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Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney invented a machine that he named the Cotton Gin. This made it quicker and easier to produce cotton materials; because of this there was a mass produce of shirts, which made sales rise. The North thinks they should hire people to work in factories, but he South said they need slaves to pick the cotton (the number of slaves in the South grew drastically). -
Nullification
Nullifications was when a state did not have to follow a federal law if they feel the law violates their constitutional rights. Jackson wanted to put tariffs on the southern states. South Carolina opposed and refused to pay anything. This got other states to nullify as well, which led to national crisis. By 1830, nullification was slowly declining. -
The mexican war & Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Mexican War was started because Mexico started to feel that America was threatening their land and territories By the end of the war, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was created. This was to question the US about denying a state its statehood if it is for slavery. In fact, the US did not want any more Slave states. Mexico did not want slavery so this treaty questions the US about the expansion of slavery and insists that this will increase the amount of slave states. -
"King Cotton" Argument
The South kept arguing about how much they needed the slaves for a ”powerful economic industry." The South depended on the cotton industry. They argued that emancipation of slaves would hurt the US economy. America had to decide on whether keeping or getting rid of slavery was a matter of national security. They Said that if they didn’t have slaves not only the south’s economy would crash but the norths would to because they depend on the south’s cotton. -
Fugitive Slave Act
This declared that slaves could not become free by escaping to a free state. It also stated that if a slave is to be captured then is must be returned to their owner, even if that slave was in a free Northern state. This brought along a lot of free african americans being captured and sold to the south. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin-anti-slavery novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe
-helped lay the groundwork for the civil war]
-Forever changed how America looked at slavery
-demanded that America deliver freedom and equality to all people
-a novel about a slave family trying to escape slavery and the conditions they had to go through to reach freedom -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott Decision-Dred Scott was a slave who lived with his Master as a free slave in Wisconsin for a long time
-His master moved back South and then died.
-Scott wanted to be a free slave in the South because he was a free slave in the north for so long.
-Scott appealed all the way to the Supreme court where they said that no African American can be a US citizen and only us citizens could have a say in court
-Influence on Civil War: Slaves were enraged by the decision and abolitionists wanted -
John Brown and Harpers Ferry
John Brown was an abolitionist who believed you had to use force to obtain freedom. He took over the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, VA. He was a murderous man, running to slave owners homes and slaughter them and their families. Later on, Brown was hanged as a martyr; died for his beliefs.
