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Washington's First Term
George Washington officially became president on April 30th, 1789. He feared that the creation of political parties would only create tension and conflict between the citizens in America. During his first term, he witnessed political division as the federalist party and the DRs worked against each other. This was quite a big turning point as sectionalism began to make a bigger appearance. -
The Underground Railroad and Fugitive Slaves
The Underground Railroad was created in the early 1800s and served to help slaves escape from their owners in the south and move up north into slave free states. This system showed how different the north and the south were from each other and created conflict between the two sides. The southern slave owners often fought to get their slaves back, which questioned the slaves’ personal liberty laws. -
Antebellum Revivalism and Reform (1800-1860)
The Antebellum Revivalism period lasted for 60 years and redefined the morals of the people in America. This event changed what equality meant in the US. Although many people believed in what the Antebellum period stood for, some people disagreed. For example, the abolitionist movement was met by people who wanted to end slavery permanently, and those who wanted to keep it. -
Missouri Compromise
The state of Missouri was admitted into the US as a slave state, but was only allowed in because Maine was admitted in as free state.This compromise also created the 36-30 line which prohibited slavery above the 36-30 boundary in the Louisiana territory. This showed how ununified the states were and that separate places in the US had to create laws against each other. -
The Creation of the Liberty and the Free Soil Party
The forming of the Liberty Party and the Free Soil Party showed how different the beliefs were in the US. The Free Soil Party wanted to keep slavery out of the western hemisphere while the Liberty Party wanted to end slavery completely, and there were still some people who wanted to fully keep slavery. The parties created groups who didn’t agree with each other and fought against each other. -
Clay's Compromise
Clay’s Compromise, also known as the Compromise of 1850, was created to end tension between the free states and the slave states. However, this only made things worse and tension stronger. Clay’s Compromise consisted of admitting California as a free state, creating a new fugitive slave law, making slave trade illegal in DC, paying Texas’ bills, and having slavery open in New Mexico. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This act allowed the 36-30 line from the Missouri Compromise to extend so that Kansas and Nebraska could be a slave state. It also allowed the north to build a railroad across the US, which would make it easier for people from free states to enter and vote against these two states to be slave states. Yet problems still arose and border ruffians guarded these states from citizens who came from the free states to vote against slavery.
