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Nat Turners Rebellion
A slave uprising led by Nat Turner in Virginia results in the deaths of about 60 whites and the execution of many enslaved individuals. This rebellion instigates a wave of fear in the South and leads to harsher slave codes -
American Anti Slavery Society Founded
Founded by William Lloyd Garrison and others, this society advocates for the immediate abolition of slavery and promotes the rights of African Americans, increasing public awareness and debate about slavery. -
Slave Codes
Southern states established comprehensive slave codes that dictated the lives of enslaved individuals. These laws regulated movement, prohibited education, and enforced severe punishments for disobedience or escape. The intent was to maintain control over the enslaved population and prevent rebellion, reflecting deep societal fears about the potential for insurrection. -
The Gag Rule
Southern Congress members instituted the Gag Rule to prevent the discussion of anti-slavery petitions. This rule stifled debate on abolition in Congress for several years and reflected the South's desire to silence opposition to slavery, showcasing the growing tensions between Northern abolitionists and Southern slaveholders. -
The Amistad Case
The Amistad was a Spanish slave ship seized by enslaved Africans who rebelled. They were eventually captured off the coast of Long Island. The case went to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the Africans, stating they were illegally enslaved. This decision was celebrated by abolitionists but alarmed Southern slaveholders, as it challenged the legal foundations of slavery. -
The Compromise of 1850
This legislation aimed to ease tensions between slave and free states. Key provisions included admitting California as a free state and enacting a stricter Fugitive Slave Act. The Act led to increased Northern resistance, including personal liberty laws that aimed to protect escaped slaves, which infuriated Southerners. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This act allowed settlers in Kansas and Nebraska to decide whether to allow slavery, effectively nullifying the Missouri Compromise. It led to violent clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers, known as "Bleeding Kansas," where hundreds died in conflicts, further polarizing the nation. -
Dred Scott Case
In this landmark Supreme Court decision, Dred Scott, an enslaved man, sued for his freedom after being taken to free territories. The Court ruled that African Americans were not citizens and that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories. This ruling inflamed sectional tensions, as it essentially legalized slavery's expansion and dismissed the rights of enslaved people. -
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln's election as president marked a critical turning point in American history. He won without any electoral support from the Southern states, as his platform opposed the expansion of slavery. This prompted several Southern states to secede from the Union, leading to the formation of the Confederacy and the onset of the Civil War, fundamentally altering the nation's trajectory.