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Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was created in order to maintain a balance of power in Congress between the number of free states versus slave states. If this was not balanced, either side would feel threatened, and scared of being overpowered. Missouri was made a slave state and Maine was made a free state. This also banned slavery in states north of the 36° 30´ latitude line. -
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso was used to ban slavery in the territory gained from Mexico. The new territory from Mexico was a result of the Mexican-American war. It was used to prevent the expansion of slavery into the territory. It was introduced by David Wilmot, who was a congressman from Pennsylvania. The proviso was passed but never approved by the Senate and caused tension about slavery. -
Mexican-American War
The Mexican American war lasted for 2 years. It was a debate over the border between Texas and Mexico. When the war ended, and the United States won, they gained a lot of new land including California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. These new territories increase tension in the debate over the expansion of slavery. The south wanted the new land to be slave territory, while the north wanted it to be free. This further divided the country leading to the Civil War. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was made to address slavery and new territories. This made California be admitted as a free state and the creation of the fugitive slave act. The Fugitive slave act was a law saying if you saw a slave in a free state, you had to bring him back to his owner. This was also an attempt to balance power between the north and south but caused more tension. This also banned the sale of slaves in the District of Columbia. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Stowe was an abolitionist. The book was published in 1852 and showed the cruelty of slavery to the public. 5,000 copies sold in 2 days. The south saw this -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was created by Senator Stephen Douglas. The act divided territory west of Missouri into 2, Kansas and Nebraska. The act stated that the settlers of the territories would be able to choose if they were a free state or a slave state. This upset Northerners because slavery was supposed to be outlawed north of the 36º30' line. This caused Northerners to move to Kansas in hopes of establishing it as a free state. -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas refers to a violent period of time between pro and anti slavery states after the creation of the new Kansas territory. Following the Kansas-Nebraska act, people from northern and southern states rushed to established kansas as either a free or slave state. Since the decision was based on popular sovereignty, the race to claim kansas resulted in a brutal precursor to the Civil War. Approximately 55 people died as a result. -
Scott v Sanford
Dred Scott was a slave from Missouri, and he and his wife went to court to fight for their freedom. His owner took him to a free state (Illinois) and there he sued for his freedom. He claimed that since Illinois had been made a free state after the Missouri Compromise, he should technically be free. Scott sued for his freedom in 1847 and lost, but eventually won in an 1857 retrial. As a result of the trial, slaves were declared non-citizens and therefore had no rights in the United States. -
John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown, an abolitionist, started a slave revolt in 1859. His group of 22 was going to attempt to take over the United States arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. They were defeated by the U.S Marines and many were killed or arrested. The south saw it as a threat to slavery, while the north saw it as a daring abolitionist effort. Brown was tried and found guilty of all charges, he was sentenced to death. -
Election of 1860
The Election of 1860 was a big cause of the Civil War and was one of the most significant elections in American history. Republican, Abraham Lincoln was elected which further divided the country because of his anti-slavery campaign. Southerners thought that his presidency threatened their way of life, and their right to own slaves. This resulted in many southern states seceding from the Union, and the creation of the Confederate states.