Slavery and Western Expansion

Importation of slaves ends

1808

This was an economic event, this stopping of importation of slaves gave less incentive to continue slave trade but definitely increased the value of slaves inside the states. This did not truly move the view on slavery either way.

Missouri Compromise

1820

The Missouri Comprise was a social event because now there was an equal amounts of states were both free and had slavery. The country’s position on slavery is currently split half and half.

The Wilmot Proviso

1846

This was a political and social event, this was a congressional proposal asking to prohibit the extension of slavery into the territories. This brought light to the fact that as new territories are forming there is time for change and this swayed the territories to be anti slavery.

The Fugitive Slave Act

1850

This was a political event, this act allowed others to search and seize enslaved African Americans who had escaped slavery. At this time slavery was still fairly even between states.

The Compromise of 1850

1850

This was a political event, a series of measures proposed by Sen. Henry Clay, in an effort to settle several outstanding slavery issues and to avert the threat of dissolution of the Union. These topics boiled down to, should new territories be pro slavery or anti slavery.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

1852

This was a social event, this was a book was written but mostly known for its illustration on the cover that displayed. This event only raised tensions on slavery making the north more accepting and out going of anti slavery and the south more “defensive on the topic”.

The Kansas Nebraska Act

1854

This was a political event and social event, the congress ruled that the new states, state government was allowed to decide if the state was going to be pro slavery or anti slavery. This did new found state power swayed the new states to be anti slavery as they had been more influenced by the north.

Bleeding Kansas

1855

Was a social event, fought between proslavery and antislavery advocates for control of the new territory of Kansas, which involved a violent outbreak and lead to the canning of U.S. Sen. Charles Sumner. Eventually Kansas chooses to be a free state.

The Caning of Charles Sumner

1856

This was a social and political event, where a southern senator beats a northern senator in the halls over the debate in slavery and specially the popular sovereignty law applied to the two new territories. Surprisingly this makes the southern senator a hero in the south and was sent many replacement canes.

The Dred Scott Decision

1857

This was both a political and social event, it both declared that African Americans free or enslaved were not U.S. citizens and furthermore the congress did not have the power to ban slavery in the new territories making the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional. This gave the south tons of more power over slavery than the north had against it.