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Northwest Ordinance (Political, Increased Tension)
Abandoned the ten districts established in 1784 and created a single Northwest Territory out of the lands north of the Ohio. The territory could then be divided subsequently into 3-5 territories. In such territories there was a specified minimum population of 60,000 for statehood, guaranteed freedom of religion, the right to trial by jury to residents of the Northwest, and slavery was prohibited throughout the territory -
Missouri Compromise (Political, Postponed Tension)
An act of legislation that, in order to maintain he balance of power between the north and south in Congress (slave and free states), admitted Maine to the United States as a free state and Missouri as a slave state. Additionally, the compromise established a system for determining slavery in the future: All new territory north of 36º 30’ parallel line would be free territory, and land below it would be slave territory. This act was later repealed in 1854 by the Kansas-Nebraska act -
Nat Turner Rebellion (Social, Increased Tension)
Nat Turner, an enslaved black preacher, led a slave rebellion that took place in Southampton County, VA. During such, slaves revolted in attempt to kill white planters. Rebel slaves ended up killing between 55 and 65 people. However, the rebellion was shortly put down as the state executed at least 50 black people and militias killed over 100 more. Turner survived in hiding for more than two months afterwards. The rebellion created a wide spread fear of slaves and a tightened grip on them. -
Gag Rule is Passed (Political, Increased Tension)
In 1831, anti-slavery petitions poured into the U.S. Congress in an attempt to restrict and abolish slavery. In response, pro-slavery forces passed a gag rule in 1836 that prevented petitions on the topic from being brought up or discussed in the House of Representatives. The gag rule passed with 117 to 68 in congress with the argument being that congress had no right to interfere with slavery. The rule threatened freedom of speech and petition. -
The Amistad Case is Decided (Political, Increased Tension)
The Spanish slave vessel, Amistad, was seized off the coast of Cuba by the Africans who were destined for slavery aboard the ship. The U.S. Navy then seized the ship and held the Africans as pirates. But abolitionists' legal efforts to declare the Africans free had finally reached the Supreme court and the antislavery position was argued before former president John Quincy Adams. The Court declared the Africans free in 1841 and antislavery groups funded their passage back to Africa. -
Annexation of Texas (Political, Increased Tension)
After American defeat of the Mexican Army in the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto, Santa Anna signed a treaty giving Texas independence. Many American Texans hoped for annexation by the United States: In 1844, Tyler persuaded Texas to apply for statehood again but when Secretary of State, John Calhoun, presented an annexation treaty to congress as if its only purpose were to extend slavery, Northern Senators rebelled and defeated it (Didn't want a representation imbalance in Congress) -
Mexican War begins (Political, Economic, Increased Tensions)
When the U.S. admitted Texas in 1845, the Mexican government broke diplomatic relations with Washington, this along with boundary dispute between Texas and Mexico and American interest in California increased tensions. War erupted in 1846 and effort had many opponents in the U.S: Whigs and others argued hostilities were draining resources and attention away from more important issues of the Pacific Northwest and that Polk had deliberately moved the country into war, staging a border incident. -
Wilmot Proviso (Political, Increased Tension)
After debate over whether slavery should be allowed in the new territories acquired from Mexico, Antislavery Democrat, David Wilmot introduced the Wilmot Proviso. It was an amendment to the appropriation bill prohibiting slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico. The Wilmot Proviso passed in the House but failed in Congress: It would be called up, debated, and voted on repeatedly for years -
California Gold Rush begins (Economic, Social, Increased Tension)
Traces of gold were found in the foothills of Sierra Nevada and shortly most of the world knew. Hundreds of thousands of people from around the world began flocking to C.A. in a search for gold. The male workers who left their jobs created a serious labor shortage in California, giving opportunities for people who needed it such as Chinese immigrants. Indians were then being exploited like slaves so the U.S. government was pressured to resolve the status of C.A. and other territories of slavery -
Compromise of 1850 (Political, Economic, Postponed Tension)
Henry Clay combined separately proposed measures in a single piece of legislation. The compromise included the admission of California as a free state, the formation of territorial governments in the rest of the lands acquired from Mexico (where slavery was to be based on popular sovereignty), the abolition of slave trade in D.C., and a new and more effective fugitive slave law. It launched a debate that raged for throughout the nation between older leaders and a group of younger leaders. -
Fugitive Slave Act (Political, Increased Tension)
Required that slaves be returned to their owners, even in free states, making the federal government responsible for finding, returning, and trying escaped slaves. Southerners were for this, but northerners were against it so mobs formed in northern cities to prevent enforcement of the law. Some northern states passed their own laws barring deportation of fugitive slaves (liberty laws). This angered white southerners as they considered it to be the only victory of the Compromise of 1850. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin is published (Social, Increased Tension)
An antislavery novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe that depicts the reality and evils of slavery. Within three months, the novel sold over 300,000 copies and was so well known. It helped influence the attitudes in society about slavery and helped bring abolitionist ideas into the mainstream of American life. (The Republican party was formed and opposed slavery) -
Kansas Nebraska Act and Bleeding Kansas (Political, Increased Tension)
By Stephen A. Douglas to divide the land west of Iowa and Missouri into Kansas and Nebraska. Slavery in the territories were up to vote, instead of the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Support from the South, but northerners who were against it formed the Republicans. In the territorial elections, Missourians in Kansas swelled the vote and so pro-slavery forces legalized slavery. Free-staters elected their own legislature, adopted a constitution, petitioned statehood, and responded with violence -
Ostend Manifesto (Political, Economic, Increased Tension)
An 1854 private document from Ostend, Belgium making the case for seizing Cuba by force (sent by a group of Pierce’s private envoys) It enraged antislavery northerners as they charged the administration with conspiring to bring a new slave state into the Union. (The South had opposed all efforts to acquire new territory that would not support a slave system, such as Hawaii) -
Dred Scott Decision (Political, Increased Tension)
Dred Scott was a Missouri slave whose master had taken him to Illinois and Wisconsin, where slavery was forbidden. After his master died, Scott sued his widow for freedom due to his residence in free land. Scott was initially declared free
until John Sanford claimed ownership of Scott and appealed to the supreme court, which reversed the earlier decision in 1857. Roger Taney, Chief Justice in the case, claimed Scott had no standing because he was not a citizen, but private property -
John Brown Raid and Harper's Ferry (Social, Political, Increase Tension)
Antislavery zealot, John Brown, staged a dramatic episode in the South in the fall of 1859. He made elaborate plans to seize a mountain fortress in Virginia from in order to foment a slave insurrection in the South. On October 16, him and 18 followers attacked and seized control of a U.S. arsenal in Harper's Ferry, Virginia (The slave uprising that Brown hoped for did not occur: besieged in the arsenal by citizens, local militia companies, and U.S. troops under Robert E. Lee) They were hanged -
Crittenden Compromise (Political, Economic, Increased Tension)
A failed compromise Introduced by U.S. Senator John J. Crittenden of Kentucky. It called for several constitution amendments that would guarantee the permanent existence of slavery in the slave states and would satisfy southern demands on the issues of fugitive slaves and slavery in D.C. The main plan was to reestablish the Missouri Compromise line in all present and future U.S. territory (would have required Republicans to abandon the fundamental position that slavery was not allowed to expand)
