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Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was trying to make Missouri a slave state instead of a free state. This would have caused an imbalance of free and slave states. Slavery was prevented from entering above the north border of Tennessee on the line 36 30' N. The Missouri south border was directly on the line. Finally, the compromise wanted to make Maine a free state so Missouri could be a slave state keeping the balance. -
The Mexican - American War
This war was fought over a conflict of land. This war spanned over 2 years and it finally ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe- Hidalgo. This treaty extended the U.S. territory to the western part of the country. The problem that arose was that Mexico abolished slavery in 1829 but slavery in the U.S. was still occurring. This caused a conflict because it was unknown whether the territories gained from Mexico would be slave or free states. -
Wilmot Proviso
This document was written by David Wilmot a senator from Pennsylvania. The document stated that slavery should be prohibited in the territories gained in the Mexican-American War. The Northerners supported this document while the Southerners rejected it. This was an attempt to slow down slavery in the U.S. and try to stop it. Finally, the Wilmot Proviso was never able to pass both houses of congress but, it did have some effect on Americans and how they viewed slavery. -
Compromise of 1850
This document was proposed by Senator Henry Clay in January of 1850 but wasn't put into action until September. The document consisted of five laws or acts. This compromise was made to deal with the issues of slavery and territory expansion within the U.S. The document allowed California to enter the Union as a free state and settled disputes between Texas and New Mexico about boundaries. After this event, Senator Henry Clay was named the "Great Compromiser". -
Fugitive Slave Law is Passed
This law was passed so that any federal officer or state marshal was obligated to capture a runaway slave. If the runaway slave wasn't captured and the officers or marshals knew about them they risked being fined $1,000. This brought many issues to Northerners because they were no longer able to house runaway slaves. Even though the slaves made it to a free state they still were not considered completely free. Lastly, the novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was written as a response to the law. -
"Uncle Tom's Cabin"
This book was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe who grew up in an abolitionist household and eventually became one herself. The novel talked about slavery and the different ways it was effecting America. The Northerners began fighting even more and criticizing the different laws put in place for slavery. The Southerners felt that they were being attacked by the content included in the book. This book was very influential during this time and had a great impact on the war to come. -
Kansas - Nebraska Act
The act was written by Stephen Douglas. This act directly repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820. This created the 2 new territories of Nebraska in the North and Kansas in the South. This also established popular sovereignty for both of the territories meaning that the government is at the will of the people. Furthermore, this act also set in motion the violent events of "Bleeding Kansas". -
Scott v. Sanford
Dred Scott and his wife were trying to sue for their freedom from slavery. They argued they were free because they lived in a free state where slavery was prohibited. The case first passed through the state of Missouri then made its way to the Supreme Court. Dred Scott ended up losing the case. The decision stated that slaves were not citizens of the state so they would not be able to file suit against the state. -
John Brown's Raid
John Brown supported the Abolitionist Movement and he was a well known abolitionist. On this day John Brown marched into Harpers Ferry, Virginia with 18 other men. He believed that slavery was a problem that needed to be solved now. Furthermore, he thought that a war against slavery was the best way to succeed in the Abolitionist Movement. This act was seen as a Northern lead which ultimately ended with his death and an unsuccessful attempt to end slavery. -
Election of 1860
The different candidates were Abraham Lincoln, John Bell, Stephen A Douglass, and John C. Breckinridge. Abraham Lincoln won this election as the Republican candidate. There were many pieces of electoral propaganda going around about different candidates and their parties. Abraham Lincoln pledged to keep slavery out of the Northern territories and leave it in the South. This election was the first step to the journey of ultimately ending slavery.