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Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was written by Henry Clay on March 3, 1820. The goal of the Compromise was to address the tension between the North and South due to their different opinions and agendas. The agreement said that slavery was prohibited north of the latitude 36^o30' also known as The Mississippi Southern boundary. The reason for the 36^o30’ line was to keep equilibrium between the slave and free states. Therefore, Maine was admitted as a free slave, and Missouri became a slave state. -
The Mexican American War
The Mexican American War took place from 1846 to 1848. The war was based on conflicts between Mexico and the US. The main conflict was the dispute over the Texas border. This is because Mexico did not recognize Texas as US Territory. The war resulted with Mexico's defeat and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This Treaty gave the US several territories such as California and New Mexico. -
Wilmot Proviso
Shortly after the Mexican-American War, a congressional proposal was made to stop the extension of slavery. When Polk asked Congress for $2,000,000 to negotiate peace with Mexico David Wilmot a Democratic Congressman, wanted to add an amendment to the bill. This amendment said that slavery would be forbidden in the new territory. The amendment led to national debates and once again North vs South agendas. However this amendment never passed by Both Houses and therefore was never signed into law. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a set of laws that were passed by Congress in order to address Slavery. The goal of the Compromise was to keep that peace and insure equilibrium between slave and free states. The Compromise included the admission of California as a free state. Furthermore, the Compromise abolished slavery in DC. However, the Compromise also gave New Mexico and Utah no restriction on Slavery. In addition, Compromise also introduced the Fugitive Slave act. -
The Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act was a law passed in Compromise of 1850. The act required all escaped slaves to be returned to their owners even if the escaped slaves had reached free states. This act opened the eyes of Northerners because it hit them close to home. This is because if someone aided the escaped slaves or did not return them to their slave owners they would face consequences. Overall this act was controversial, raised the tension between the North and South and grew the division of slavery. -
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was a novel written by Harriet Beecher Stown and it was published in 1852. The novel displays the story and experiences of a slave who went by Tom. Overall it played a significant role because it was extremely influential. Furthermore, it shaped the public's opinion about slavery because of the cruelty and hardship that was displayed. Because of this, the novel is considered one of the main literature pieces that contributed to the abolishment of slavery. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a law that was passed in 1854. It allowed the Kansas territory and Nebraska to decide if slavery was allowed in their territories or not (based upon popular sovereignty). This act dismissed the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which prohibited slavery north of the 36^30’. This act also led to fights and disputes between anti-slavery vs pro-slavery citizens in Kansas also known as Bleeding Kansas. In addition, this event futhered grew the division of North vs South agendas. -
John Brown's Raid
On October 16th, 1856 John Brown and 18 of his men traveled upwards to Harpers Farry. Their goal was to raid the Federal Arsenal in hopes to achieve his overall goal of destroying slavery. Along the way Brown and his group captured prominent citizens. The raid however, did not go according to Brown's plan. The group was surrounded by Robert E. Lee's marines and many of Brown's group were captured and killed. Brown was then put on trial and was sentenced to death. -
Scott v. Sanford
This court case was one of the more significant cases that took place before the Civil War. This is because it led to debates over a slave's rights in the Supreme Court. From Stanford's argument, enslaved people were not citizens and therefore they couldn't sue for their freedom. However, Scott’s argument was that he and his family could sue for their freedom because their residence was in a free territory. Ultimately, Scott lost the case because he couldn't prove that he owned Emerson's widow. -
The Election Of 1860
November 16th, 1860 the 16th Presidential election, one of the most crucial events in American History took place. Republican Abraham Lincoln won over the Democratic representative Stephen Douglas. The electoral split between the Northern and the Southern Democrats was mainly based upon the topic of slavery. Because of the split idea of slavery the Union was almost completely destroyed. That is why this election will be know for a turning point in American History.