civil War because when the US gained territory, there were debates over whether or not slavery should move to these territories. This war also brought increased sectionalism and increased tensions between the North and the South which also in part led to the Civil War. Many famous Civil War generals also fought in this war.

  • Uncle Tom's Cabin

    Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, influenced the Civil War because it portrayed the brutalities of slavery and intensified divisions between the North and South, raising tensions. Stowe's bravery in writing and publishing this story encouraged others to speak out and sparked a lot of controversy. By writing this, Stowe got people to empathize with slaves and understand that they were human, too. Showing the brutalities opened people's eyes and led in part to the abolishment of slavery.

  • Kansas-Nebraska Act

    This law repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and divided the land west of Missouri, establishing Kansas and Nebraska. This act reopened the struggle over slavery in the West, which had been resolved earlier. This caused widespread tensions in Kansas and also increased conflicts between the North, leading to growing tensions and a higher likelihood of the Civil War. Started the concept of popular sovereignty when the decision of slavery was left up to the settlers.

  • Dred Scott Decision

    An influential decision that upheld slavery in United States territories and ruled that since slaves were property, it was unconstitutional to take them away. The Supreme Court stated that enslaved people were not citizens of the United States, so they could not expect any protection from the courts. Came with consequences such as alarming the anti-slavery movement, causing the conflict between the North and South to become more intense, and leading to the South's secession from the Union.