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The Bill of Rights is Written
The Bill of Rights, written in 1789, included several passages that were very relevant to this topic. It stated in the 5th amendment that the government could not deprive people of property without due process of law, and at the time, slave were considered someones property. It also says, in the 9th amendment, that all duties that are not given to the federal government are left for the state governments. -
Missouri Compromise
When Missouri wanted to enter into the union as a slave state, many government officials were uneasy because this would disturb the balance that was had between slave states and non-slave states. So, the federal government came up with a compromise, that they would admit Missouri as a slave state, but they would also admit Maine as a free state. This would keep the balance between slave and non-slave states. -
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The Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American war led to a US victory. This victory led to the US claiming even more territory in the western part of the the continent. Because of this, more states would need to be added, and further argument about whether they should be slave states or free states would ensue. -
Compromise of 1850
A compromise reached that allowed California to enter the US as a free state, but it also included the fugitive slave law, saying that even in Northern states, it was required that if a fugitive slave was found, he be returned to a slave state. This caused a lot of strife between northern and southern states, as well as between state governments and federal governments. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
An act proposed by Stephen Douglass, saying that the states/territories west of the Mississippi should be allowed to chose whether they were a slave state or not. This violated the Missouri compromise, which said how the states north of Missouri's southern border were forbidden to have slavery, as the federal government didn't want it spreading north. -
Dred Scott Decision
The decision made by the supreme court that Dred Scott (who lived for several years in a free state) was not intact a freed slave. It also ruled that African-Americans could not become citizens, and it ruled that it was unconstitutional for the federal government to restrict slavery in some states, which overruled the Missouri Compromise. -
Abraham Lincoln Elected President
When Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, many southern states feared that a republican would abolish slavery. This led to more debate and fear between the southern states and the federal government. -
Confederacy splits from the Union
The 7 original southern states succeed from the union to create the Confederate States of America. After years of argument and debate between the state governments of these states and the federal government, along with other reasons. This led to the CSA's succession from the USA, and the ensuing Civil War.