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Slaves Arrive in America
Slaves were brought from Dutch traders who seized the slaves from the Spanish. -
Slave Trade Abolished
Some southern congressman joined the northern cause and voted to end the slave trade, though this act was passed in March 1807 it didn't take effect until January 1, 1808. -
Missouri Compromise
This act was passed so that Missouri could be a slave state and Maine could enter as a free state, but slavery would be forbidden north of the 36th parallel from then on in the Louisiana Territory. -
Wilmot Proviso
Pennsylvania congressman, David Wilmot, proposed was to stop the territory acquired from Mexico from becoming slave states. This bill was blocked by the southern-dominant Senate, but it did cause a little bit more friction between pro-slavery advocates and anti-slavery advocates (North and South). -
Compromise of 1850
Senator Henry Clay introduced many new resolutions in an attempt to avoid the potential of a war between the North and South. The Fugitive Slave Act was passed and the slave trade in Washington D.C. -
Fugitive Slave Acts
The Fugitive Slave Acts allowed fugitive slaves to be captured and returned no matter where they fled inside of the United States. If anybody aided to the escape of the slaves they would be penalized, and the second Fugitive Slave Act made the punishments even harsher. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Published
Uncle Tom's Cabin was a novel the was very anti-slavery written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Many say that it helped lay the groundwork for the civil war. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This act allowed people in Kansas and Nebraska to decide whether or not to allow slavery, this would repeal the Missouri compromise because it said states North of a certain point couldn't allow slavery. -
Dred Scott v. Sanford Supreme Court Case
Dred Scott was a former slave who had served as a slave in Missouri, but later lived in Illinois and Louisiana where slavery was illegal. He the returned to Missouri and filed a suit for freedom since he had lived in free states. The ruling went against Scott because those who were sold as slaves were considered property and it would've been "unconstitutional" for them to free a slave. -
John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry
Abolitionist, John Brown, lead a raid on the armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia hoping to start an armed slave revolt. Brown and his men were surrounded by marines and soon 10 of them were dead including 2 of Brown's sons. -
Bleeding Kansas
After the Kansas-Nebraska act it was up to those living in Kansas to decide whether or not to be a slave state so both abolitionists and pro-slavery advocates rushed to Kansas sparking conflict as both sides fought for control of the region. Eventually the anti-slavery forces prevailed and Kansas became a free state.
