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U.S. Constitution – 3/5th Compromise
The 3/5th Compromise was created for the southern slave owners giving them more power to vote and that five slaves counted for three people in the population. It angered the northern states because they would lose representation in the House of Representatives. -
Northwest Ordinance
Established a government for the Northwest territory, while also establishing a process for adding new states. It prohibited slavery in the northern territories, angering the south. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The right for southern slave owners were able to go up north and find free slaves. It grew the anti-slavery unit in the north. -
Invention of the cotton gin
Eli Whitney created the cotton gin which allowed cotton to be produced much faster than it had before. It drove them to plant more cotton, leading them to buy more slaves. -
Ban on Slave Importation
It ended the legal importation of slaves in the states. Created tension between the free states and the slave states. -
Missouri Compromise
Slavery was only allowed in states that wear below Missouri. It created an even bigger tension between the south and the north. -
Nat Turner Rebellion
It was a slave revolt led by Nat Turner killing around 55 white people including women and children. Sparked fear among slave owners, and hardened their belief of pro slavery. -
South Carolina Nullification Crisis
It was a conflict between South Carolina and the federal government cause South Carolina was opposed to the high tariff and decide to ban it in South Carolina. It showed the potential to fight the federal government and also lead them to secede and showed to other states in the south that you could oppose the federal government. -
Organization of Underground Railroad
Harriet Tubman brought escaped slaves to places where they could be free and safe. This made her the most wanted woman in the south, but also made the south fear again for loss of slaves and anger with the north for not taking initiative with her like they were trying to do. -
Wilmot Proviso
It would prohibit and ban slavery in all of the territories acquired from Mexico. It increased the tensions of slavery between the north and the south . -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
This was the treaty that ended the Mexican American war and made Mexico give 55% of its land to the US. This added a lot more territory to the US and a lot more debate over slavery in these new territories. -
Compromise of 1850
Slave trade was abolished in D.C. but owning slaves was not banned, California was admitted a free state and Utah and New-Mexico were add with restrictions on slavery. It pushed the north further against slavery leading to raising tensions and not helping put an end to slavery in the south. -
Uncle Tom’s Cabin published
It was a book written by Harriett Beecher Stowe that depicted the horrors slavery in the south. It made the north very opposed to the acts of slavery and led them to become bigger abolitionists. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Repealed the Missouri Compromise and also failed to resolve the issue of slavery's expansions, also saying that slavery would be decided in the states by popular sovereignty. It fueled growing tensions in the states also leading to “Bleeding Kansas.” -
Bleeding Kansas
After the Kansas-Nebraska act Northern abolitionist and Southern slave holders flooded the state to try and sway it one way or another, leading to much fighting. Riots and murder was very common, this only intensified the fight between the North and South. -
Charles Sumner Attacked
Preston Brooks, a South Carolina representative, went from the House to the Senate Chamber then proceeded to beat an abolitionist senator, Charles Sumner, with a cane until he was unconscious. This really showed the hostility that people were feeling towards each other on either side of the debate. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slave the sued for his and his wife's freedom because they were in a free state, then in a 11 turn of events, the supreme court ruled no, but also set president that enslaved people are not citizens and can not sue. This really pushed abolitionists a lot more then before and was a large push in the Civil War. -
John Brown’s Raid at Harper’s Ferry
A man named John Brown, an extremist abolitionist went and raided one of the largest armory's in the country's (at the time) with his sons, but counted on slave support, none came. This was an event where John and all his sons ended up dead, this was an unforgettable feat of violence, really showing how things were hearing up between the proslavery democrats and antislavery republicans. -
Lincoln’s election
Abraham Lincoln was an abolitionist, he was elected by the entirety of the north with no support from any southern states. The fact that a president could win an election with no southern support enraged the south and just the fact that an abolitionist president could win an election seemed very unfair to the south. -
South Carolina Secedes from Union
The South truly wanted to preserve their way of life, South Carolina really had the last straw so they seceded to be protected from any national abortion ban. This encouraged other states to secede and was why the civil war started.