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Period leading up to the Civil War
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Mexican-American War begins
The Mexican-American War resulted when the U.S. annexed Texas, which Mexico still thought was part of their territory. The result of the war was a victory for the United States. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War. The terms of the treaty gave the U.S. the Rio Grande boundary for Texas, and granted ownership of California. The U.S. also gained New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and some of Wyoming and Colorado. Mexico did recieve $15 million from the U.S. This created a debate over whether these territories would be slave or free states. -
Compromise of 1850
Henry Clay proposed the Compromise of 1850 trying to preserve the Union and please both abolitionists and slavery supporters. The conditions of the compromise were: California was admitted to the Union as a free stae, the sale of slaves was banned, Utah and New Mexico were given popular sovereignty, a much more strict Fugitive Slave Act was passed, and Texas gave up much of the land it had claimed. -
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was part of the Compromise of 1850. It decreed that escaped slaves in free states were required to be returned to their owners upon capture. This made Northern abolitionists alerted to the fact that there could be a "slave power conspiracy." -
Publishing of Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin to popularize stereotypes about blacks. It had a massive impact, as it became the most popular book of the 19th century other than the Bible. It is credited with sparking the abolitionist movement of the 1850s. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Created by Illinois senator Stephen A. Douglas, the Kansas-Nebraska Act created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, repealing the Missouri Compromise of 1820, giving these territories the option of popular sovreignty on the issue of being a slave or free state. -
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Bleeding Kansas
Coined by the editor of the New York Times, the term "Bleeing Kansas" referred to a series of conflicts regarding slavery in the brand-new territory of Kansas. These conflicts dragged on and on, with loss of life totals coming close to 100 over the years. -
Dred Scott v. Sanford
Dred Scott v. Sanford was a huge decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that ruled that African Americans could not be American citizens and therefore could not sue in court. This came when an enslaved black named Dred Scott attempted to sue for his freedom. Chief Justice Roger Taney wrote the final decision, which was 7-2. -
John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry
John Brown was a white abolitionist who planned to raid the arms storages at Harpers Ferry, Virginia and start a rebellion. His plan failed to work, however, due to less help from outsiders than he planned. His rebellion was snuffed out by a group of Marines led by Robert E. Lee. -
Election of 1860
The Election of 1860 showed just how far the young Republican Party had come. Abraham Lincoln out of Illinois won 39% of the popular vote to win and ultimately tip the biggest domino that pushed the Southern states toward secession knowing that Lincoln would push for the end of slavery. Being such an important election, voter percentage was the highest it had ever been.
