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Missouri Compromise
Admitted Missouri as a slave state, Maine as a free state, and prohibited slavery north of the 36°30′ latitude line in the Louisiana Territory. Temporarily maintained the balance between free and slave states, but its repeal in the Kansas-Nebraska Act escalated sectional tensions. -
Mexican-American War
A war between the United States and Mexico, ending with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ceded vast territories (present-day California, Arizona, New Mexico, and others) to the U.S. The new land reignited debates over the expansion of slavery. The Wilmot Proviso (1846), which sought to ban slavery in these territories, fueled tensions between North and South, deepening sectional divisions. -
Fugitive Slave Act
A law requiring citizens to assist in the capture of runaway slaves and punishing those who helped them escape. It denied suspected fugitives a trial by jury. Strengthened abolitionist movements in the North and led to more resistance, such as the Underground Railroad. It also increased Southern paranoia about Northern interference, worsening sectional divisions. -
Compromise of 1850
A series of laws aimed at resolving tensions over slavery in newly acquired territories. It admitted California as a free state, allowed popular sovereignty in Utah and New Mexico, and included a stronger Fugitive Slave Act. Temporarily eased sectional tensions but made conflicts worse in the long run. The inclusion of the Fugitive Slave Act angered Northerners, while Southerners resented restrictions on slavery’s expansion. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Repealed the Missouri Compromise and allowed popular sovereignty (voting by settlers) to determine whether slavery would be legal in Kansas and Nebraska. Led to "Bleeding Kansas," a violent conflict between pro- and anti-slavery settlers. This intensified North-South hostilities and contributed to the formation of the Republican Party, which opposed slavery’s expansion. -
Panic of 1857
A financial crisis caused by economic instability, particularly in the North, due to declining grain prices and banking failures. The South, less affected, used the crisis to argue that their economy (based on slavery) was superior. This deepened sectional divides, making compromise less likely and secession more appealing to Southerners. -
John Brown’s Raid
Abolitionist John Brown led a raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, intending to start a slave rebellion. He was captured and executed. Brown became a martyr in the North but was seen as a terrorist in the South. The raid increased Southern fears of a Northern-led slave uprising, making secession more likely.