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Missouri compromise
The Missouri Compromise admitted Missouri into the union as a slave state. The free states felt that admitting a free state would be the only way to keep a balance between free and slave states. To stop any further arguing about whether any new states in the Louisiana territory would be slave or free states was drawn. States above that line would be free states and states below it would be slave states. This would later cause issues with new territories formed outside of Louisiana territories. -
Compromise of 1850
Slave states believed that they were outnumbered by free states. They wanted more political power in congress so that the north wouldn't have control control in congress. The compromise, written by Henry Clay, admitted California as a free states and New Mexico and Utah could become slave states, it was up to their legislation. To make the south happy harsh fugitive slave laws were put in place. The slave laws upset the north, some sates even refused to enforce them, this upset the South. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The fugitive slave act allowed salve owners to search for runaway slaves. The act also made It so that whites could cause freemen of being runaway slaves. This accusation would be enough to put the freeman on trial. Judges were given an extra $5 when they ruled that the defendant was a slave. Many northern states believed that it was an enfrignment of rights passed personal liberty laws, meaning the state would not assist the federal government in enforcing these laws, this upset the south. -
Creation of the Republican Party.
The proposed KS-NE act upset a lot of Whigs, Northern Democrats, Free Soilers, and Know Nothings. All of these groups had one thing in common, they were anti slavery. While they didn't agree on everything, they all disagreed with slavery and they knew that alone they wouldn't be able to compete with southern democrats. The southern democrats, who were pro slavery, saw the Republicans as a major threat to slavery. This brought slavery to the forefront of politics and led to political divide. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska acts repealed the Missouri Compromise. This act made Kansas and Nebraska states and, instead of using the 36, 30 line to dictate wether they were free or slave states, the KS-NE act repealed the Missouri Compromise and let the states use popular sovereignty instead. This led to a lot of tension between republicans and southern democrats and created an even worse political divide. Bleeding Kansas was a period filled with fighting between pro and anti slavery settlers. -
Election of 1860
This was the first presidential election that a republican candidate ran in. Abe Lincoln won 40% of the popular votes, beating democrats, Beckinridge and Douglas. The south feared that Lincoln would abolish slavery and refused to admit that Lincoln was their president. Lincoln wasn't going to abolish slavery, only contain it. The souths refusal to admit that he was president created a massive political divide and lots of unease and tension. -
Secession
South Carolina was the first state to leave the union. They claimed that because they willingly joined the union then they could willingly leave the union. Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Gerogia, Texas, and Louisiana soon followed. They believed that Lincoln would take away their rights to own slaves. They wanted to preserve the institution of slavery and believed that succeeding and forming their own confederacy was the only way to do so. -
Conclusion
After deacades of debate between the north and the south Lincoln winning the presidency was the final straw for the pro slavery south. Ever since the creation of America there has been a divide between free and slave states. Legislation was always being passed and neither the north or south were happy for long. The sectionalism was growing in America until the country was so spilt that a civil war broke out.