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Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions Written
These resolutions were made in order to give them the right to void federal laws. This was neccesary because many republicans including James Madison and Thomas Jeffereson thought that the Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional. -
Hartford Convention meets during War of 1812
During the War of 1812 in December, Delegates were sent to Hartford to clarify ideas about leaving the nation. Instead, these Delegates discussed waysof increasing power in New England. -
Missouri Compromise
During this time in America, there was an equal amount of Northern and Southern states. A problem arised when Missouri came into America and wanted to become a slave state. In order to keep the nation balanced, Massachusettes created a border and the state of Maine. -
Tariff of Abominations Passed
The Tariff of Abominations was a group of Acts created to tax imports to America and to benefit the North rather than the South. These acts were said to be harsher on the South than the North. These Acts helped the Nation refrain from only buying cheap imported goods. -
South Carolina tries to Nullify
After the Tariff of Abominations was passed, John C. Calhoun reasoned that South Carolina would have to Nullify the acts in order to avoid disturbing the Union. Eventually, the Tariff was no more in South Carolina. -
Abolition of Slavery Act
Slavery existed in many British Colonies until this act was passed. It was passed by the House of Commons and the House of Lords and given Royal Asset by King William IV. This act abolished the slavery that existed in the British Colonies. -
Texas declares Independence from Mexico
Texas was once owned by Mexico, but gained its independence by having a Convention and drafting a quick constitution and joining the U.S. -
James Polk elected
James Polk was elected President in 1844, beating out his opponent Henry Clay. Polk strongly supported Westward expansion, which is a strong reason he was voted into office. -
Mexican War
Tensions were rising before this war as the U.S. claimed the Rio Grande river was the border of Mexico and America, and Mexico thought otherwise. Mexico claimed that the Nueces river was the real border. Because of these disputes, war broke out between the two nations. -
California Enters the Union
California began its attempt to become a state once is was known that plenty of gold existed there. It was a sticky situation when California entered the Union because it was thought that it would disrupt the balance between Slave and non-Slave states. -
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso was created by David Wilmot, who proposed that slavery should not extend into Mexico. Although it was tried many times, it was never made into a law. -
Fugitive Slave Law Enacted
The Fugitive Slave law stated that all escaped slaves must be returned to their Masters. This idea was created by Henery Clay during the Compromise of 1850. -
Publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was a book written by Harriet Beecher Stove. This book was particularly significant because the stories of runaway slaves shared in it drew much attention to slavery and changed many people's veiws. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act passed
This act created by Stephen Douglas divided the land west of Missouri into Kansas and Nebraska. For these two new states, Douglas's famous idea of popular sovereignty was used. This disturbed the balance of slave and non-slave states in the U.S. -
Formation of the Republican Party
The Rebulican Party was formed in order to abolish slavery. This new party began to repeal laws put inm order such as the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Fugitive Slave Law. -
Border Ruffians attack Lawrence
The two sides, Anti-slavery and Pro-Slavery clashed as Border ruffians stormed into Kansas in the hope of pushing their veiws onto the state. Each side's goal was to adapt the state to their opinion of slavery, but this ended in the two sides attacking. -
Charles Sumner attacked
Charles Sumner, a republican man, was attacked after bad-mouthing the south about their nasty ways of slavery. This man was brutally injured only for supporting his veiws on slavery. -
Pottawatomie Creek
This event was part of "Bleeding Kansas". It has also been known as the Potawatomie Massacre. During this event, John Brown and other abolishionists murdered 5 pro-slavery activists. -
Dred Scott descision announced
Dred Scott was a slave who sued his own master for his freedom. After much deliberation of this case, Dred Scott was not given freedom, even though he should have been living as a free man. -
Lecompton Constitution Passed
This pro-slavery document was created after James Buchanan was elected. This constitution said that Kansas would becme a Slave State, but later Kansas was admitted as a free state. -
Lincoln Douglas debates
Lincoln and Douglas were men that had very different opinions that clashed frequently. Lincoln beleived in an anti slavery america and that Dred Scott deserved Freedom. Douglas beleived that abolishing slavery would cause too much chaos and was against Dred Scott attaining freedom. -
Raid at Harper's Ferry
John Brownb commenced this raid by gathering a group of supporters and seizing the arsenal at Harper's Ferry. Some of his men were captured and killed, and Brown himself received the death penalty. -
Formation of the Constitutional Union Party
This Union was created in Baltimore to criticize the acts of the government that they disagreed with. They deliberated these ideas in the center of the nation, after the split of the north and south. -
Democrats split in 1860
The Democratic Party split during the election of 1860. The party split due to the question of supporting the North or the South. When Lincoln won this election, it truely split the party from Anti-Slavery and Pro-Slavery. -
Election of 1860
In this election, Lincoln and Bell were the prime competitors. In the end, Lincoln won without having a single electoral vote in the south. This showed that Lincoln was a true anti-slavery President fit for leading the country out of havoc.
