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Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a non-slave state at the same time so as not to upset the balance between slave and free states. -
Nat Turner Rebellion
A group of enslaved African Americans, led by Nat Turner, killed 55-65 white people. It was the deadliest revolt in the history of the United States. -
Mexican-American War
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The Wilmot Proviso
A provision was added to James Polks appropriations bill, which gave 2 million dollars to acquire land from Mexico. It banned slavery in any territory bought with these funds. -
Gold Rush in California 1848-1849
A rapid influx of fortune seekers in California that began after gold was found at Sutters Mill in early 1846 and reached its peak in 1852. -
Harriet Tubman and Underground Railroad
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Compromise of 1850
A series of measures proposed by U.S. Senator Henry Clay and passed by the U.S. Congress to settle issues connected to slavery and avert the threat of dissolution of the Union. -
Fugitive Slave Act
Was a part of the Compromise of 1850 and required that slaves be returned to their owners, even if they were in a free state. -
Uncle Tom’s Cabin published
Uncle Tom's Cabin, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, was a book whose characters' portrayal of their struggles opened reader's eyes to the realities of slavery and the humanity of enslaved people. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Repealed the Missouri Comprimise, created two new territories, and allowed for popular sovereignty. -
Bleeding Kansas
A series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas territory, and to a lesser extent in western Missouri. -
Dred Scott V. Sanford
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Lincoln-Douglas Debates
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John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry
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Presidential Election of 1860
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South Carolina Secedes from the Union
