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Eli Whitney- the cotton gin
The cotton gin was made in 1774 and patented in 1794. This largely impacted slavery later in the Antebellum period because it made the production of cotton faster by removing the seeds from the cotton fiber. Since the production became faster, plantation owners needed more slaves to keep up, giving slave owners a reason to expand slavery while many Americans wanted to abolish it. https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/cotton-gin-and-eli-whitney -
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Slavery during the Antebellum period
During the Antebellum period in America, slavery boomed and began to change. The smaller farmers with slaves started selling them to large plantation owners for a profit. The social structure changed, the rich got richer and the poor poorer. The main classes were land/slave-owners and the slaves. -
The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was created in 1820 and created the boundaries for slavery in the U.S. It was written by Henry Clay and agreed to by both sides of congress. The deal forbade any slavery in Louisiana or territory that was a part of the Louisiana purchase. Slavery also wasn't allowed anywhere north of the 36/30 parallel, with the exception of Missouri. -
Abolitionist Movement
An organized effort to end slavery in the U.S. The movement began about religion, then, abolitionism turned into a controversial issue that divided the country in two. The supporters and critics argued, often getting intense, and when they confronted each other it would usually turn violent or deadly. Because of the Abolitionist movement, along with a few other events, the civil war was caused and slavery ended in America. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/abolitionist-movement -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson in 1830. It granted Indians unsettled land west of the Mississippi river in exchange for Indian lands inside of state borders. This freed up a lot of farm land that was made available to plantation owners. In turn plantation owners now had more land to farm which lead to more crops so they needed more slaves to divide that work. https://guides.loc.gov/indian-removal-act -
Nat Turners slave rebellion
One of the worst slave rebellions un U.S. history, organized by Nat Turner. In August of 1831, in Southampton County, Virginia, where about 60 whites were killed and the state executed 56 slaves that were thought to participate in the rebellion. Around this time many slave rebellions formed in an attempt to gain freedom. Some smaller things like damaging equipment, working slower, or keeping their cultural and religious beliefs were used as a form of resistance. -
Anti-slavery Society
The society was founded in 1833 by William Lloyd Garrison. Its membership ranged from about 150,000-200,000 Americans. The society did many things to help end slavery, but it mainly sent the message to northerners of how slaves were treated and abused. It consisted of mostly people with religious backgrounds and the free black population. The societys speakers were most impactful when they were slaves in their past, like Frederick Douglass. They acted peacefully but were met with violence a lot. -
John Brown
John Brown was one of the leaders of the abolitionists movement. He was very aggressive towards slaveholders. One of his first involvements as an abolitionists was the Pottawatomie Massacre in 1856. Brown's main goal was to make Kansas a free state. He travelled all over the country to help raise money and get weapons for the cause. Brown's sons were the ones who caused him to become involved. Two of them were captured and the third was killed by pro-slavery settler. -
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was an escaped slave who became a leader for the Abolitionist movement. He spent his life fighting to end slavery by being an author, activist, and public speaking. Throughout his life, Douglass was passed from plantation to plantation. He learned to read and write and taught others with the Bible. Eventually, he became a free man and started a family. Frederick joined the abolitionists movement and could impact others because he lived through slavery himself. -
The Compromise of 1850
As the United States gained more land, there were arguments over which states should be considered slave states or free states to keep the north and south balanced. This was resolved by making California a free state, allowing Utah and New Mexico to choose, and confirming the new Texas-Mexico boundary. https://www.history.com/topics/abolitionist-movement/compromise-of-1850 -
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
A part of the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act made it so slaves had to be returned to their owners even if they were in a free state. It also made the federal government responsible for finding, returning, and trying the slave. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/fugitive-slave-act#:~:text=Passed%20on%20September%2018%2C%201850,returning%2C%20and%20trying%20escaped%20slaves.
