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Compromise of 1850
A series of laws passed to resolve the issue of slavery in territories acquired during the Mexican-American War. -
California Statehood
California was admitted to the Union as a free state as part of the Compromise of 1850. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin is Published
Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel that depicted the harsh realities of slavery and fueled abolitionist sentiments. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Allowed residents of Kansas and Nebraska territories to decide on the legality of slavery, leading to violent conflicts known as Bleeding Kansas. -
Creation of the Republican Party
Formed in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Republican Party was founded on anti-slavery principles. -
Bleeding Kansas (Lawrence, Kansas)
A series of violent events involving anti-slavery and pro-slavery settlers in Kansas. -
Caning of Charles Sumner
Senator Charles Sumner was attacked by Representative Preston Brooks on the Senate floor after Sumner delivered an anti-slavery speech. -
Dred Scott Decision
The Supreme Court ruled that African Americans were not citizens and had no standing to sue in federal court, and that Congress had no power to prohibit slavery in the territories. -
Lincoln's A House Divided Speech
Abraham Lincoln gave a speech stating that the country could not endure permanently half slave and half free. -
Presidential Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th president of the United States, leading to the secession of Southern states and the onset of the Civil War.