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The compromise of 1850 including the Fugitive Slave Act
A series of bills that mainly were to address slavery. This just lead to further tension between the north and the south due to the south fearing the end of slavery and the north craving the end of slavery even more. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
In which, Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois argued that whether or not slavery would be legal in Nebraska and Kansas would be decided by the settlers. It lead to the civil war because it raised the possibility that slavery could extend to territories where it was once banned -
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Bleeding Kansas
A series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas territory over whether slavery is alright or not. It demonstrated that armed conflict over slavery was unavoidable. -
Preston Brooks vs Charles Sumner
Starting when representative Preston Brooks, a pro-slavery democrat, used a walking cane to attack senator Charles Sumner, an abolitionist republican. It broke down reasoned discourse and showed willingness to resort to violence over the subject of slavery. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
The Supreme Court said that slaves were property and not citizens, therefore had no rights. They also labeled the Missouri compromise as unconstitutional. The north got mad due to the fact that the highest court in the country made it illegal to abolish therapy. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
These debates consisted of Douglas calling Lincoln an abolitionist and Lincoln accusing Douglas of wanting to nationalize slavery. These debates established Lincoln as a figure of national importance. -
John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown, an abolitionist, wanted to initiate a slave revolt by taking over the United States arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. This increased distrust between the north and the south. -
Election of Abraham Lincoln
When Abraham Lincoln got elected, he said he would abolish slavery causing some southern states to succeed from the union creating the confederacy.