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The Gag Rule (Varon 56)
The Gag Rule was a resolution passed by Congress that automatically dismissed any petition related to the abolition of slavery. The rule was implemented by southern politicians to prevent abolitionists from gaining power in Congress. Northerners claimed that this rule was a violation of free speech, resulting in its repeal in 1844. The Gag Rule demonstrated the growing popularity of the abolitionist movement, as it could no longer be ignored by Congress despite southern disapproval. -
Annexation of Texas (McPherson 42)
Following the annexation of Texas tensions over slavery significantly heightened. Due to its location in the south, the pro-slavery movement considered this to be a massive victory by expanding slave territory. However, the annexation of Texas also contributed to the outbreak of the Mexican American War. The annexation of Texas exists as a pivotal moment in establishing dominos that lead to increasing tensions between the north and south, eventually boiling over into war. -
The Compromise of 1850 (McPherson 138)
A series of bills passed in Congress, the purpose of the Compromise was to alleviate tensions between the North and South by giving both a few things they want. The most important part of the Compromise was the Fugitive Slave Act, requiring all citizens to assist in returning runaway slaves. This act specifically deeply angered the Northerners, showing how even in attempting to lighten tensions the ideological differences of the North and South ran too deep for the two to coexist indefinitely. -
Founding of the Republican Party (Varon 108)
The Republican Party was founded in response to the Kansas Nebraska Act, which opened the door for slavery to expand into new territories. The party's main goal was to oppose the expansion of slavery into new western territories, finding great support from the north. The Republican party led the charge towards abolition through their anti-slavery policies. This would culminate in the election of Abraham Lincoln and the first republican president, resulting in the outbreak of the Civil War. -
Bleeding Kansas (1854-1859) (McPherson 130)
Bleeding Kansas was a violent conflict between groups of pro and anti-slavery groups attempting to utilize the Kansas Nebraska Act advantageously. The act allowed settlers to decide the legality of slavery by majority decision. Thus, the territory was flooded by activists on both sides attempting to gain a majority for the state. The ensuing conflict to gain a majority within the state shows just how deep the issue of slavery ran in society, going as far as to incite violence between Americans. -
The Gadsden Purchase (Varon 143)
This purchase refers to negotiations between the United States and Mexico, resulting in the U.S purchasing $10 million of land that would later become parts of Arizona and New Mexico. The acquisition of land south of the Missouri Compromise again caused the issue of abolition to be prominent in U.S politics once again, since northerners did not wish to see the creation of new slave states. The Gadsden Purchase acted as a reminder as to the large shadow slavery cast over American politics. -
The Ostend Manifesto (McPherson 115)
The manifesto was a secret proposition by U.S ministers in Europe, advocating for the United States to buy Cuba from Spain. If Spain refused, the document suggested the U.S should take Cuba by force. The controversy's relation to slavery came from the fact that Cuba would be annexed as a slave state, earning northern disapproval. The manifesto shows the South was willing to wage war to maintain the status of slave states, revealing a peaceful transition to abolition was an unlikely to occur. -
Pottawatomie Massacre (McPherson 130)
During Bleeding Kansas, abolitionist John Brown and his followers carried out the massacre in response to the destruction of an anti-slavery town, Lawerence. During the massacre 5 pro-slavery settlers were killed, creating John Brown into a controversial figure of freedom and violence. The extreme actions of John Brown demonstrate that passions over the issue of slavery were only growing. Each side was becoming more entrenched in their beliefs, and larger conflicts now peered over the horizon. -
The Dred Scott Decision (McPherson 178)
A landmark SCOTUS case ruling that African Americans, whether free or enslaved, could not be considered U.S citizens. In addition, the decision claimed that Congress had no authority to prohibit the practice of slavery within territories. This ruling was considered a resounding victory for pro-slavery advocates as it emboldened the justification of slavery. However, the ruling infuriated free African Americans and abolitionists, highlighting that these two sides could never coexist forever. -
The Election of 1860 (McPherson 345)
Abraham Lincoln's election as president served as the final straw that triggered southern secession. As the first republican president, Lincoln opposed the expansion of slavery into western territories. Initially, he did not call for immediate abolition, the south still feared Lincoln may move in that direction. This fear led the southern states to believe the only way to protect slavery and their very way of life was to succeed from the Union and form the Confederacy.