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The Missouri Compromise
There was a big debate over what state would enter as a free state and who would enter as a slave state. Missouri entered as a free state while Maine entered as a slave state. The compromise line was at 36' 30" this line was to help what territory or state was a free or slave state. -
Wilmot Proviso
This was a plan created by David Wilmot to stop the spread of slavery into the territories won by Mexico. This showed the power of the North. But this also made the South suspicious of what the North was planning on doing. The plan passed in the house but failed in the senate. -
Free Soil Party
This was a new political party that was created in Buffalo, New York to discuss the issues of slavery. This party mainly consisted of Northerners. They ended up selecting Martin Van Buren as their first candidate for president. -
The Compromise of 1850
This compromise came in 5 parts; California would enter as a free state. The area from the Mexican Cession would be known as Utah and New Mexico; the issue on whether they would be decided on popular sovereignty. Slave trade ended in Washington D.C. There was a strict Fugitive Slave Law put in Order. And finally, border problems were taken care of between New Mexico and Texas. -
Fugitive-Slave Law
This was a law that came with the compromise of 1850. It required citizens to catch runaway slaves.If a person did not comply with this law they would have to pay $1,000 or be put in jail for six months. Judges would receive $10 if they returned the slave, $5 if the freed them.Many of the slaves that had been freed had been captured again. Northerners hated this law because this meant that they had to be part of slavery even if they didn't want to. -
Uncle's Tom Cabin
This was a novel written by Harriett Beecher Stowe in 1852. This book showed the evils of the slavery. Once it reached the north; the Northerners became very angry of what was in the book. The Southerns proclaimed that the book was full of lies. -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
In 1854 there was a divide that turned Nebraska and Kansas into territories. This act also lead to slavery being a decision for popular sovereignty. Due to this there was violence in the senate. Due to there being both pro-slavery and anti-slavery people in the same place many breakouts of violence occurred.many Northerners believed that this would appeal the Missouri Compromise. -
Pottawatomie Creek Killings
Due to all of the violence in Kansas John Brown and four of his sons decided to take the law into their own hands. During the night they went to a town called Pottawatomie Creek and pulled out five pro-slavery men in the middle of the night. They were murdered with John Brown justifying his act as something "God had told them to do." While many Northerners didn't believe in slavery; many where appalled at what had happened. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slaved and lived with his owner in a free territory; his owner moved out to a slave state and ended up passing away. Scott had abolitionist attorneys file a law suit for him so he could become a free man. The case went to the supreme court and ended up losing. The court ruled that Scott was not a free man rather he was property of his previous owner. The court also agreed that they could not ban slavery in any of the states. This meant that the Missouri Compromise was appealed. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debated. Douglas believed in popular sovereignty while Lincoln believed that slavery should not be spread into the territories. Lincoln also believed that the nation would be torn apart if the fighting were to continue. -
Raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown once again did what he believed was right. He led 13 white men and five black men onto Harper's Ferry. The plan was to raid an arsenal and start a slave revolt. The problem was that no slaves helped. A number of Brown's men died and Brown was arrested by Robert E. Lee. Brown was found guilty and was later hanged. Some of the Northerners saw him as a martyr. -
The Election of 1860
Lincoln and Douglas ran for presidency. The southern states did not approve of Lincoln. In may southern states Lincoln wasn't even on the ballot. He ended up winning and the Southerners questioned their rights.
