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Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves
This act ended the African Slave Trade altogether. No new slaves would ever be kidnapped and brought to the US against their will once the act was put into effect. While this act was a historic step in the right direction to freedom, there was still a long way to go. -
African Methodist Episcopal Church is Founded
The AME church was founded by a man named Richard Allen. The church was an important supporter of the Underground Railroad. They had several locations that were vital stops on the Underground Railroad, including the Quinn chapel in Ohio and the church in Mount Zion, Illinois. -
American Colonization Society is Founded
The ACS was founded by a man named Robert Finley. The goal of the group was to encourage former slaves that had been freed to return to the continent of Africa. Some truly believed that former slaves would be happier in Africa, however many had ulterior motives. Slave holders feared that freed slaves would lead slave rebellions and encourage more slaves to revolt, which obviously the slave holders didn’t want. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was instituted in order to stop northern attempts at containing the expansion of slavery in the south. The compromise made Missouri a slave state and Maine a free state. -
Nat Turner Slave Rebellion
Nat Turner’s rebellion was the bloodiest slave revolt in Virginia history. Around 60 white people died as a result of it’s violent nature. In retaliation, around 200 African Americans were murdered. Following these events, laws and restrictions against slaves were tightened and increased. -
Amistad Revolt
The revolt occurred aboard a Spanish ship called the Amistad that had kidnapped 53 slaves from Africa to partake in the slave trade. While America had dropped out of it, the African slave trade was still very much alive in other countries. The African prisoners attacked the crew of the ship and took over. They ended up making their way to New York, where the Africans were arrested. They were charged with piracy and murder because they were considered property in the US. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was made up of 5 parts. The first act was the New Fugitive Slave Act. The second ended the African slave trade to Washington DC. The third act made California a free state. The fourth put in place a territorial government for Utah. Finally, the fifth act established formal boundaries for Texas. -
New Fugitive Slave Act
The New Fugitive Slave Act was essentially the same as the first one. It required people to return escaped slaves to their master. Fugitive slaves would be required by the government to stand trial for escaping, because at the time they were still considered property. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This act reversed the effects of the Compromise of 1850 by creating two new territories that would be able to decide if they wanted to allow slavery or not. They would make the decision based on popular sovereignty. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slave who believed he should be free because his master had passed away, and they had once lived in the free states of Wisconsin and Illinois. The case went to the Supreme Court and Chief Justice Taney ruled against him. Taney said that as African Americans were considered property and didn’t have citizenship or rights, slavery was legal everywhere in the US.