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VA-KY Resolutions
These political statements were introduced by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison and they were in reaction to the Alien and Sedition Acts. These papers stated that any individual state had the ability to nullify any laws they found unconstitutional. -
Missouri Compromise
This was a dividing line that ran through the 36"30" parallel and stated that any territory above that line abolished the use of slavery and any territory below that line was allowed to use slavery. -
Tariff of Abominations
This was a tax on goods that were enforced by Andrew Jackson. Calhoun in South Carolina wanted to nullify this law or leave the Union. Jackson did not like this so he came down with a bunch of army men and told them that they had to pay or else basically. -
Nullification Crisis
This is when Calhoun tried to nullify the tariffs imposed by the government by declaring the taxes as unconstitutional. -
Wilmot Proviso
This document designed the abolishment of slavery in the newly taken land as the result of the Mexican War. -
The Formation of the Free Soil Party
This was a short lived political party that had a primary goal of stoping the spread of slavery in the new territory obtained by the us in the result of the Mexican war. This political party was composed of former Whigs and Democrats, and were largely in favor of the Wilmot Proviso -
The Underground Railroad
This term and series of routes were used by enslaved african americans in the 1850's in efforts to escape slavery and move to safe houses in free states. -
Compromise of 1850
This was a series of resolutions introduced by Henry Clay in attempt to reach a compromise about slavery between the north and south and in the newly taken over territory in the west. -
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
This is a subdivision under the main idea of the Compromise of 1850. This was an act passed as a part of the compromise between the northern and southern states about slavery and free states. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
This was a novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe that is said to have laid the groundwork for the Civil War. This was a book about an Anti-slavery movement. -
Bleeding Kansas
This act undid all of the previous acts that limited the expansion and use of slavery such as the Missouri Compromise, The Compromise of 1820 as well as the Compromise of 1850. This act allowed settlers of a territory to decide weather slavery would be used or allowed in a states borders, some say that this event is most significant leading up to the civil war. -
Formation of Know Nothing Party
This political party wanted to restrict immigration and also wanted to prevent Roman Catholics from holding public office. This movement was the strongest in Massachusetts and was based on Nativism beliefs, their leaders and members were male protestants. -
Brooks-Sumner Fight
Senator Charles Sumner was beaten by Preston Brooks with a cane in the Senate Chamber in 1856 because he gave a fiery speech on abolishing slavery in the United States that was called "The Crime Against Kansas". -
Election of 1856
Democrats nominated Buchanan, Republicans nominated Fremont, and Know-Nothings chose Fillmore. Buchanan won due to his support of popular sovereignty. -
Dred Scott Case
In the year 1857 a slave sued the US for his freedom after living in free states previously. The Court ruled that all slaves are to be labeled as property and not citizens and therefore property can not be interfered with by Congress. This also concluded that all slaves are slaves until moved to a free state. This was deemed a huge victory for the south as they wanted to preserve slavery for as long as they could. This also fueled the abolitionists fire. -
LeCompton Constitution
This was a pro-slavery constitution submitted for Kansas' admission to the union, it was ultimately rejected. This decision led to even more sectional tensions. -
John Brown Raid
John brown with 18 assistants seized a federal arsenal in Virginia, He was eventually captured and sentenced to hanging, this event showed his great passion and his feelings toward sectionalism. -
Election of 1860
Lincoln won the presidency because the democratic party was split over slavery, this made the south feel that they had no say in politics and this resulted in many of the southern states seceding from the union. -
South Carolina Secedes
South Carolina seceded after Lincoln was appointed president because he was harmful to the institution of slavery. -
Fort Sumter
Built following the War of 1812, and still not completely finished by 1861, the fort is located in Charleston Harbor, SC. Fort Sumter is best remembered for the Battle of Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the civil war were fired. Once the Confederate States of America took control of Charleston Harbor, they soon aimed costal guns on the fort, and fired. After the battle, 4 more states seceeded, and their was more support for military action.
