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The Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was a law that established a framework for governing the Northwest Territory and outlined the process for admitting new states to the Union. It banned slavery in the new territory, which later became Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota. The Ordinance contributed to growing sectionalism between the North and South as new free states emerged from the territory. Southern states feared a loss of political power, causing an increase in tension. -
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VA Slave Debates
The VA slave Debates came after Nat Turner’s violent slave rebellion, inciting fear of further revolt and sparking discussions on gradual emancipation. Though some supported change, Virginia ultimately reinforced slavery, deepening sectionalism. The debates highlighted the growing divide between North and South, as Southerners became more defensive of slavery. This failure to consider abolition further entrenched pro-slavery ideology, fueling tensions that contributed to secession decades later. -
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso attempted to ban slavery in the Mexican Cession, but it failed in the Senate. It heightened sectionalism by deepening North-South tensions over slavery’s expansion. Northerners saw it as a stand against slavery, while Southerners viewed it as a threat to their way of life. Though never passed into law, it fueled political divides, weakened national parties, and pushed the South closer to secession by reinforcing fears of Northern hostility toward slavery. -
The Dredd Scott Decision
Scott v. Sandford, or the Dred Scott decision, was a Supreme Court Case ruling that African Americans weren’t U.S. citizens and that Congress couldn’t ban slavery in territories. This deepened sectionalism by invalidating efforts to limit slavery’s expansion, enraging Northerners and empowering the South. It weakened previous agreements like the Missouri Compromise, pushing the nation closer to secession, as Southerners felt validated while Northerners saw the Court as pro-slavery and unjust. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 attempted to ease tensions between the North and South by admitting California as a free state, enforcing a stricter Fugitive Slave Act, and allowing popular sovereignty in new territories. It temporarily delayed secession, but consequently worsened sectionalism. The North resented the Fugitive Slave Act, while the South feared growing free-state power. This fragile balance collapsed in the 1850s, fueling tensions that ultimately led to secession and the Civil War. -
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Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was a violent conflict between pro- and anti-slavery settlers over popular sovereignty in Kansas when deciding the status of slavery. It exposed the failure of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, deepened sectionalism, and showed that compromise was collapsing. The violence shocked the nation, radicalized both sides, and pushed the country closer to secession by proving that slavery’s expansion could only be settled through conflict, foreshadowing the Civil War. -
Lincoln's Election
The election of Lincoln increased sectionalism greatly. As the first Republican president, he opposed slavery’s expansion, winning without Southern support. Though Lincoln said that he did not want to abolish slavery, many southern leaders were skeptical and felt attacked. Fearing abolition anyway, South Carolina seceded in December 1860, quickly followed by others, and formed the Confederacy. His victory confirmed Southern fears of losing political power, making Civil War inevitable.