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Wilimot Proviso
Issue was vital to northners who wanted to stop slavery from spreading. -
Compromise of 1850
Congress finally passed five bills based on Clay’s proposals. This series of laws became known as the Compromise of 1850. -
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" is first published
A novel about kindly Uncle Tom, an enslaved man who is abused by the cruel Simon Legree. -
Kansas - Nebraska Act
The Kansas- Nebraska Act the slavery question would be forever banished from the halls of Congress. -
Dred Scott Decision
U.S. The Supreme Court delivered a shattering blow to antislavery forces. -
Lincoln - Douglas Debate "A House Divided Against itself can not stand."
Illinois Republicans choose Lincoln to run for the Senate against Douglas. -
John Brown's Raid at Harpers Ferry, Virginia
Brown and a small band of supporters attacked the town of Harpers Ferry in Virginia. -
John Brown's Masacre at Pottawatomie Creek
Church bells across the North tolled to mourn the man who many considered a hero. -
Abraham Lincoln is elected as a Republican President
Election aboutsalvery had left the nation divided. Amercians everywhere felt a sense of crisis. -
South Carolina Secedes from the Union
The convention passed a declaration that the union now subsisting between South Carolina and the other states, under the name of the United States of Amercian. -
Confederate States of America are formed
Leaders from the seven seceding states met in Montgomery. -
Confederate Troops Fire at Fort Sumter, South Carolina
The dark night was suddenly lit up by Confederate shells fired from the mainland. Within a few hours, the fort’s wooden barracks had caught fire and portions of the fort had crumbled.