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The Compromise of 1850 including the Fugitive Slave Act
The Compromise of 1850 was a collection of five different bills passed by the United States Congress in September 1850. One of those bills was the Fugitive Slave Act, which meant slaves were required to be returned to their owners. This act also made the federal government in charge of finding and returning escaped slaves. These bills caused tensions between the North and the South, those living in “free” or “slave” states, which would soon lead to the Civil War. -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was a series of violent guerrilla warfare between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery following the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Between 1854-1859, around 55 people were killed. It was a political storm throughout the United States that proved armed conflict over slavery was inevitable. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act, passed into law on May 30th, 1854, was a controversial bill that raised the possibility of slavery in territories it was once banned. It was a repeal to the Missouri Compromise and also created two new territories. This act led to a period of violence and influenced the Civil War. -
Dred Scot v. Sandford
The decision of the Scott v. Sandford case is considered by many legal scholars to be one of the worst ever made by the Supreme Court. It ruled that enslaved people were not citizens of the US and did not require protection from the federal governments or courts. It also declared it illegal for Congress to abolish slavery. This increased tensions even further and pushed the country towards the Civil War. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
The Lincoln-Douglas debates were a series of seven debates between Democrat Stephen A. Douglas and Republican Abraham Lincoln that mainly concerned of the extension of slavery into the territories. Lincoln argued against the spread, while Douglas expressed that each territory should have its own right to allow or abolish slavery. -
John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown, abolitionist, led a small group on a raid against a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. He attempted to start an armed revolt of enslaved people to destroy the institution of slavery, but failed. Both the Confederate and the Union armies w mated control of Harpers Ferry. Although it was defective, it still raised the stakes and tension for the 1860 presidential election. -
Election of Abraham Lincoln
The election of 1860 was by won by Lincoln with a strong majority in the popular and electoral votes. He campaigned as anti-slavery and opposed the expansion of slavery throughout the territories. This election shaped the future of abolishing slavery in the US.