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Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was a series of measures during the years of 1820-1821 passed by the US congress in order to attempt to solve the slave issue occurring within the Union. In 1820, Maine was admitted into the United States as a free state while Missouri was admitted as a slave state in order to help balance out the slave vs. free states. -
Wilmot Proviso
Intorduced to the United States House of Representatives by Congressman David Wilmot. This stated that any territory gained from Mexico would become a free state. It passed the House but failed in the Senate twice. -
Compromise of 1850
A package of five bills passed which regarded the issue on slave/free territories that were acquired during the Mexican-American war between the North and South. This was drafted by Whig Senator, Henry Clay. It was able to avoid secession and civil war for four years. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was an anti-slavery novel created by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It was said to be the "groundwork" for the civil war. It helped to fuse the abolitionist cause. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This Act created the official territorial bounds of the states, Kansas and Nebraska. This allowed men to choose whether they wanted these states to be free or slave holding. This created a bloody civil war within the states due to outsiders flooding into these new states in order to effect the results of voting for whether or not the states would be free. -
Sack of Lawrence
This occurred when pro-slavery activists attacked and ransacked the town of Lawrence, Kansas. This territory was originally settled by anti-slave citizens. It was guerilla warfare which eventually became known as bleeding Kansas. This resulted in pro-slavery victory. -
Election of 1860
This election was ultimately between Abraham Lincoln and John C. Breckinridge. Issues between the north and south caused the democratic party to break up into the north and south democratic parties. Lincoln ran as a republican while Breckinridge ran as southern democrat. Lincoln was elected president without having a single vote from the south. -
Secession of South Carolina
South Carolina was the first state to declare its independence from the Union in 1860. It later formed the Confederacy and was a source of troops for the Confederate Army. Thousands of ex-slaves joined the army as well even though that was the ultimate hypocracy.
