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Northwest Ordinance
This occurred in 1787 and removed the 10 districts that had previously existed and replaced them with 1 large northwest territory, which could eventually be split into 3-5 sections. This ordinance changed the rights that the people in the northwest possessed. After this ordinance was passed, they had the right to freedom of religion, and the right to a trial by jury, and slavery was abolished in that territory.
Political
Red -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was passed on March 2nd, 1820, and was a law that divided the territory of the nation in half. A horizontal line was drawn across the map to show that states below the line could be slave states, but states above the line would be free states. The purpose of this law was to prevent the expansion of slavery.
Political
Red -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
An enslaved man, Nat Turner, led a slave rebellion in Virginia on August 21, 1831. It was unsuccessful and increased the sectional differences between the North and South.
Social
Red -
Gag Rule
The gag rule was proposed by the committee led by Pickney of SC in December 1835 and instituted in May 1836. It stated that no proposals regarding slavery should be brought up in the House of Representatives and was implemented so that the House of Representatives could be productive and focus on other important matters. The implementation of the Gag rule increased sectional tensions between the North and South and was eventually repealed by a vote in December 1844.
Social
Green -
Annexation of Texas
The United States gained the territory of Texas from Mexico on December 29th, 1845. This caused a further divide between the south and north because they disagreed on how to handle this territory. The Northerners feared such a large territory becoming a slave state would be way too beneficial for the south because they would gain more electoral votes.
Political
Red -
Mexican War
The Mexican war was fought between America and Mexico from the spring of 1846-winter of 1848. The initial reason for the war was a dispute over the southern border of Texas and America won the war and gained some new territories from Mexico. Arguments over whether or not these territories would be slave states or free states would soon ensue between the North and South.
Social
Red -
Wilmot Proviso
On August 8, 1846, Wilmot proposed an amendment to the appropriation that prohibited slavery in any territory gained from Mexico. This passed in the House of Representatives but failed in the Senate.
Political
Red -
California Gold Rush
A specimen of gold was found in a mill in the Sierra Nevada on January 24th, 1848. Word spread quickly and people fled to California, hoping the gold rush would bring them luck. The North abolished slavery and California petitioned for statehood as a free state.
This was social, economic, and political.
green -
Compromise of 1850
The compromise of 1850 was created by Senator, Henry Clay and passed in September 1850. The compromise included 5 main points, which were that California would be admitted as a free state, the legality of slavery would be left to New Mexico and Utah territories, the enactment of stronger fugitive slave laws, allowed territory gained after the Mexican-American to either permit or prohibit slavery, and abolished slave trade in the District of Columbia.
Political
Red -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act was built upon the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 and was passed in 1850 as part of the Compromise of 1850. This act required that slaves, even if found in a free state, must be returned back to their masters. The Northerners did not support this act because they didn't want to have to be involved in the South's slavery issues.
Political
Red -
Publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published by Harriet Beecher Stowe on April 1st, 1852, and detailed the injustices experienced by slaves. The publication of these anti-slavery ideas is said to have been a causing factor in the Civil War.
Social
Red -
Kansas-Nebraska Act + Bleeding Kansas
Stephen Douglas promoted the Kansas-Nebraska Act. This act created the states of Kansas and Nebraska in the territory from the Louisiana Purchase north of the Missouri compromise line. The K-N Act was proposed in January 1854 and ratified on May 30th, 1854. Three groups occupied Kansas and fought over the territory from 1855-1859. The three groups were slavery supporters, free staters, and abolitionists.
Political
Red -
Ostend Manifesto
The effort that took place in October 1854 was to seize Cuba from Spain by force. Antislavery Northerners opposed this because they thought the territory would become a slave state meanwhile southerners opposed all efforts to acquire the territory that didn’t benefit slavery.
Socal
Red -
Dred Scott
Who: Dred Scott, Roger Taney, John Sandford
Where: Missouri Court, USSC
What: Debate over whether or not Dred Scott was considered a free man
When: First sued in 1846. Went on trial on June 30, 1847. Dred Scott vs Sandford in 1857. 11-year struggle
Significance: USSC ruled that Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional. The final verdict on the case stated that anyone of African descent, free or enslaved, was not a citizen of the US, therefore unable to sue.
Social
Red -
John Brown and Harpers Ferry
On October 16, 1859, John Brown led a raid on the National Armory in Harpers Ferry Virginia. The purpose of this raid was to initiate a slave revolt and destroy the institute of slavery. John Brown was ultimately hanged for his actions, sectional tensions increased, and the South no longer felt safe under the Union.
Social
Red
