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Mexican War
The Mexican-American War was about where the border between Texas and the U.S was. The U.S extended an offer for Texas to become a state. Mexico saw annexation as an act of aggression. This increased tensions. The American army exchanged gunfire with Mexico in Rio Grande. Congress declared war in 1846. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends the war in 1848. U.S wins and gains lots of land in Mexico. The Mexican war is a training ground for future officers in the Civil War. (American Yawp, Chp 12). -
Wilmont Proviso
The Wilmont Proviso was proposed on August 8, 1846, by David Wilmont from Pennsylvania. It proposed that slavery be banned from any areas acquired by the U.S after the Mexican War. It did not become federal policy but got a lot of support from the North. This proviso would have prevented slavery expansion in the new U.S territories. This caused arguments about what to do regarding the expansion of slavery in the new land. It caused continued division between the North and South. (Varon, 184). -
Underground Railroad
The underground railroad was a network that guided tons of slaves to freedom. It included many routes and safe places the runaways could stay on their way North to freedom. A symbolic leader and former slave was Harriet Tubman. The underground railroad and activists who supported it angered Southerners. This event eventually limited whites rights when the institution ended. This event weakened the institution of slavery and contributed to the reason for the Civil War. (Varon, 242). -
The Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act was part of the Compromise of 1850. Northerners hated this law because it forced them to assist with the returns of runaway slaves and aid the slave south. This law caused free black Northerners to be re-enslaved. This law expanded federal power. There were harsh punishments for anyone who interfered with these capturing's. This law forced people to take sides regarding the issue of slavery and increased the divide between the North and the South. (American Yawp, Chp 13). -
Battle of Christiana
The Battle of Christiana became a national event and took place in the Quaker village of Christiana, Pennsylvania. This village accepted many fugitive slaves. This battle occurred when a slaveholder from Maryland came to retrieve two fugitives. The Quakers suggested the slaveowner leave. He did not listen and ending up being shot and killed. This event was a successful armed resistance by free black men. This event is sometimes thought of as the first battle of the Civil War. (McPherson 84-85). -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe published the antislavery "fiction" novel, named Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It was a frank and realistic assessment of slavery in the U.S. It's based on the conversations Harriet had with runaway slaves. Harriet said everyone is part of the slavery problem. Southerns hate it and say its not accurate. They said it was offensive to southern life and the beatings and salve deaths never happened. More northerners started discussing antislavery due to this book. (American Yawp, Chp 13). -
The Election of 1852
The Whigs and Democratic party in the United States emerged from the Election of 1852. Whigs struggled to find stability and tried to appeal to Catholic immigrants, which failed. Democrat, Franklin Pierce stated that he would enforce the Fugitive Slave Law. The Whigs only won two Southern states. In the end, Democrat Franklin Pierce won, beating Whig runner General Winfield Scott. This campaign highlighted political party divisions regarding slavery, which led to the Civil War. (Varon, 248-49). -
Gadsden Purchase
The Gadsden Purchase was an expansionist effort. James Gadsden, a South Carolina railroad promoter wanted to buy more territory from Mexico for a southern railroad route for the U.S. This treaty was finalized in 1854 for $15 million between Santa Anna and Gadsden. This purchase intensified the issues around slavery since anti-slavery supporters were worried the land would become slave states. It highlighted the geographical divide that led to the Civil War. (McPherson, 127). -
Caning of Charles Sumner
Senator Charles Sumner, an antislavery Republican from Massachusetts was brutally beaten with a cane by Preston Brooks of South Carolina on the floor of the Senate. Sumner accused Brooks cousin of raping slaves. During this time, these topics were not discussed. Northerners are outraged by Brooks actions. This event was a symbol of the normalized violence and polarization between the North and South regarding the issue of slavery. (American Yawp, Chapter 12). -
Pottawatomie Massacre
On May 25th, anti-slavery extremist John Brown and seven of his followers killed five proslavery, non-slaveholding immigrants and poor whites in the Pottawatomie settlement in Kansas. This is one of the many events part of Bleeding Kansas. Brown was furious about the sacking of Lawrence, an anti-slavery town and the aggressive attack on Charles Sumner. Brown physically attacked the institution of slavery during this event. This bloodshed was a preface to the Civil War. (Varon, 266-68). -
Dred Scott Decision
The Dred Scott decision ruled that black Americans could not become citizens of the U.S and could be transported as property from state to state regardless of state law. Chief justice and slave owner Roger Taney said that Dred Scott did not have standing to bring a suit and could not sue. The courts said the constitution is not including African Americans when it says all men are created equal. This showed that the federal government was committed to extending slavery. (American Yawp, Chp 13).