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The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was created by Henry Clay. He said that Main would enter the union as a free state and Missouri would be a slave state. He also established the 36°30' line. It stated that any territories above this line would now have to be free and any below would be a slave state. This helped maintain the balance of free and slave states representation in congress. -
The Nullification Crisis
The tariff laws of 1828 and 1832 left many Southern states like South Carolina very unhappy. They felt these tariffs only supported the North. V.President John C. Calhoun told any state could nullify a federal law if they thought is unconstitutional. The Federal Government denied South Carolina's argument and South Carolina threatened to secede. Henry Clay again came up with a compromise and lowered the tariffs. -
The Compromise of 1850
After the Mexican American War, congress had many arguments over whether or not the new territories should be admitted as slave states or free. Henry Clay one again saved the day and created a new compromise. The North got California as a free state and the slave trade would be abolished in D.C. The South got got the rest of the territories won from Mexico and the Fugitive Slave Law passed. This law forced the North to help capture and return runaway slaves and "slaves" with no free papers. -
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
This act allowed the capture of any African American who ran away to escape slavery. This tightened the tensions and set the stage for Jon Brown's Raid and the Civil War. -
Bleeding Kansas 1855
Kansas wanted to join the Union as a slave state, but it was above the 36°30' line. So they decided to have an election. 5000 people from pro slavery states "moved" into Kansas illegally to vote. As a result Kansas become a pro slavery state. Anti-slavery supporters created their own government and Pro Slavery supporters attacked them. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slave who sued for his freedom saying that he was free because he lived in a free territory. The court disagreed and said that 1. He was not free based on where he lived, 2. African Americans were not considered citizens when the Constitution was drafted in 1787, and 3. Scott was property and could not be taken from his owner without due process of law. -
Attack on Harpers Ferry
John Brown was an extreme abolitionist, who wanted to inspire slaves to fight for their freedom. He and his men planned on capturing the arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia to arm the slaves. No slaves rallied to his cause and he and his men were caputered and some were killed. Many abolitionists honored John Brown for what he did during the Attack on Harpers Ferry. -
The Election of 1860
Even though Southerners didn't trust his claims to not abolish slavery in the South, Abraham Lincoln still won the Election of 1860. Shortly after Lincoln was elected, Southern states started to secede.
