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Wilmot Proviso
Wilmot Proviso, in 1846, was a key event that contributed to the lead-up to the American Civil War. It prohibited slavery from being established in any territory acquired by the United States. The act was introduced by David Wilmot, a Democratic from Pennsylvania, and was intended to address the issue of slavery in newly acquired territories. The Wilmot Proviso became a point of contention between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions, It leaded it the succession of 11 Southern States. -
Free Soil Party
The Free Soil Party was a political party in the United States that emerged during the 1840s and 1850s. The goal was to stop the expansion of slavery into new territories and states, and to protect the rights of free laborers. It was founded in 1848, by anti-slavery Whigs and Democrats, it had significant influence on the development of the Republican Party. The presidential candidate, Martin Van Buren, won 10% of the popular vote in the 1848 election, But won no States. -
Fugitive Slave Law
The Fugitive Slave Law, passed in 1850, contributed to the escalation of tensions leading to the Civil War. It made Northerners to assist in the capture and return of escaped slaves, the law was considered highly unfair. It led to violent fights between Northerners and Southerners, The law's passage also led to the formation of anti-slavery organizations, such as the Underground Railroad, and fueled the abolitionist movement, ultimately contributing to the sectionalism that led to the Civil War -
'Uncle Tom's Cabin' Is Published
Uncle Tom's Cabin, a book by Harriet Beecher Stowe made in 1852, played a role in shaping public opinion about the Civil War in the United States. The books portrayal of the brutal treatment of enslaved Africans and their families shocked and outraged many Americans, mostly those in the North, who had not previously been aware of the harsh traits of slavery. The book helped Anti-Slavery people understand with a more clear mind. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act, signed into law by President Franklin Pierce in 1854, Made the Missouri compromise, which prohibited slavery in new territories in the north. I allowed new states to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery, It stopped the long-standing ban on slavery in new territories. This led to pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers moving into Kansas, Which started conflicts like "Bleeding Kansas". -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas, A group of violent conflicts between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups in the Kansas territory from 1854 to 1861, Arguments over slavery in Kansas contributed to the growing anger between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States, The violence in Kansas also served as a start of the destructive conflict that would soon engulf the nation, making it a critical precursor to the Civil War. -
The Pottawatomie Massacre
The Pottawatomie Massacre, happened on May 24, 1856. John Brown and his followers killed five pro-slavery settlers in Kansas, It was a very violent fight. The event shocked the nation and helped pro-slavery sentiment in the South, while also solidifying abolitionist sentiment in the North. In the months and years that followed, the dispute over slavery continued to divide the country, ultimately leading to the secession of Southern states and the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861. -
Dred Scott Desision
The Dred Scott decision, issued by the Supreme Court in 1857, contributed to the movement of tensions leading to the American Civil War. The Court's ruling that slaves were not citizens and had no right to sue in court, This made many Northerners rethink slavery. The Dred Scott decision contributed to the breaking of the Second Party System, which had has a good balance between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces in the 1850s, And it paved the way for the Lincoln Election -
Lincoln Douglas Debate
The Lincoln-Douglas Debate, a was popularized in the mid-19th century, It had a significant impact on the Civil War era. Many political figures, including Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, showed their skills through this debate, Which prepared them for the other hard debates that they would have to do. -
John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry
John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry, Happened on October 16, 1859, It was a event that helped the Brown's raid, Which was a attempt to break into a armory and give weapons to slaves. The raids failure made many Northerners mad. This widespread outrage and sympathy for Brown helped to build the abolitionist movement in the North and further polarized the country, ultimately contributing to the secession of 11 Southern states and the start of the Civil War in April 1861.