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Compromise of 1850 Part 1
The compromise was in response to the failed Wilmot Proviso: a proposal to ban slavery in the new lands added to the U.S. after the Mexican War. The resolutions were meant to prevent sectionalism between the North and South after disputes of slavery in the territories. The compromise ended the slave trade in D.C., added CA as a free state, gave UT and Mexico the ability to decide slavery for themselves (popular sovereignty), defined new TX land boundaries, and enacted the Fugitive Slave Act. -
Compromise of 1850 Part 2
However, while the compromise focused on ending sectionalism between the North and South and diminishing the rumors of secession of the South not everyone saw this as a compromise. Though the compromise was not biased it was easy for the North to counteract these resolutions such as the Fugitive Slave Act with the Personal Liberty Laws guaranteeing freemen protection. This act from the north created more animosity between those who wanted change and those who didn’t. -
Fugitive Slave Law Part 1
The Fugitive Slave Law also known as the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was one of the resolutions included in the Compromise of 1850 initiating that any runaway slaves (even ones residing in a free state) be brought back to their owners. The government was now involved in capturing and returning the escaped slaves. -
Fugitive Slave Law Part 2
This specific part of the compromise was widely hated by the North as they felt the law legalized kidnapping and southern slave owners could now falsely accuse freemen of escaping. This act built-up pressure and divided the country from the Northern side. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act Part 1
The Kansas-Nebraska Act exercised popular sovereignty; the ability for a state to decide whether or not to permit slavery. Kansas and Nebraska now had the option to allow or outlaw slavery in their state. Kansas entered as a slave state and Nebraska a free state, as it was settled by people and opinions from the Midwest. This act repealed the famous Missouri Compromise that had split the North and South making slavery illegal North of the 36 parallel lines since 1820. -
Kansas Nebraska Act Part 2
The North felt as though the repealed Missouri Compromise and Kansas entering as a slave state could lead to slavery expanding into areas where it had already been outlawed. Popular sovereignty in Kansas specifically also led to the event known as “Bleeding Kansas,” as people who both supported and wanted to abolish slavery tried to sway the state's decision. This act brought the division of the country to its newly added states and the upheaval of political unity and prosperity. -
Bleeding Kansas Part 1
The event known as Bleeding Kansas lasted from 1855 to 1859. This calamity was in response to the unanswered decision of Kansas as to whether or not it would enter the country as a slave state. The decision was left up to Kansas inhabitants which consequently ended with pro-slavery and anti-slavery advocates flooding the state. Here a small war ignited between the two groups which ended in bloodshed and 55 total casualties. -
Bleeding Kansas Part 2
The event created so much separation between the two sides that it was considered by many, one of the first battles of the Civil War that would officially begin in 1861. This fight was one of the first that ended in bloodshed for northern and southern brethren. This further solidified the inevitability of violence as a means to end political unrest that continually heightened until the Civil War just a mere three years later. -
Lincoln Douglas Debates Part 1
The Lincoln-Douglas debates took place in 1858 between Republican Abe Lincoln and Democrat Stephen A. Douglas. The seven debates argued the primary issue in the United States at the time: whether or not slavery should be extended into the newly added territories. The debates drew a large crowd and were a big affair in the news, drawing voters and citizens from all across the country. Douglas argued the new territories should have the right to exercise popular sovereignty. -
Lincoln Douglas Debates Part 2
Lincoln lobbied to prevent further expansion of slavery into the territories. After the Freeport Doctrine proposal, Stephen argued no law will stop that of human will, if slavery is what people wanted it would happen. Douglas’s opinion on popular sovereignty foreshadowed his loss to Lincoln in the 1860 election as the south felt betrayed. The downfall of Douglas was the uprising of Lincoln as the debates cast the spotlight on him, and with that the popularity and support of the north. -
Election of 1860 Part 1
This election was an important factor in the decision of succession from the southern states. The main problems discussed in the election consisted of secession, expansion of slavery into new states, abolition, and powers of the federal vs state governments. The main candidates were Republican Abraham Lincoln and Democrat Stephen A. Douglas. Due to Stephen's opinion on slavery, the Democrats were reluctant to vote him a candidate. However, found the best option standing against the Republicans. -
Election of 1860 Part 2
After the debates, Lincoln had strong support from the North and stood a fair chance at carrying the electoral votes in the election. Out of the four candidates Lincoln scooted by with less than half of the popular votes and 180 electoral votes. Regardless, Lincoln was the next President. Weeks later South Carolina officially pulled the trigger becoming the first state to succeed. Quickly following suit six other states pulled from the U.S. declaring themselves the sovereign confederate states. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Part 1
This novel was an eye-opener for many citizens by gruesomely drawing out the cruel injustices of slavery. It was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, an author, and abolitionist from Connecticut. The novel quickly became a sensation selling over 300,000 books. Owning/reading the book was a danger in the South as the views directly opposed the majority in the South. Not only did the book influence many within the U.S., but it lost support for the South's secession from other countries altogether. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Part
While the publication of the book did not cause war it definitely added pressure to the already tense North and South. Enough so, that a month later after the book was published the Civil war officially began. It is even rumored that Lincoln said to Stowe herself when meeting, “So you are the little lady who started this war,” clearly showing how even Lincoln felt the novel had a big impact in sparking the Civil War.