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The Missouri Comprimise
- Missouri didn't like the Tallmadge Amendment that would prohibit more introduction of slaves in Missouri.
- Missouri disrupted slave state balance.
- this conflict revealed sectionalism in America.
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New York State officially abolishes slavery
- State Governor Tompkins made the move to abolish slavery in New York.
- The slaves being freed in NY were part of the states that weren't in the Union, meaning the union states would never be releasing their slaves. This showed the division between the rebelling and the union states.
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Nat Turners Rebellion
- Nat Turner was a slave preacher that led a group of armed African Americans to different houses
- Southampton County, Virginia
- killed 60 white men, women and children
- created slave conspiracy fears and renewed violence leading up to the civil war.
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Wilmot Proviso
- David Wilmot (anti-slavery democrat) introduced amendment prohibiting slavery in any territory from Mexico.
- Failed in the Senate
- southern militants claimed that Americans had right to move their slaves wherever they'd like - creating more tension leading up to the civil war.
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Mexican-American War
- the US and Mexicans fought over who owned the territory of texas, US also desired some of northern Mexico.
- The US won
- This showed the US' desire to extend its borders, leading to the civil war
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Compromise of 1850
- California = free state
- territorial governments in lands acquired from Mexico
- abolition of the slave trade but not slavery
- fugitive slave law (North hated this and was a leading factor in the civil war).
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Fugitive Slave Act
- law stated that slaves were to be returned to their owners even if they lived in a free state
- created more tension and conflict between the North and the South which led to the civil war
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Kansas-Nebraska Act & popular sovereignty
-Stephen A. Douglas introduced a bill to organize a new territory
- South was upset because it paved the way for another free state
- To appease the South, Douglas proposed slavery in the territory would be determined by legislature (popular sovereignty)
- The region could choose to open itself to slaver but the south didn't buy it.
- Created separation within parties, led to civil war by causing more tension and conflict -
“Bleeding Kansas
- pro-slavery forces elected for legalized slavery and won
- free-staters were outraged and elected delegates to a constitutional convention
- violent warfare broke out between pro and anti-slavery believers.
- viewed as a mini civil war, and built up more tension that lead to the civil war.
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Brooks Attacks Sumner
- Representative Preston Brooks (pro-slavery) attacked Senator Charles Sumner (abolitionist) with a cane in the US Senate Chamber
- Use of violence was extreme and contributed to the start of the civil war
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Dred Scott Case
- Supreme court ruling Dred Scott. v. Sandford case
- Dred Scott- Missouri Slave who went to a state where slavery was forbidden
- Scott's master died and he sued his Widow for freedom
- John Standford claimed ownership of Scott (his dead master's brother)
- Supreme Court was so divivded they could not come to one single ruling.
- Grew the North and South's divide on the issue of slavery leading to the civil war.
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Lincoln-Douglas Debates
- Lincoln used Douglas to become known/attracted attention from the public because Douglas was a National Figure.
- Increased slavery dispute in the US - leading to the civil war
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Raid on Harpers Ferry
- John Bron made elaborate plans to seize a mountain fortress in Virginia that he believed could foment a slave insurrection in the south.
- Surrendered after ten of him men were killed and was sentenced to death
- This event convinced white southerners they weren't save living in the Union with this divide, leading to the civil war
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Election of 1860
- North was fighting with southerners (slavery) and westerners (popular sovereignty)
- Republican convention chose Abraham Lincoln as the party's presidential nominee.
- the four different candidates stressed the divide in the US leading to the civil war.
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South Carolina’s Secession
- South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Federal Union because of Lincoln's election and the threat to their slaves
- other south states followed in their footsteps
- ignited the civil war
