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Missouri Compromise
A series of laws enacted in 1820 to maintain the balance of power between slave states and free states. Called for slavery to be banned from Loisiana territory North of the parralel 36 degrees 30'. It split up all different parts of the U.S.A, it made some states allow slavery and others not. The nation argured over admitting Missouri as a slave state for months. -
Wilmont Proviso
An 1846 proposal that outlawed slavery in any territory gained from the War with Mexico. Slaveholders believed that Congress had no right to prevent them from bringing slaves into any of the territories. They viewed slaves as property. -
Conpromise of 1850
A series of congressional laws intended to settle the major disagreements between free states and slave states. California was admitted as a free state, and slave trade was abolished in Washington, D.C. Congress would not pass laws regarding slavery for the rest of the territories won from Mexico, and would pass strong laws to help slaveholders recapure runaway slaves. Made tensions between the North and South raise. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Book published by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852 that dramatically portrayed the moral issues of slavery. Her book was wildly popular in the North. But white Southerners believed the book falsely criticized the South and slavery. -
Kansas- Nebraska Act
An 1854 law that established the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, and gave their residents the right to decide wether to allow slavery. Few people realized that the act would soon turn Kansas into a battle field over slavery. -
Sack of Lawrence
Because proslavery people were upset that the antislavery people formed their own government. A proslavery mob attacked the town of Lawrence, Kansas. The attackers destroyed offices and the house of the governor of the antislavery government. This attack came to be known as the Sack of Lawrence. This led to antislavery people wanting revenge. John Brown then created the Pottawatomie Massacre. -
Pottawatomie Massacre
John Brown and seven other men went to the cabins of several of his pro-slavery neighbors and murdered five people. Gave Kansas the nickname of "Bleeding Kansas." -
Dred Scott v. Stanford
An 1856 surpreme court case in which a slave, Dred Scott, sued for his freedom because he had been taken to live in territories where slavery was illegal; the court ruled against Scott. Brought more arguments about fugitives. -
Election of 1860
The election of 1860 turned into two different races for presedency, one in the North and one is the South. The outcome of the election made it clear that the nation was tired of compromise. Lincoln defeated Douglas in the North. Breckenridge carried most of the South. Lincoln won the election. The outcome of the election made Southerners fear that Lincoln would abolish salvery in the South. -
South Carolina Seceding from the Union
The South thought that since they voulenterely joined the union, that they could leave whenever they wanted. It cause major seectional tension between the North and South as they split the need for war to grow stronger on both sides.
