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Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise made slavery a national reason for discourse. When dividing the north and south, the idea of free and slave states became more apparent. However, the real issue came when new states were introduced, deciding if they had to follow the guidelines of the Missouri Compromise was a major cause of tension between the two regions. -
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso prohibited slavery in any region acquired from Mexico by the United States. It acted as a direct retaliation to southern citizens supporting a pro-slavery Polk. -
Election of 1848 & the Free Soil Party
The election of 1848 was the scene for a three-way race between the Democrat Cass, the Whig Taylor, and the Free-Soiler Van Bueren. The Free Soil Party was created for induvial who did not agree with Whig or Democratic policies on slavery, rather, advocating for the spread of slavery to stop but willing to keep it where it existed. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was crucial in debating if newly admitted states would be slave states or free states. This increased divides between the north and south, each hoping to "claim" the new states into their set of ideals. -
Fugitive Slave Act & Personal Liberty Laws
The Fugitive Slave Act that nearly out ruled the Personal Liberty Laws infuriated the north. According to the new law, southerners could legally request assistance from the northerns to capture runaway slaves, an action against many of their morals. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
The novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" told a historically accurate story of slavery at the time. This upset southerners who attempted to justify slavery, and helped northerns who were not exposed to the south understand the severity of slavery. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act introduced the idea of popular sovereignty in the United States, allowing the citizens of each residence to vote on whether or not the state should allow slavery. This caused many northerners and southerners to flee to each state to try and gain the state as pro-slavery or anti-slavery. -
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Bleeding Kansas
As Northerns and Southerns fled to Kansas to try and claim the land for their view on slavery, violence broke out. The tension between the two territories contributed, but the Lecompton Constitution in Kansas was a catalyst for disagreement that surpassed the regions of Kansas. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
The Lincoln-Douglas debate introduced Lincoln as a key figure leading up to the civil war. His nomination provided a clear political divide between northern anti-slavery states and southern pro-slavery states. -
John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry
John Brown's attack, although unsuccessful, was impactful to the north. His words and actions before his execution for the act convinced many northerners that the issue of slavery would have to be solved through violence. -
Election of 1860 & the Republican Party
With the introduction of the Republican party in the election of 1860, many southern states found a reason to take action against anti-slavery advocates. When Lincoln won the election, it acted as a catalyst for southern states to start seceding from the nation to avoid slavery being taken from them. -
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Secession of Eleven Southern Sates
With the secession of eleven southern states came civil war. Both the north and south were trying to claim neutral territories to join their cause, which is what led to the battle at Fort Sumter, the start of the war.