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Compromise of 1850
The measures contained in this act caused a further divide between the North and the South. The North did not want the Fugitive Slave Law and the South feared more free states entering the Union. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was part of the Compromise of 1850. It said that escaping slaves had to be returned to their owners, even if they were in a free state. This event created a further divide between the North and the South. -
Harriet Beecher publishes Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Harriet Beecher, a world-renowned American writer, publishes the book, Uncle Tom's Cabin. This book helped bring to light the suffering and pain that the slaves face. This book made many people sympathize with the slaves and helped push America into the civil war. -
Kansas - Nebraska Act
This act repealed the Missouri Compromise, created two new territories (Kansas and Nebraska), and allowed for popular sovereignty. This act also caused the violent uprising in Kansas, also known as "Bleeding Kansas." -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas, or the Border War was a series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas Territory. This war started from a political debate over the legality of slavery in the state of Kansas. -
The Know Nothings Party / American Party
The Know-Nothings party was the American political system’s first major third party. This party, during its height in the 1850s, originally had 100 elected congressmen, eight governors, a controlling share of half-a-dozen state legislatures from Massachusetts to California, and thousands of local politicians. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott v. Sandford, also referred to as Dred Scott Decision, was a case that decided whether or not slaves who were descendants of American slaves were citizens of the United States. -
Lincoln–Douglas debates
The Lincoln–Douglas debates were seven debates between Abraham Lincoln, the Republican Party candidate, and Senator Stephen Douglas, the Democratic Party candidate. These debates boosted Lincoln's political career and propelled him to the spotlight among Republicans. -
John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown leads a group of abolitionists on a raid against a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. He did this in an attempt to start an armed revolt of enslaved people and destroy slavery. -
Presidential election of 1860
The result of the election of 1860 led to Abraham Lincoln becoming the next president of the United States. This result angers more people, making the country more and more susceptible to a civil war.