-
The Missouri Compromise
Tensions between the North and South were already high, and Missouri didn't help in the slightest. Missouri wanted to be a slave state, which would unbalance Congress unfairly towards slave states. So, Congress allowed Missouri to be a slave state, but also made Maine a free state to balance things out. Additionally, Congress made the rule that slave states weren't allowed past the 36th parallel. Both the North and South criticized this, as the South felt limited, and the North felt not enough. -
Wilmot Proviso
This proposed to ban slavery in any territory acquired in the Mexican-American War. The South promptly stopped it, as it would ruin business in the new states. -
Period: to
Zachary Taylor's Time as Presidents
March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850
Zachary Taylor tried to ease the tension between the North and South, but it backfired. The compromise of 1850 was intended to give both sides semi-equal amounts of land, but the South felt cheated. Picture: https://www.biography.com/.image/t_share/MTE5NTU2MzE2Mzg0ODIyNzk1/zachary-taylor-9503363-1-402.jpg -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a series of 5 bills, which presented the decision made of what to do with the territories acquired in the Mexican-American War. California was made a free state. Instead of declaring whether or not it was free or slave, the people in the state would decide. Additionally, slave trade was outlawed in the District of Columbia, since the capital was there. -
Period: to
Millard Fillmore's Time as President
July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853
Millard Fillmore created the Fugitive Slave Act, which allowed a corrupt system to sentence free men to slavery. He didn't help.
https://www.usnews.com/cmsmedia/79/a602a14fed6c940b0d7581168f212e/10462FS_DA_090409_worst-fillmore.jpg -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act stated that ANY black man, woman, or child could be turned in as a slave if they didn't have their papers on them. Even though many were actually free, the judges got paid more if they ruled the person as a slave then as a free man. You know what happens next. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was a novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. The novel described what slave life was like, which caused the South to ban it. But of course, banning something only increases it's popularity, as the book was the best sold book of the century, aside form the Bible. -
Period: to
Franklin Pierce's Time as President
March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857
Franklin Pierce didn't help the tension between the North and South. He approved the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which led to Bleeding Kansas, in which he didn't do anything about it.
Here's the link Picture:
http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/nhpr/files/201611/pierce012513.jpg -
Creation of The Republican Pary
The Anti-Slaverists wanted to make a new party for their message of anti-slavery, so they did. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
This act allowed the people of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves if they wanted slavery or not. People were constantly fighting, burning down people's houses, and generally terrorizing the states and the people in it to try to "sway" their opinion. -
The Canning of Senator Charles Sumner
The Representative Preston Brooks attacked Senator Charles Sumner, who was an abolitionist. Brooks attacked Sumner with a cane for the speech he had given two days earlier. Sumner was nearly killed. The U.S drew two different responses from this. -
Period: to
James Buchanan's Time as President
March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861
James Buchanan was one of the final straws that broke the camel's back. He believed that the states and territories should decide for themselves if they wanted slavery or not. He misunderstood the whole issue. The Dred Scott Case happened, which only tore the country apart. When Buchanan had left office, the southern states had seceded. He left Lincoln a mess. Picture:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/JamesBuchanan_crop.jpg -
Period: to
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Lincoln and Douglas didn't see eye to eye. Lincoln, who was a Republican, wanted to abolish slavery no matter what it costed. Douglas was a Democrat who argued that slavery depended on popular sovereignty. Picture: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Lincoln_Douglas_Debates_1958_issue-4c.jpg/300px-Lincoln_Douglas_Debates_1958_issue-4c.jpg -
The Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott was a free man who was unfairly put back into slavery with his wife. He attempted to sue for his freedom, as he and his wife had lived in a free state for four years. The court ruled that no man, woman, or child may claim their freedom if they are of African descent. -
Harper's Ferry
John Brown raided Harper's Ferry. He was trying to initiate an armed slave revolt by taking over the weapons at Harper's Ferry. -
The Election Of 1860
The South was furious.The South knew that if Lincoln got elected, things would change for the worse for them. Everyone knew Lincoln's stance on slavery, and knew nothing could change it. -
Period: to
The Secessions
The South instantly started seceding from the Union, as they didn't want to give up slavery. Slowly but surely, over the span of about 6 months,South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri all seceded from the Union. The Nation was divided, and war was imminent. Picture:
http://media.maps101.com/SUB/history/USAH014-H.gif
