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Missouri Compromise (1820)
The Missouri Compromise was a law in 1820 that aimed to keep a balance between slave and free states by allowing Missouri to be a slave state and Maine to be a free state, While it initially eased tensions, it ultimately couldn't prevent the growing conflict over slavery, contributing to the path toward the Civil War. -
Wilmot Proviso (1846)
The Wilmot Proviso was a proposal in 1846 to stop slavery in new territories taken from Mexico during the Mexican-American War. It increased tensions between the North and South, contributing to the conflicts that led to the Civil War. -
Election of 1848 & the Free Soil Party (1848)
The Election of 1848 saw the emergence of the Free Soil Party, a political group opposing the spread of slavery into newly acquired territories. The party advocated for "free soil, free speech, free labor, and free men" and nominated Martin Van Buren as their candidate, reflecting growing anti-slavery sentiments in the United States during that time. -
Fugitive Slave Act & Personal Liberty Laws (1850)
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 mandated the return of escaped slaves. This led some Northern states to pass Personal Liberty Laws to protect escaped slaves' rights and resist the enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act, intensifying North-South tensions over slavery. -
Compromise of 1850 (1850)
The Compromise of 1850 was a series of laws to settle disputes over slavery, admitting California as a free state and introducing other measures. While it eased tensions temporarily, it failed to address the root issues, contributing to the path toward the Civil War. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852)
"Uncle Tom's Cabin," written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852, was a powerful anti-slavery novel that depicted the harsh realities of slavery in the United States. It had a significant impact on public opinion and was influential in fueling the abolitionist movement, contributing to the growing tensions that eventually led to the Civil War. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)
The 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act scrapped the Missouri Compromise, letting settlers decide on slavery through popular votes. This sparked violent clashes in Kansas, known as "Bleeding Kansas," and heightened tensions, playing a crucial role in the lead-up to the Civil War. -
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Bleeding Kansas (1854-1860)
Bleeding Kansas was a period of violent clashes in the Kansas Territory as pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers fought over whether the territory would allow or prohibit slavery. These conflicts intensified the national debate on slavery and contributed to the lead-up to the Civil War. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debate (1858)
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates were a series of seven debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas during the 1858 Illinois senatorial campaign. The main topic was the expansion of slavery into the western territories. Although Lincoln lost the Senate race, the debates raised his national profile and set the stage for his later election as president in 1860 -
John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry (1859)
In 1859, abolitionist John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry aimed to seize weapons for a slave rebellion. Although unsuccessful, the incident heightened tensions between the North and South, playing a role in the lead-up to the Civil War. -
Election of 1860 & the Republican Party (1860)
The 1860 election marked the rise of the Republican Party, with Abraham Lincoln winning. His anti-slavery stance led to Southern States' secession, setting the stage for the Civil War. -
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Secession of Eleven Southern Sates (1860-1861)
From 1860 to 1861, eleven Southern states withdrew from the Union in response to Abraham Lincoln's election as president and his anti-slavery positions. This secession ultimately led to the formation of the Confederate States of America and the onset of the Civil War.