-
Elizabeth Freeman's Release from Slavery
Elizabeth Freeman (formerly known as Mum Bett) sues the state of Massachussetts for her freedom and wins, freeing all slaves in Massachussetts. -
Missouri Compromise
Missouri's application for statehood as a slave state led to this, which allows Missouri to be a slave state, lets Maine in as a free state, and bans slavery north of Arkansas. -
Nat Turner's Slave Revolt
Nat Turner led a revolt which was temporarily successful before being shut down. This, along with other slave revolts, led to the development and strenghtening of slave codes which put restrictions on many more aspects of slave life. -
Period: to
Gag Order on Slavery in Senate
There was a ban on slavery in the Senate for this time span. Though it prevented any disputes, it also didn't allow for any long-term solutions to be developed. -
Period: to
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso was a proposal to ban slavery in all land acquired in the Mexican-American War. It failed, but it effectively led to the Compromise of 1850. -
California Admitted to Union
California was admitted to the Union, but its constitution banned slavery throughout the state. This could have led to tensions because California would have disrupted the previous balance between slave states and non-slave states if it weren't for the Compromise of 1850. -
Compromise of 1850
Congress allowed the passage of California as a free state with the condition that Utah and New Mexico vote on slavery and no other state could be a slave state. As the name implies, this compromised between people who wanted passage of California as a state and those who wanted popular sovereignty for Utah and New Mexico. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This act spread popular sovereignty on slavery to Nebraska and Kansas. Soon, this led to conflict and controversy in Kansas especially. -
Period: to
Bleeding Kansas
This was a period of chaos and violence as tensions erupted between slavery supporters and slavery critics in Kansas. -
Period: to
Lecompton Government in Kansas
The Lecompton government supported slavery and created significant conflict between anti- and pro-slavery advocates for the duration of its existence. -
Sacking of Lawrence
Many of the supporters of the Lecompton government conducted a raid on the anti-slavery seat, Lawrence. It further contributed to the chaos and violence in the Bleeding Kansas period. -
Caning of Sumner
Charles Sumner made a speech criticizing Senator Andrew Butler from South Carolina. Butler's nephew, Representative Preston Brooks, fiercely beat Sumner with his cane. Butler was made a symbol of the South's side of the debate. -
Pottawatomie (John Brown's) Massacre
John Brown and his sons led a raid on slaveholding families in which he hacked slaveholding men to death in front of their families. This led to John Brown being somewhat idolized in the North as an abolitionist hero. -
Freeport Doctrine
Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln had multiple series of debates, the second of which led to Douglas' creation of the Freeport Doctrine, which said that states not supporting slavery shouldn't establish slaveholding institutions rather than outright banning slavery. It led to Douglas' loss against Lincoln in the Election of 1860. -
John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry
John Brown attempted to seize the federal armory in Harper's Ferry, Virginia so he could create an armed slave revolt. This ultimately failed and Brown was executed. He was even more idolized by abolitionists after this.
