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The Compromise of 1850 (the fugitive slave act)
A series of measures passed by US congress to help settle slavery issues. There were territory issues regarding California as a non slavery state. Henry Clay made it his goal to keep a fair balance between slave states and non-slave states. Fugitive State act required slaves to be returned to their owners even if they were in a free state. This caused the North and South to further argue eventually pushing to the civil war. -
Bleeding Kansas
Also called the Border War, it was a chain of violent conflicts in Kanas Territory between Antislavery and pro slavery for control over Kanas. This further showed that when you came to slavery armed violence unavoidable -
Kanas-Nebraska Act
Senator Stephen Douglas proposed a bill to organize the Territory of Nebraska, the area of land became Kansas, Nebraska, Montana and the Dakotas. This bill became very controversial because it raised the chances of slavery extending into areas where it was banned. This debate over slavery later exploded into the civil war. -
Preston Brooks vs Charles Sumner
Senator Charles Sumner, a Massachusetts antislavery Republican was addressing the Senate on why Kansas should remain an antislavery state. He puts the blame on two men Andrew Butler and Stephen Douglas calling them nameless animals. Butler wasn’t there at the time, but his cousin Preston Brooks was there. Brooks beat Sumner with his cane after the address for over a minute straight. Brooks wasn’t arrested and Sumner never walked right again. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
A legal case from 1846 where an enslaved black men named Dred Scott and his wife sued for their freedom in court, saying that they lived in a free state and were entitled to their freedom. This case went on for 11 years, until the court decision was made, he was not free. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
Series of debates between Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln in a campaign for Illinois Senate seat. These seven debates took place in seven different cities in Illinois; Otta, Alton, Jonesboro etc. Most of these debates were about the issue of slavery expansion into different states. Douglas won the debates and Senate. These debates were a large cause of the civil war. -
John Brown's Raid on Harpers ferry
Abolitionist, John Brown and a group of his supporters left their farmhouse, captured well know citzens and stole federal weapons in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Their goal was the cause a slave revolt, gave them weapons and cause fear in the South. This didn’t work and Brown was arrested and hung for treason. This was seen a “test run” to the civil war. -
Election of Abraham Lincoln
Republican Abraham Lincoln defeated Southern Democrat John C. Breckinridge, Stephen A. Douglas, and Constitutional Union candidate John Bell. During voting there was a sectional spilt mostly over slavery. Setting the stage for the Civil War.