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1st Slaves in 13 Colonies
What: The first African slaves are taken from Africa and brought to the colonies. Why: The start of southern colonies dependence on slave labor. -
Industrial Revolution
What: When machines and factories were created and got very popular in the North. Why: Slaves wanted to work at factories because they could get the job easily and they would get paid. -
Declaration of Independence
"All men created equal...." -
Missouri Compromise
What: When Missouri wanted to join the US as a slave state but the North didn't want that to happen because it would make the states uneven so Maine was also added along with Missouri as a non-slave state. Why: Maine was added because Missouri was going to be added as a slave state so to even it out, Maine became a non-slave state and was added to the US also. -
Westward Expansion
What: Slaves started to migrate over to the west. Why: Slaves believed if they moved over to the west, they could get out of slavery and own their own land. -
Annexation of Texas
Texas was added to the US -
Mexican War
War between Mexico and the US -
Underground Railroad
What: When people would lead slaves underground from the South to the North. Why: Slaves wanted to escape to the North because there weren't slave states there and they could get a paying job in a factory. Also, it had to be underground because slaves would get caught and hanged easily. -
Compromise of 1850
What: The Compromise of 1850 was a 5 part compromise that allowed California to join the Nation and just barely kept the US together. Why: The compromise was made to try to make the Southern states stay in the US -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
What: A book published to show how bad slavery was. Why: This book was read by most Northerners and helped to start protesting about slavery. -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was the first violent fight starting the Civil War -
Kansas Nebraska Act
Nebraska was split into Kansas and Nebraska -
Cotton Gin
What: The machine the "Cotton Gin" was created and the demand for slaves in the factories was high. Why: Slaves worked cheap so instead of using white skilled men, they put the slaves working the machines. -
The Fugitive Slave Laws
What: When slaves had to be returned to the South if they were found escaping.