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Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin
The cotton gin was a revolutionary innovation that was made by Eli Whitney and inspired by one of his very own slave's idea. Whitney intended for the cotton gin to make slavery more humane, but the invention also made slavery profitable again. Fewer slaves, with the advantage of the cotton mill, could get done much more work than anyone could have without the cotton mill. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise allows for the topic of slavery to remain out of government, at least for a little while. There was too much tension around slavery and to soothe this, a compromise came about by Henry Clay to have the North remain free states and the South to keep slavery. However, this will be seen as problematic later since the compromise essentially splits the country in half by the ways of their laws, regulations, and moral beliefs on slavery. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The fugitive slave act was a federal law which forced free states to send back slaves that had fled to their states. This sparked arguments between the rights of property for slave owners versus the basic human rights of slaves. The Fugitive Slave Act would also create arguments over what was within the state's control versus federal control. However, the law was being enforced and judges were even being paid to 'admit' that colored citizens in their states were slaves and not free. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
As the American population travels Westward, the big question becomes statehood and, more importantly, whether or not these territories will have statehood or not. In response to this conundrum, the Kansas Nebraska Act is created. The Kansas Nebraska Act allowed for territory purchased from Mexico in the Guadalupe Hidalgo Treaty to be free or slave states based on popular vote, which really gives the power to the federal government as they decide whether or not territories are granted statehood. -
Bleeding Kansas
Soon after the Kansas-Nebraska Act, tensions would rise in the West. One conflict would come to be known as Bleeding Kansas, as Kansas would become civilly unrest from 1854 until 1861. As abolitionist and slave owners fight for dominance within Kansas, violence is seen between common men and between congressmen over the debate of slavery. -
Lincoln Elected
Prior to his election, Lincoln was a known abolitionist. Despite saying he wasn´t looking to cause trouble between slave and free states, the South didn´t believe him. The South, instead, thought that Lincoln would be quick to take away the rights of Southern farmers to owning slaves. As history tells it, Abraham Lincoln was still elected despite Southerners fears, but he did not win popularvote. Electoral votes were won for Lincoln and the election of 1860 was seen as pretty controversial. -
South Carolina Secedes
South Carolina seceded hardly over a month after Lincoln was elected as the sixteenth president. While South Carolina was the first state to secede, many Southern states would follow suit to create the Confederacy. Eventually, this would lead to the Civil War taking place, as the North still relied upon the territory within the South.
