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Three-Fifths Compromise
The Three-Fifths Compromise was a section of the Constitution determining the representation of slaves in the United States. The compromise stated that, when collecting census information, five slaves would be counted as three people. This compromise resulted in increased representation for the South, allowing them to more effectively lobby for their policies. Additionally, like the Fugitive Slave Clause, it solidified the presence of slavery in American culture and society. -
Fugitive Slave Clause
The Fugitive Slave Clause is brought into effect as part of the Constitution. This clause states that slaves cannot be considered free if they escape to free states. In order to be considered free, they must be declared free by their master. This clause set the stage for political tensions later on in the 19th century. Additionally, this clause solidified slavery as part of American society by recognizing it in the Constitution. -
Invention of the Cotton Gin
On October 28th, 1793, Eli Whitney applied for a patent for his mechanical cotton gin. Before the cotton gin, a slave on a cotton plantation could produce only one pound of cotton per day. After the cotton gin, this was increased to about 40 per day. This vast increase in cotton production made slavery much more profitable. Because of its increased profitability, slavery began to spread throughout the South and beyond. -
Missouri Compromise
On April 4th, 1820, Congress passed the Missouri Compromise into law. This compromise admitted Missouri into the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state. It also set up the 36-30 Line, which was declared to be as far north as slavery could expand in the future. This compromise showed Congress' commitment to maintaining the balance of power between North and South. It also increased tensions between the two by having a defined border between the two at the 36-30 line. -
Mexican Cession
The Mexican Cession is the name of the territory acquired from Mexico in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo after the Mexican-American War. The territory consisted of all Texan land claims, the territory of Alta California, and other lands. The Mexican Cession raised the question of which territories would have slaves. This question was especially grave in terms of the territories of Texas and California, as both had land below the 36-30 Line and were heavily populated. -
Fugitive Slave Act
Passed in 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act built upon the Constitution's Fugitive Slave Clause by providing a mechanism for slave owners to retrieve their slaves. This act stated that Southern slave owners could travel to free states in search of their escaped slaves. This act angered Northerners, as it essentially gave slave owners the power to do as they pleased in the North. It also lead to a large amount of free-born blacks being abducted and enslaved by Southerners. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, among other things, declared that the 36-30 Line would be moved to the border of the Kansas and Nebraska Territories. The issue of slavery in these territories would also be decided by popular sovereignty. The passage of this act mainly resulted in the Bleeding Kansas incident. This was a "civil war" that broke out in the Kansas Territory after Southern "border ruffians" began flooding into Kansas to sway the vote in favor of slavery.
