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Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise allowed Maine to join the Union as a free state and Missouri to join the Union as a slave state without restrictions on slavery. This was important because at the time there were 22 states in the Union, half free, half slave. The compromise was needed in order to keep the balance and peace. In addition to the two states joining the Union, the Missouri Compromise also banned slavery in the rest of the Louisiana Purchase north of latitude 36°30′. -
William Lloyd Garrison
William Lloyd Garrison was a well known abolitionist from Massachusetts. The first issue of his newspaper called “The Liberator” was published in 1831. For over thirty years, “The Liberator” advocated against slavery and for the rights of African Americans. Garrison believed that all slaves should be set free and that black citizens should be treated the same as white citizens. He thought that they too were entitled to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” -
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The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was neither underground nor a railroad. It was a system existing in the northern states that was run by antislavery northerners which helped slaves escape from the south to safety in the northern states or Canada. It got its name because they used different railway terms throughout the process. The majority of the people helping run the system were members of the free black community, including formers slaves like Harriet Tubman. 40,000-100,000 slaves were set free -
Nat Turner’s Rebellion
Nat Turner’s Rebellion is famous for being the only successful and sustained slave revolt in U.S. history. His revolt was eventually ended by local whites and Virginia state militia, but not before nearly 60 whites were killed. His rebellion sacred the south of what slaves could do, and caused much harsher laws to be created in order to keep slaves from rebelling again. These new laws prohibited the education, movement, and assembly of slaves. -
The Gag Rule
The Gag Rule automatically tabled or postponed all petitions related to slavery without hearing them. The rule was supported by proslavery representatives, who wanted to keep slavery around and thought that it was a was a waste of time to keep looking at the large amount of anti-slavery petitions. In the end, the Gag Rule only post poned the inevitable. The Gag Rule was repealed on Dec 3, 1844. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The fugitive slave act was part of the compromise of 1850. It was meant to try and keep the southern states happy after California was added to the Union as a free state. The act required runaway slaves to be returned to their owners if they were captured and it forced citizens of free states to comply with the act, otherwise facing harsh punishments. The act only created more division in the U.S. since many free states strongly disagreed and went against the act. -
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Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was a series of violent outbursts between pro slavery and anti slavery. This was caused after the Kansas-Nebraska Act formed the two territories of Kansas and Nebraska and gave them the chance to decide whether they were free or not through popular sovereignty. Many Pro slavery Missourians came to Kansas to vote illegally. This further divided the state and the fight between the two sides went on for years, killing some 55 people. It wasn’t until 1861 that they joined the Union. -
Dred Scott v. John F.A. Sandford
The Dred Scott v. Sanford Supreme Court case is known for its controversial 7-2 ruling in favor of Sanford. Scott was a slave from Missouri. His case argued that his residence in the free state of Illinois and territory of Wisconsin had freed him and his wife from the bonds of slavery. The ruling stated that Scott was not entitled to his freedom, that African Americans could never be U.S. citizens, and that the Missouri compromise was unconstitutional. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln in the midst of the Civil War. The proclamation prohibited slavery and freed the slaves in the confederate states. It changed the purpose of the war, with the Civil War now becoming a fight over slavery. This helped ensure that no European countries would try and team up with the south, and the proclamation also bolstered the Union’s army, adding nearly 180,000 black troops. -
13th Amendment
The 13th amendment formally ended slavery in the United States. Whereas the Emancipation Proclamation only banned slavery in the confederate states, the 13th amendment ended it everywhere. “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”