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Compromise of 1850
The compromise of 1850 was package of five bills passed by the USA congress in September 1850. The compromise aimed to defuse the issues of slavery and its expansion in the country. The compromise allowed California to enter the Union as a free state, abolished the slave trade in Washington D.C. and established a stricter fugitive slave Law. It also created the territories of new Mexico and Utah and allowed settler in those territories to vote on whether or not to allow slavery. -
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Published 1852
Uncle Tom's Cabin is a novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and published in 1852. It tells the story of Uncle Tom, a kind and gentle slave who is sold to another plantation owner after his previous owner dies. As Uncle Tom endures brutal treatment and separation from his family, Stowe uses his story highlight the horrors of slavery and the need for its abolition. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act, 1854
It became law on May 30, 1854. The Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise, created two new territories, and allowed for popular sovereignty. It also produced a violent uprising known as “Bleeding Kansas,” as proslavery and antislavery activists flooded into the territories to sway the vote. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates, 1858
The debates consisted of Douglas accusing Lincoln of being an abolitionist while Lincoln accused Douglas of wanting to nationalize slavery. These main topics were reflective of the major issues that the country was facing at a national level with both sides battling for what they thought would better the Union. -
John Brown’s Raid, 1859
Sixteen people were killed in the raid, including ten of Brown's men. John Brown, Aaron Stevens, Edwin Coppola, Shields Green, and John Copeland were taken to jail in Charles Town, Virginia, on October 19. Albert Hazlitt and John Cook were subsequently captured and jailed with the others -
Abraham Lincoln’s Election, 1860
Lincoln received less than 40% of the popular vote, he easily won the Electoral College vote over Stephen Douglas (Democrat) -
Bleeding Kansas, 1854-1861
Three distinct political groups occupied Kansas: pro-slavery, Free-States and abolitionists. Violence broke out immediately between these opposing factions and continued until 1861 when Kansas entered the Union as a free state on January 29. This era became forever known as Bleeding Kansas. -
Fort Sumter, 1861
On April 12, 1861, forces from the Confederate States of America attacked the United States military garrison at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. Less than two days later, the fort surrendered. No one was killed. The battle, however, started the Civil War, the bloodiest conflict in American history. -
Secession Winter, December 1860-March 1861
slavery and states' rights. All four states strongly defend slavery while making varying claims related to states' rights. Other grievances, such as economic exploitation and the role of the military, receive limited attention in some of the documents.