-
The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise declared slavery illegal in the Northwest Territory and allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state. This compromise was intended to balance the number of slave-holding and free states, but it also solidified sectional differences and North-South tensions in the United States. -
Ordinance of Nullification
In 1830 South Carolina passed the Ordinance of Nullification, which declared that federal laws regulating tariffs were not binding on the state. This represented the first clear assertion of states' rights by a state government, which would be one of the primary causes of the Civil War. -
The Nullification Crisis
In response to South Carolina's declaration of the Ordinance of Nullification, President Andrew Jackson imposed a federal tariff on the state. This crisis lead to further division between the North and the South and helped to create a more sectional dynamic. -
The Mexican American War
While the war's outcome first seemed like a great victory for the United States, the acquisition of so much territory did not coexist well with the unresolved issue of slavery and only made the divide between non-slave and slave states greater. -
Period: to
The Wilmot Proviso
Following the end of the Mexican-American War, The Wilmot Proviso was a piece of legislation proposed by David Wilmot. If passed, the Proviso would have outlawed slavery in territory acquired by the United States as a result of the war. Proviso spent years fighting for his plan, but it was denied every time. Nevertheless, the support Proviso received prompted the first serious discussions of secession. -
The Compromise of 1850
After five bills were passed, Americans celebrated the “compromise that saved the Union.” However, while the compromise delayed conflict over slavery and its expansion for ten years, it also assisted in pushing the Union into the civil war. -
The Fugitive Slave Act
When delegates met in Philadelphia to create the Constitution, they included a law that required people to return runaway slaves to their owners. The issue of how runaway slaves should be dealt with was debated for many years and was one of the disputes that led to the Civil War. -
The publication of “Uncle Toms Cabin”
Harriet Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852. Stowe’s writing on the controversial subject of slavery caused many to change their views on the subject, and others to speak out against slavery. This further destroyed the already precarious relations between northern and southern states. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise, created two new territories, and made popular sovereignty legal. It also caused a violent uprising where pro-slavery and antislavery activists flooded into the territories to change the votes. This made the pro-slavery and antislavery groups hate each other even more. -
The Dred Scott Case
The Supreme Court decided to uphold slavery in United States territories, deny the legality of black citizenship in America and declare the Missouri Compromise to be unconstitutional. Abolitionists were outraged. The case destroyed the delicate agreement between slave and free states and created national anger. -
The Raid on Harper's Ferry
John Brown’s raid on Harper's Ferry was unsuccessful, however it caused sectional tensions to increase and made the presidential election crucial. Though Brown did not intend it, his raid furthered the split between northern and southern Democrats. -
The Election of 1860
With the election of Abraham Lincoln as President, the Republican Party was firmly in control of the federal government. Since the Republican Party was largely anti-slavery, this election proved to be the breaking point between the North and South's sectional differences. It also intensified a sense of crisis between the two areas. -
Period: to
Debates over the States Declaring Their Secession
Following the election of President Lincoln, the Southern states declared their secession from the United States and joined together as the Confederate States of America. This secession was seen as an act of rebellion against the federal government, intensified the feelings of crisis, and led to the Civil War. -
The Attack on Fort Sumpter
Following the election of President Lincoln, South Carolina demanded that the U.S. army abandon Fort Sumter, but they refused. When the deadline passed, artillery came, which lasted until the fort was surrendered. Once the Confederates fired, full-scale war followed after quickly.