-
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially ended the Mexican American War in 1848. The US gained huge amounts of territory from Mexico. The big question would be whether or not these new territories would become free or slave. -
The Compromise of 1850
After much debate, members of Congress came up with a compromise over slavery in the newly acquired territories from Mexico. Those who wanted to stop the spread of slavery got California admitted as a free state and the slave trade banned in DC. Slavery would be decided by popular sovereignty in the territories of Utah and New Mexico, and a much stronger Fugitive Slave Act passed Congress. -
Publishing of Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, was a best selling novel about a slave named Uncle Tom who was abused and killed by his master. The book had a huge impact in highlighting the cruelties of slavery and got more people to support abolitionism. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
The Kansas and Nebraska Territories were created in order to build a Transcontinental Railroad. To get support from southern leaders in Congress, Senator Stephen Douglas from Illinois, allowed both territories to decide slavery through popular sovereignty. -
Bleeding Kansas
Violence between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas broke out over the right to govern the territory. Two competing governments were formed after anti-slavery settlers refused to accept the election results in 1855. Violence between both groups lasted until 1861. Most historians agree the first shots of the Civil War began in Kansas. -
Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott was a African American slave who sued for his freedom because he had once lived in free territory with his owner, who was an army doctor. The case made it all of the way up to the US Supreme Court and the decision shocked the nation. Chief Justice Roger Taney ruled that since Scott was an African American, he had no right to sue in court. He also ruled that slaves were legally considered property, and since the Constitution protects property, states had no right to regulate slavery. -
Lincoln Douglas Debates
Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, ran for the US Senate against Stephen Douglas, the incumbent Democrat in 1858. Both men traveled the state of Illinois debating slavery. Lincoln thought slavery was morally wrong, and wanted the expansion of it to be stopped in the western territories. Douglas wanted territories to decide for themselves supporting popular sovereignty. Even though Lincoln lost the election, he gained notoriety in the Republican Party, which led him to the presidency in 1860. -
John Brown's Raid
John Brown, a radical abolitionist, led a failed slave revolt on a federal arsenal in Harper's Ferry, Virginia. The plan was for Brown and his small band of followers to take the weapons at the arsenal and give them to runaway slaves so he could lead them in an all out slave rebellion through the South. Brown was captured by Robert E. Lee and arrested. He was found guilty of treason and hanged for his crimes. -
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln won the Election of 1860 winning a four way race over his challengers. Lincoln would lose the popular vote, but would win a majority of electoral votes carrying all Northern states. The major effect of his election would be the succession of several Southern states before start of the Civil War -
South Carolina Succeeds
South Carolina would be the first Southern state to succeed from the Union after the election of Abraham Lincoln. Others southern states would soon follow to form their own government called the Confederate States of America. -
Fort Sumter
The Civil War began at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. The Confederacy fired upon the Union held fort before it could be resupplied. The Union surrendered the fort the next day ushering in the bloodiest war in US History.
