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Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin
Before the cotton gin was invented, separating cotton was a tedious task. Slaves could only produce minimal amount of cotton a day, which made it so only large plantations found slaves profitable. Whitney brought the cotton gin to life to reduce the need for slavery and make cotton picking easier, however, the easier picking sparked an exponential increase in slavery within the South. -
The Missouri Compromise
Following the Louisiana Purchase, Congress was prompted to address issues concerning the expansion of slavery into the West. Missouri applied for statehood as a slave state, causing widespread debate. Henry Clay solved this issue by proposing that Maine also be admitted as a free state. In addition to this, the 36'30 line was created, stating that slavery could not expand north of Missouri within the land claimed during the Purchase. -
Nat Turner Rebellion
The rebellion of Nat Turner brought about discussion of slavery that had not yet been breached. After killing approximately 60 white citizens, Nat Turner and others associated with the murders caused Virginia to question whether slavery was worth the trouble it brought. After heated debate, it was decided that they would retain slavery and put heavy limitations into place to prevent repeat rebellions. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
This treaty officially ended the Mexican-American war and granted the United States a large parcel of land that extended from New Mexico to California. The addition of this land brought tension into Congress, as they struggled to decide whether the land obtained would be free land or slave-holding land. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
During the prominent reform movement that had taken place within America, author Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom's Cabin. This work of fiction dominated book sales in the 19th century, second only to the Bible. While Northerners felt they had been exposed to the true ordeal that was slavery, Southerners dismissed the book as a work of lies. This again advanced tensions between Northerners and Southerners -
Bleeding Kansas
Following the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, settlers in the two territories were granted permission to determine the status of slavery through popular sovereignty. Recognizing the opportunity in this, citizens both for and against slavery flocked to the territories and faced random outbursts of tension-filled violence for the next five years. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
When newly-elected Lincoln attempted to provide relief supplies to Fort Sumter in South Carolina, Confederate warships sent the Northern ships away and proceeded to attack the Fort for a full 34 hours. Historians argue that this is the very first battle of the war...
