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Period: Jan 1, 1550 to
Transatlantic Slave Trade
The Transatlantic Slave Trade was the process of traders bringing Africans to the Wedt Indies from Africa. With the help of this trade system, 16 million enslaved people were brought to the Americas between the 16th and 19th centuries. Tensions rose as the amount of slaves in the U.S. increased. -
Africans Used as Indentured Servants
Africans were brought to Virginia as indentured servants, and later on in the 1600s, they were enslaved. This act was the birth of slavery in the United States, which ultimately led to a national divide of differing opinions.
(photo: http://ed101.bu.edu/StudentDoc/Archives/ED101sp06/emilyo/SlaveryinJamestown.html) -
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787
This ordinance outlined a structure for government in the Northwest Territory as well as a process for forming new territories and states. Most significantly, though, it outlawed slavery in the Northwest Territory. This leads to conflicts between the North and the South.
(photo: http://landgrant.ufl.edu/) -
Invention of the Cotton Gin
This machine, invented by Eli Whitney, made cotton production faster and cheaper, increasing the demand for cotton. It also increased the demand for more enslaved people, as they were needed to grow and pick the cotton. This contributed to the tension in the country.
(photo: http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/56200/56288/56288_cotton-gin.htm) -
The Missouri Compromise
This compromise, crafted by Henry Clay, admitted Maine as a free state and Missouri as a slave state. It also prohibited slavery in the Louisiana Territory and allowed Southern slaveholders to pursue escaped enslaved persons in free areas. The Missouri Compromise revealed the depth of disagreement between the North and the South.
(photo: http://www.sonofthesouth.net/slavery/missouri-compromise.htm) -
John C. Calhoun's Doctrines
Calhoun, a congressman from South Carolina (who became vice president), argued in favor of slavery and states' rights and opposed the Missouri Compromise. He proposed the idea of nullification--that any state could refuse to follow a federal law that it disagreed with; he wanted to nullify the tariff laws. Under Calhoun's beliefs and actions, many people in the South supported territorial expansion. This leads to conflict in the U.S.
(photo: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002707677/) -
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was the belief that the U.S. had a mission to expand west to spread democracy and Christian beliefs. This led to debates between the Democrats and Whigs over the idea. Manifest Destiny motivated the U.S. to expand, contributing to the arguments over slavery in new territories.
(photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifest_destiny) -
The Mexican American War begins
The Mexican-American War resulted in the U.S. gaining more territory. The issue of whether slavery would be allowed in this new territory further divided the North and the South.
(photo: http://www.nps.gov/fosc/historyculture/mexwar.htm) -
Free Soil Party was Formed
The Free Soil Party was formed with the opinion that slavery should not be extended into the western territories. This added to the pool of conflict that the U.S. was starting to drown in.
(photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Soil_Party) -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act enslaved African Americans through the testimony of just one white witness. It also denied suspects trial by jury and required citizens to help catch runaways. This act caused an outrage between the North and the South. Southerners resented Northerners' opposition, and tensions remained.
(photo: http://www.usmarshals.gov/history/fugitive_slave_law.htm) -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
In this compromise, Stephen Douglas proposed the two new territories of Kansas and Nebraska and that popular sovereignty would be used to decide the question of slavery. This led to disagreements that grew increasingly violent between proslavery and Free-Soil forces.
(photo: http://www.history.com/topics/kansas-nebraska-act) -
The Case of Dred Scott v. John F. A. Sanford
In the Dred Scott v. Sanford case, Taney ruled that Scott was not an American because of his race. This ruling intensified the opposition to the extension of slavery, further embittering the North and the South.
(photo: http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2036448_2036452_2118018,00.html) -
Lincoln's "House Divided" Speech
In his speech, Lincoln warned that the issue of slavery's place in the western territories could destroy the Union. He also thought that the U.S. would become all slave or all free. These idea riled up some people, because they felt they were radical. His speech helped him gain supporters which would prove helpful in the election of 1860.
(photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln) -
Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry
John Brown raided a federal armory in Harper's Ferry, Virginia, hoping to inspire an armed uprising of enslaved African Americans. After the Free-Soiler was tried, convicted, and hanged, many Northerners considered him to be a hero. This enraged the Southerners and they labeled the North as John Brown sympathizers.
(photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_(abolitionist))
