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The Missouri Compromise
A bill that was passed by congress which granted Missouri statehood as a slave state. This compromise also made the state of Maine into a free state in order to add balance to the union. Since Missouri is above the 36th parallel, no more slavery was permitted above this line on any land bought in the Louisiana Purchase. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Turner was a man who sought for freedom along with 6 other men, they killed a wealthy slave owning white family. The savage act gained the support of nearly 50 other men. Together the men of the rebellion killed 51 white slave owners. Eventually they were all caught and killed but it is still considered the only truly successful slave rebellion. -
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the End of Mexican-American War
With the United States triumph over Mexico in the Treaty of Guadalupe at the end of the Mexican-American war, the US was granted much land from Mexico such as present day New Mexico and California. The new land led to conflict on which states should be free and which should be slave states. It upset many because it caused a struggle for power and allowed for the possibility of slavery growth. -
The Compromise of 1850
The compromise initially postponed the fighting and conflict between the north and south. This was by preventing and stopping the growth of slavery along with strengthening the fugitive slave act which required men and women of the north to return escaped slaves back to the south if they were caught. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
An instant top selling book written by Harriet Beecher Stowe which was written to show the negativity of slavery. The book stirred up controversy all around the country. Northerners who were anti-slavery felt united because they all felt as if they were finally being exposed to the true horrors of slavery which caused them to be even more anti-slavery. The south took a lot of offensive to the book saying that the book was offensive and attacking the southern culture. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act and Bleeding Kansas
The Kansas-Nebraska Act declared that the fate of the territories would be of popular sovereignty. This meant that the men and women of the state would decide whether or not slavery would be allowed or not on the land. This caused a flood in population because everyone wanted to be able to cast their vote based on their beliefs. The time period got the name "Bleeding Kansas" because violence broke out between northerners and southerners and people died. -
Dred Scott decision
Dred Scott served his master for many years in free states until his master passed away. He sued for his freedom saying that he has residence in a free state. The US Supreme Court believed that since Dred Scott was a negro, he had no right to sue or any rights whatsoever. The ruling was that he had no rights to be a free man and was to be sent to the south as a slave. This decision caused controversy with the men and women from the north because they believed that he deserved freedom. -
John Brown's Raid
John Brown was an abolitionist who raided an armory in Harper's Perry and had full intentions to steal many weapons and firearms. His goal was to distribute them to many different slaves through the south and cause an up rise in rebellions. After he broke in and stole the weapons, Brown was caught by southern authority and executed for his crime. -
Abraham Lincoln's Election
Lincoln won the election of 1860 and became the president of the United States. He was an abolitionist for slavery which was a good thing for the north but not a good thing for the south. The south feared that Lincoln would end slavery. This caused many many states to secede and call themselves the confederate states of america. -
South Carolina Secession
The secession of South Carolina from the Union in 1860 destroyed almost all the possibility of making it through this dispute without a battle or warfare of some sort. Shortly after there were six other states that seceded. This was almost just foreshadowing a war in the near future. -
The Battle of Fort Sumter
The battle was a 34 hour raid on Fort Sumter from the seceded states of the confederacy. It was caused because Abe Lincoln tried to send some supplies down to the american troops in the area. Because gunshots were fired, it is considered the first battle of the Civil War.
