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Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was a compromise between free and slave states proposed by Henry Clay. When Missouri asked for admission into the United States free states were upset because it disrupted balance in congress. To solve this Maine was admitted into the United States as a free state. Also, an imaginary line was drawn at 36 degrees North where past that latitude any state would be free.This decided future state’s laws and temporarily calmed the North and the South. -
Wilmot Proviso
The debate over how the Mexican-cession slave laws should be handle was heated between the North and the South. A proposed ban of slavery in the new Mexican-cession territories by David Wilmot, this angered the South. It brought the United States just one step closer to southern succession and the civil war. -
Compromise of 1850
When California wanted to join the union as a free state the South was upset because this would disrupt the balance of free to slave states in congress. Henry Clay suggested the allowing California as a free state and ending the slave trade in Washington, DC. New Mexico and Utah would decide their stance on slavery by Popular sovereignty and the fugitive slave act would be passed. This made life even harder for escaped and free blacks. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave act of 1850 was part of the Compromise of 1850. The Fugitive Slave Act created a law that any slave accused of being a runaway slave must be returned to their owner. If a non black citizen did not report a runaway they would have to pay a $500 fine. This made life hard for blacks, even free blacks could be captured and accused of being a slave and could not have a trail to prove themselves innocent. This inspired abolitionists to take a stand and protest harder. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote an exaggerated book about slavery. This tale inspired people to join the abolitionist movement. Harriet felt like slavery was wrong and inspired others help in the best way she knew how to. This one book gave momentum to the abolitionist movement because it was able to reach all places and allowed the abolitionists to make a difference. -
Kansas Nebraska Act/ Bleeding Kansas
In Kansas and Nebraska the slavery issue was decided by popular sovereignty because Stephen Douglas came up with a compromise between the north and south. Since the states were deciding on popular sovereignty northerners and southerners moved to the Nebraska and Kansas, Kansas especially. This caused many violent conflicts and gave fuel to the civil war. -
Dred Scott Case
The Dred Scott Case took place in 1857, when a slave named Dred Scott’s owner died and he argued for his freedom. He had lived with his owner in two places where slavery was illegal. The decision for the case was that Scott could not sue because he was a slave not a citizen, and living in a free state did not make him free. The supreme court also argued that slavery should not be exiled in any state which made the south happy but surprised and angered the north even further. -
Lincoln Douglas Debate
The Lincoln and Douglas Debates were between Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. The debates took place all around Illinois and they were followed by people all over the country. Douglas believed in popular sovereignty over the subject of slavery while Lincoln thought that slavery as wrong. In the end, Douglas won the debates and he became Senator of Illinois for another term. However, the debates helped Lincoln become a more well known figure of society. -
John Brown's Raid in Harpers Ferry
John Brown was an abolitionist who believed that god had told him to protect the enslaved. He took this as doing anything for the cause even murdering others. He planned and saw through the raid in Harpers Ferry. His plan was to attack the town and take guns to help start a slave revolt. However, the slaves did not revolt and John Brown was wounded, captured, and sentenced to death by hanging. The south saw the raid as an attack on their way of life while the north was inspired. -
Southern Succesion
After Abraham Lincoln became president the state of South Carolina immediately succeeded. Other states followed such as Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and Georgia. These seven states elected their own president, Jefferson Davis. Later on 3 more states joined North Carolina, Virginia, and Arkansas. At Fort Sumter the Confederacy was holding union troops. When Lincoln sent food supplies the Confederacy open fired on the fort not killing anyone but starting the civil war. -
Lincoln's Election of 1860
In the election of 1860 there were four parties with four candidates running. Republicans chose Abraham Lincoln who was against slavery. Southern Democrats chose John Breckenridge who was for slavery. Northern Democrats chose Stephen Douglas who was for popular sovereignty. The Constitutional Union Party chose John Bell who was for protecting slavery. In the end Lincoln was elected president and immediately after the south seceded.
