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Northwest Ordinance (Red)
This ordinance allowed the area in the northwest territory to be admitted as new states in the Union. It outlined the governments that needed to be made and protected the people there with a Bill of Rights and forbade slavery.
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Missouri Compromise (Green)
The compromise was trying to help stop sectional tension between the North and the South. Missouri was going to be entered as a slave state and Maine was going to be entered as a free state so there would be an equal ratio of slave states and free states. Slavery would be banned from the western states above the southern border of Missouri (excluding Missouri). This compromise helped a little bit, but it no longer worked once more states were admitted into the Union.
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Nat Turner Rebellion (Red)
Nat Turner and a group of slaves led a rebellion to try and kill as many white people involved in slavery as possible, and they wanted to reach the town of Jerusalem. This rebellion was eventually put down after 2 days by federal troops and the local militia. Stricter laws, increased sectional tension, and a massacre of over 200 black people were the consequences of this rebellion.
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Gag Rule (Red)
A congressional rule that didn't allow proposals to be brought up concerning slavery because abolitionists were petitioning against slavery. Many people in Congress felt that they weren't able to talk about other things so they passed this rule. Overall it angered northern abolitionists and increased sectional tension.
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Amistad Case (Red)
Pedro Montes and Jose Ruiz bought 53 slaves from Africa and put them on a ship. The Africans revolted and took control of the ship which landed of the coast of Long Island. The plantation owners were freed and the Africans were imprisoned. Went to CT District court and eventually the Supreme Court.
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Annexation of Texas (Red)
Texas was annexed by the US government after it had gained its independence from Mexico. Helped lead to the Mexican War, and eventually joined the Union as a slave state (helped further sectional tension).
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Dred Scott Sues
See Dred Scott Decision -
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Dred Scott Timeline
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Mexican War (Red)
Under President James K. Polk, the United States went to war with Mexico over Texas, Oregon, California, and New Mexico. The United States won the war, and the Rio Grande was set up as the border between the US and Mexico by the Treaty of Hildago. This led to conflicts about whether the new territories should be free states or slave states.
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Mexican War Timeline
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Wilmot Proviso (Red)
A bill that proposed creating an amendment that prohibited new states admitted to the Union from being slave states. It was never passed but continued to be a topic of discussion for many years.
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California Gold Rush (Red)
After gold was discovered in California, thousands of men traveled to California in search of gold. A hectic and greedy society lasted there for years, and many didn't find gold. California applied to enter the Union as a free state, which helped increase sectional tensions.
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Compromise of 1850 (Red)
Five proposed laws were created that delt with the creation of new free and slave states to try and fix some of the sectional tension. It benefitted the South more than the North and ended up increasing Sectional Tension. Many northern states stopped following the laws because they felt they were unfair.
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Fugitive Slave Act (Red)
The act was passed during the Compromise of 1850, and it strengthened the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793. This made northerners report any known runaway slaves, and the Federal government was more involved in dealing with fugitive slaves. It was hated by the northerners and largely ignored.
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Publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin (Red)
An anti-slavery novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe was very popular amongst northern abolitionists. It was responsible for the way that many people viewed slavery. It increased sectional tension because it helped strengthened the northern abolitionist movement.
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Ostend Manifesto (Red)
During the US expansionist era, three US diplomats tried the convince the Secretary of State to seize Cuba from Spain. This was supported by southerners because they feared a revolt there, and they wanted another slave state admitted to the Union. This was widely disliked by northern abolitionists and increased sectional tensions.
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Kansas-Nebraska Act (Red)
An act that repealed the Missouri Compromise and allowed voters in Kansas to decide whether it would become a slave state or a free state. Supporters of slavery from Missouri swelled the vote to make it a slave state. Nebraska became a free state. This increased sectional tension and led to bleeding Kansas.
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Bleeding Kansas (Red)
Supporters of a free state were angry about the vote that made Kansas a slave state so they created their own legislature. Supporters of the slave state attacked their new government and burnt down their governor's house. The Brooks-Sumner Incident and Potawatomie Massacre also helped increased the sectional tension during this time.
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Bleeding Kansas Timeline
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Dred Scott Decision (Red)
Dred Scott sued Sanford for his freedom because his previous master had freed him. Eventually brought to the Supreme Court where they ruled that slaves are property, and the government can't interfere with property. This kept Scott as a slave and angered northern abolitionists.
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John Brown and the Harpers Ferry Raid (Red)
John Brown led a force of 18 men over a course of 2 days trying to initiate a slave revolt to try and end slavery. They were put down by the local militia and marines, and most were imprisoned or killed. This increased sectional tension and made the south feel that they were no longer safe in the Union.
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Crittenden Compromise (Red)
A series of amendments and bills that would make slavery permanent in southern slave states below the Missouri Compromise line permanently. This was trying to appease southern slave supporters, but many northern abolitionists were strongly against it. It didn't pass and increased sectional tensions.
Political