-
Importation of Slaves Ends
Political/Economic
This event marked a significant political decision to end the importation of slaves, impacting the economy by limiting the supply of enslaved labor. -
The Missouri Compromise/The Compromise of 1820
Political/Social
This compromise admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining the balance of power in Congress and establishing a line dividing future free and slave territories. -
The Wilmot Proviso
Political
Proposed to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico. It heightened tensions between the North and South but was never passed into law. -
The Fugitive Slave Act
Political/social
Part of the Compromise of 1850, this act mandated that escaped slaves be returned to their owners, even if they were found in free states, increasing tensions and resistance in the North. -
The Compromise of 1850
Political/social
A series of laws passed to ease tensions between slave and free states, including admitting California as a free state and enacting a stricter Fugitive Slave Act. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Social
Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel depicted the harsh realities of slavery and galvanized anti-slavery sentiment in the North. -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
Political/social
Allowed territories to decide the issue of slavery by popular sovereignty, leading to violent conflicts and further polarizing the nation. -
Bleeding Kansas
Political/social
Violent confrontations between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas, a direct result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, symbolizing the deep national divisions. -
The Caning of Charles Sumner
Political/social
Senator Charles Sumner was beaten by Representative Preston Brooks on the Senate floor after giving an anti-slavery speech, highlighting the intense sectional conflict. -
The Dred Scott Decision
Political/social
The Supreme Court ruled that African Americans were not citizens and that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in the territories, exacerbating sectional tensions.