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The Cotton Gin Is Invented
In 1794, Eli Whitney created the cotton gin patent to make harvesting more efficient. The patent never made Whitney any money, in fact made him lose profits, but started the division of the North and South states. -
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Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a connected path of secret routes underneath the United States that led from the southern states to northern U.S. and even into Canada. This helped many African American slaves to escape into freedom during the time before the Civil War. -
The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was created in 1819 to make Missouri as a slave state. After the compromise, out of the 22 states in the U.S. half of them were slave states and the other half were free. -
The Tariff of 1828 and The Nullification Process
Also known as the "Tariff of Abominations", this was created to protect industry in the Northern states. The nullification said that this tariff was unconstitutional and could not be implemented in South Carolina after February 1, 1833. More Information -
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso was a proposed American law that would have banned slavery in the territories won by Mexico in the Mexican war. It was one of the main events leading up to the civil war. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was created to avoid conflict between the North and South. In light of this event, the Fugitive Slave Act was established along with the abolition of the slave trade in Washington D.C. More Information -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
This Act was put into place to allow people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery. -
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Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas, also known as the mini civil war, was instigated by the Kansas-Nebraska Act. This was a fight between anti-slavery people and pro-slavery people in Kansas. More Information -
Brooks-Sumner Event
This was the event in which Representative Brooks beat Senator Sumner with a cane for the abolitionist speech he had given previously. More Information -
Dred Scott decision
This decision led to the ability for slave owners to take their slaves to the Western territories. It also made the Republican party angry for being undermined. More Information -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
A series of 7 different debates that happened between Republican Abe Lincoln and Democrat Stephen Douglas. -
Election of 1860
The election of 1860 resulted in Republican Abraham Lincoln defeating Southern Democrat John Breckinridge, Democrat Stephen Douglas, and Constitutional Union candidate John Bell. -
Secession of Southern States
The belief that the election of president Abe Lincoln into office would cause a disruption to their daily lives with slavery led to the seven states Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas to secede the Union for a period of time.
