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Missouri Compromise
An agreement admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, while prohibiting slavery in territories north of latitude 36°30′. It temporarily balanced power between slave and free states but highlighted sectional tensions over slavery. The Missouri Compromise. education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/missouri-compromise. -
Compromise of 1850
A set of laws admitting California as a free state, strengthening the Fugitive Slave Act, and allowed popular sovereignty in some territories. It deepened North-South divisions, especially due to the Fugitive Slave Act’s enforcement. “Congressional Scales. A True Balance.” The Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/resource/cph.3g04552. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
It allowed settlers in Kansas and Nebraska to decide on slavery via popular sovereignty, overturning the Missouri Compromise. This led to violent conflicts ("Bleeding Kansas") and increased tensions nationwide. Bleeding Kansas... - RareNewspapers.com. www.rarenewspapers.com/view/606940. -
Dred Scott Decision
Supreme Court ruled that African Americans were not citizens and Congress had no authority to restrict slavery in the territories. Galvanized abolitionists and made a compromise between North and South more unlikely. Research Guides: Dred Scott V. Sandford: Primary Documents in American History: Introduction. guides.loc.gov/dred-scott. -
John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown’s attempt to incite a slave rebellion by seizing weapons from a federal armory. Increased Southern fears of Northern aggression and made Brown a martyr for abolitionists. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Harpers Ferry Raid". Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Nov. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/event/Harpers-Ferry-Raid. Accessed 19 November 2024.