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Missouri Compromise
In order to resolve tension in the Senate, the members created the Missouri Compromise. The Missouri Compromise admitted Missouri into the Union as a slave state. It also admitted Maine as a free state, to keep the balance between the two equal. Furthermore, the Missouri compromise issued that slavery was outlawed above the 36º 30' latitude line. -
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Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner led a revolt against his slave master. He entered his slave owners house and killed the entire family. He would then gather his men and parade through the streets, killing 55 more people, mostly women and children. Nat Turner eventually fled and was uncaptured for two months. Once he was captured, he was hung and killed in the streets of Virginia. -
Wilmot Proviso
After the United States has acquired land from Mexico, as a result of the Mexican-American War, the debate over whether is would become a free state or slave state was under way. David Wilmot wanted to prohibit the expansion of slavery into the new acquired territory. He introduced the bill to congress. While, it was not passed it left an everlasting effect on the issue of slavery out West. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 admitted California as a "free state" and allowed Utah and New Mexico to use popular sovereignty to decide if they want slavery. The Compromise of 1850 also banned the slave trade in Washington DC, but they were still allowed to keep their slaves. Another result was that the North had to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act, which challenged most of their belief systems. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin is an anti-slavery book written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. The book displayed the unruly conditions felt by enslaved people. Its purpose was to shed light onto slavery by discrediting the dominant cultural beliefs on enslaved people. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act created the states of Kansas and Nebraska. The act disvalued the effects of the Missouri Compromise and allowed popular sovereignty to take place. This was the idea that the people would decide whether they wanted slavery in these states. This led to major conflicts in the new territories. A big one is "bleeding Kansas." In "bleeding Kansas" free-state supporters and slave-state supporters went to Kansas to fight for it to become either a free or slave state. -
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The Pottawatomie Massacre
In the Pottawatomie Massacre, John Brown, a well known abolitionist and his men murdered five pro-slavery men. The were murdered at three different cabins. He would then beat up senator Charles Sumner. This was one of the events that fostered the "bleeding Kansas." -
Scott V. Sanford
In an attempt to gain freedom for himself and his family, Dred Scott sued the United States Government. He argued that he was in a free state, yet was not free. The court would not rule in his favor, but in the favor of slave owners. The court ruled that enslaved people were not considered citizens of the United States. Therefore, they would not be protected under the law. They also ruled that Congress had no authority of banning slavery in a Federal Territory. -
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John Brown's Raid
In an attempt to raise a slave rebellion in the South. John Brown led a raid on Harpers Ferry. In the raid, he would gather many of his men. On October 16, Brown and his men captured two slave owners and freed all of their enslaved people. He held the captured men in the Armory house. Word breaks out in town and hundreds of soldiers surround the building. Eventually, John Brown and some of his men escaped, however, they were eventually found. John Brown was executed as a result of his actions. -
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln won the election of 1860, but he did not win by the majority vote. Southern states became angered at the fact that Abraham Lincoln did not win the majority vote, yet was still elected into office. As a response, they began to succeed from the United States and create The Confederacy.