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Missouri Compromise
The Northern and Southern states came to an agreement on how western territory would be added to the Union. The three largest parts of the agreement were that Missouri would be added as a slave state, Maine would be added as a free state and the 36'30'' line was used to determine whether the territory would allow slavery. This would settle the question of slavery for the next 30 years, since "the compromise appealed in some measure to both the Southerners and the Northerners" (Averill). -
Mexican American War
The U.S annexation of Texas led to rapid diplomatic conflict with Mexico On April 24, President Polk ordered for General Taylor to move his troops towards the Rio Grande and onto territory claimed by Mexico. On this day, a Mexican army crossed the Rio Grande and captured an American army patrol, killing 11. Polk used this event to justify war to Congress. In June of 1846, John C. Fremont overthrew Mexican rule in Northern California and proclaimed California to be an independent republic. -
Wilmot Proviso
During the first year of the Mexican American war, David Wilmot proposed that an appropriations bill be made to prohibit slavery in any of the land acquired from Mexico. This was passed in the House but died in the Senate.
"Some historians see the Wilmot Proviso as the first round in an escalating political conflict that led ultimately to civil war" (Newman). -
Mexican American War Continued
February 1847
General Taylor's army of 6,000 drove Mexican forces from Texas, cross the Rio Grande, and into Northern Mexico resulting in a major victory for America September 1847
General Scott's army of 14,000 invaded Mexico and successfully captured Mexico City. "Most of the war was fought in Mexican territory by relatively small armies of Americans" (Newman). -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: End of War
"For Mexico, the war was a military disaster from the start, but the Mexican government was unwilling to sue for peace...Finally, after the fall of Mexico City, the government had little choice but to agree to U.S terms" (Newman). -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: End of War continued
This treaty was negotiated between Mexico and American diplomat Nicholas Trist and stated that Mexico had to recognize the Rio Grande as the southern border of Texas and The United States gained the Mexican provinces of California and New Mexico (The Mexican Cession). In return of taking Mexican territories, the United States paid $15 million. -
Fugitive Slave Law
The passage of these laws made many southerners come to terms with the "loss of California to the abolitionist and Free-Soilers" (Insert book title chapter 13). The North, however, resisted the enforcement of the law. This caused a larger rift to develope between the North and the South. -
Fugitive Slave Law Continued
The law's main purpose was to track down fugitive sales who ran away to the North, kidnap them, and return them to their owners in the South. "Captured persons who claimed to be a free African American and not a runaway slave were denied the right of trial by jury" (Newman). -
1) Compromise of 1850
The gold rush of 1849 caused a substantial increase of settlers into California created the need for rules and regulations. This included a state constitution that banned slavery. President Taylor supported this and even wanted New Mexico to be a free state. This upset many southerners and led them to talk about secession.
Henry Clay proposed a compromise to solve this political conflict. -
2) Compromise of 1850 Continued
Clay wanted to add California as a free state, divide the remaining territory of the Mexican Cession into two territories (Utah and New Mexico) and allow the settlers to determine the issue of slavery by popular sovereignty, give land to Texas in return for federal assuming their public debt of $10 million, ban slave trade in the District of Columbia, and to created a new Fugitive Slave Law and to enforce it. -
3) Compromise of 1850 Continued
"The passage of the Compromise of 1850 bought time for the Union...the compromise added to the North's political power, and political debate deepened the commitment of many Northerners to saving the Union from secession...parts of the compromise became sources of controversy..." (Newman). -
Uncle Toms Cabin
A novel was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe that was extremely influential. The story captured the relationship between a slave named Tom and his owner Simon Legree. This book led to many Northerners believing that all slave owners as brutal and evil monsters and Southerners to say that the novel was untrue. When President Lincoln met Stowe he has supposedly said "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war" ( Newman). -
"Bleeding Kansas" continued
Fighting soon broke out between the conflicting settlers. "As bleeding Kansas became bloodier, the Democratic party became ever more divided between its Northern and Southern factions" (Newman). -
"Bleeding Kansas"
A majority of the settlers in Kansas were antislavery farmers from the midwest, but slaveholders from surrounding states such as Missouri set up settlements in Kansas. Their goal was to win control of the territory for the south. The Northerners responded by creating the New England Emigrant Aid Company which paid settlers to go to Kansas. -
Kansas Nebraska Act (Popular Sovereignty)
Senator Douglas wanted to build a railroad with the goal of promoting western settlement. In order to accomplish his plan, Douglas needed southern approval. Douglas created a bill to divide the Nebraska Territory into two parts, Kansas and Nebraska territory, and allow settlers to decide to allow slavery or not (Popular Sovereignty). This bill gave slavery a chance to expand passed the 36 30 line. "Northern Democrats condemned the bill as a surrender to the slave power" (Newman). -
Lecompton Constitution
This was the state constitution for Kansas that was proslavery. President Buchanan figured that the constitution didn't have the support of most of the settlers, but he still tried to pass it through Congress. "The next year, 1858, the proslavery document was overwhelmingly rejected by Kansas settlers, most of whom were antislavery Republicans" (Newman). -
Dredscott v. Sandford
Scott sued for his freedom in Missouri in 1846. A decision was finally made in the Supreme Court in March 1857. The court decided that Scott had no right to sue because he was not a citizen, slaves were deemed property and Congress has no authority to take property from any person and that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional. "The Court's ruling delighted Southern Democrats and infuriated Northern Republicans" (Newman). -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas were running for senator in Illinois. Lincoln was unknown compared to Douglas. "Lincoln was not an abolitionist. Even so, as a moderate who was against the expansion of slavery, he spoke effectively of slavery as a moral Issue" (Newman). Douglas may have won the election but overall he lost support from his party. Lincoln, however, emerged as a leading contender for the presidential election of 1860. -
John Browns Raid on Harper's Ferry
In October of 1859, John Brown led a group of former slaves in an attack on the federal arsenal at Haper's Ferry. He planned to use the guns from the arsenal to arm the slaves. Brown was captured by troops led by Robert E. Lee. "Moderates in the North, including Republican leaders, condemned Brown's use of violence, but Southerners were not convinced by their words" (Newman). -
Election of 1860
Lincoln had votes from every free state in the North. However, he only won 39.8% of the popular vote. Breckinridge carried the south. "...the two Democrats, Douglas and Breckinridge, received many more popular votes than Lincoln, the Republican" (Newman). -
Critenden Compromise
President Buchanan did nothing to stop the secession of southern states. Senator John Crittenden proposed a constitutional amendment that would grant the right to hold slaves in all land south of the 36 30. Lincoln said that he would not accept this compromise. "Southern whites who voted for secession believed they were acting in the tradition of the Revolution of 1776" (Newman). -
South Carolina secedes from the Union
The Republicans controlled neither Congress or the Supreme Court, but regardless the election of Lincoln as president was the last straw for southerners. "In December 1860, a special convention in South Carolina voted unanimously to secede. Within the next six weeks, other states conventions...did the same" (Newman). -
Attack on Ft. Sumter
With the declarations of secussion from Southern states, demands that all United States property be turned over to those states, also followed. The Lincoln administration did not want to provoke the Confederates. Instead, Lincoln chose to resupply Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. An attempt to resupply Sumter occured in January but the ship was sent away by Rebel guns.Negoitaions then took place. -
Attack on Ft. Sumter continued
"The talks failed to resolve tensions, forcing Beauregard to action. Early in the morning of April 12, 1861, Confederate guns around the harbor opened fire on Fort Sumter" ( "Battle of Fort Sumter" ).
