-
Period: to
Underground Railroad
A route used by runaway slaves to escape. It helped hundereds of slaves to escape from the South. -
Missouri Compromise
When Missouri applied to be a state it was expected to be a slave state so Maine was admitted as a free state to keep the balance between free and slave states even in the senate. Increased feelings of sectionalism. -
Tariff of Abominations
Tariff that placed high taxes on imported items. Increased sectionalism between north and south beacuse it forced the south to buy items from the north. -
Wilmont Proviso
A proposal by Rep.David Wilmont the suggested slavery be banned in territory gained from the Mexican American War. Helped to increase sectionlalism -
Free -soil Party
A political party formed by some northern Whigs and Democrats. It was an important group in the fighting during the "bleeding Kansas" period. -
Differing economies of North and South
The North's economy was based on textiles and industry, while the South's economy was based mostly on growing and selling cotton. The North had more power and control which badly affected the South later when war started. -
Compromise of 1850
Admited Caliofornia as a free state. Set the Texas and New Mexico borders and organized New Mexico with slavery to be decided by residents. Organized Utah territory, with slavery to be decided by its residents. It strengthend the fugitive slave act. And made the slave trade illegal in the Districtof columbia. Infuriated many anti-slavery advocates with the fugitive slave act. -
Fugitive slave act
A part of the Compromise of 1850 that made it illegal to help run away slaves and legal to catch runaway slave in free states.It made many northernerners furious and causes mobs to free captured slaves. The actions of the North caused anger in the South and made many southerners think of seccecion. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote short stories that were later compiled into Uncle Tom's Cabin. The book showed the terribleness of slavery in the south and angered many southerners. -
Republican Party
The Free soil party, northern whigs and othe groups joined to create the RepublicanParty. The party worked with the Know Nothing party and fought slavery. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
A bill that said slavery should be decided by popular sovereignty in territorys applying for statehood. The North was angry and held protests against the bill. It broke up the Whig party and gave rise to the Free-soil party. -
Know-Nothing Party
A political party that held the idea of nativism. -
The Election of 1856
In the election of 1856 the Illinois Republicans tried to get Abraham Lincoln on the republican ticket but failed. -
Brooks/ Summer Senate Caning
Preston Brooks walked into an empty senate and beat Charles Sumner to death with his cane. The north was outraged at the attack by the southerner while many in the south were very happy with it and sent Brooks canes. This further seperated the north and the south. -
Sack of Lawrence
A pro-slavery sheriff and 800 men rode into Lawrence and burned and looted the town. The Sack of Lawrence made many northerners mad and led to the Pottawatomie Massacre -
Pottawatomie Massacre (Bleeding Kansas)
John Brown led men to the houses of men who supported slavery, where John Brown's men killed five of the pro-slavery men. Helped lead to a civil war in Kansas and inflamed th senate. -
Dred Scott Decision
A slave named Dred Scott took a case to the supreme court saying he should be free since he had lived much of his life in a free state. It caused northerners to fear that slavery might spread to any state and that they might no longer be able to fight the spread of slavery. -
Freeport Doctrine
The second debate of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Lincoln challenged Douglas to explain how popular sovereighnty could keep slavery out of a state when the Dred Scott decision said it could not. Douglas' answer became know as the Freeport Doctrine where he basicly said it would in the end come down to the people to decide through election. -
Period: to
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
A series of seven debates Between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. The debates made Lincoln a national political figure. -
Harpers Ferry Incident
An abolisionist named John Brown tried to start a slave revolt in Harpers Ferry but no slave were willing to follow him. Later marines were called in a defeated Brown and his followers who were all hung on December 2, 1859. -
The Election of 1860
The Election of 1860 was the election that made Lincoln president. Lincoln being elected president was the final thing that pushed much of the south to secede. -
South Carolina Secesion
South Carolina seceded from the union after Lincoln was elected president. It was important because the secesion of south carolina led to many other southern states seceding. -
Formation of the Confederate States of America
A convention was held with delegates from the states that seceded and wrote a constitution for the Confederacy and elected Jefferson Davis as president. This led to the civil war since tension between the two nations was high. -
Fort Sumter
South Carolina demanded the Union give up Fort Sumter becase it was an Confederate land.When the Union refused the Confederacy attacked the fort and took it over. The attack on the fort began the American Civil War.
