-
1850 The Compromise of 1850 including the Fugitive Slave Act
The Compromise of 1850 was five separate bills passed by the United States Congress in 1850 that defused a political confrontation between slave and free states on the status of territories acquired in the Mexican–American War. The Fugitive Slave Act is the act that required that slaves be returned to their owners, even if they were in a free state. The gap between the free and slave states were widening which eventually helped lead to the Civil War. -
1854 The Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act is the act that raised the possibility that slavery could be extended into areas where it had once been banned. This act caused the debate of slavery to worsen, eventually helping lead to the Civil War. -
1854-1856 Bleeding Kansas
Kansans engaged in a violent guerrilla war between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces. Bleeding Kansas demonstrated that armed conflict over slavery was unavoidable, so there needed to be a Civil War to end the debate about slavery. -
1856 Preston Brooks vs Charles Sumner
Preston Brooks, a pro-slavery Democrat from South Carolina, used a walking cane to attack Senator Charles Sumner, an abolitionist Republican from Massachusetts. The North was angry about this causing the North and South to be more divided and angrier with each other which helped lead to the Civil War. -
Dred Scott v Sandford
Dred Scott v. Sandford was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that held that the United States Constitution was not meant to include American citizenship for African Americans regardless of whether they were enslaved or free. This lead to the North and the South to divide even more, which helped lead to the Civil War. -
1858 Lincoln-Douglas Debates
In the seven Lincoln-Douglas debates, Lincoln argued against the spread of slavery while Douglas maintained that each territory should have the right to decide whether it would become free or allow slavery. These debates talked about slavery and they came to one conclusion that did not satisfy one of the regions, which caused more tension between the North and the South. -
1859 John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry was an effort by abolitionist John Brown, to initiate a slave revolt in Southern states by taking over the United States arsenal at Harpers Ferry. Brown's raid helped make any further accommodation between North and South nearly impossible and thus became an important factor for the start of the Civil War. -
1860 Election of Abraham Lincoln
The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 was the 19th presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 6, 1860, where Abraham Lincoln was victorious of the election. Lincoln refused to accept any resolution that would result in Southern secession from the Union. Lincoln wanted slaves to be free which led to the Civil War and eventually to Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation that declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy.
You are not authorized to access this page.