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Wilmot Proviso
This bill aimed to outlaw slavery in territories taken from Mexico. The bill passed in the House of Representatives, but was defeated in the Senate thus causing a division in Congress. Although, not a success it led to the formation of the Free Soil Party. -
Compromise of 1850
Henry Clay came up with a plan to solve the issue of California's statehood by called the, Compromise of 1850. This pan pleased the North and South. Many people also supported the Compromise because they were tired of the constant bickering and wanted to hold Union together. The compromise stated that California would be admitted as a free state, and slavery would be abolished in Washington, D.C, Also, it called for Congress to pass stonger laws to help slaeholders recapture slaves. -
Kansas- Nebraska Act
Stephen A. Douglas came up with this act to organize territorial governments for the Nebraska territory. It said that Nebraska must be divided into two territories- Nebraska and Kansas. The bill passed due to the South's support, and got rid of the Missouri Compromise. -
"Bleeding Kansas"
Proslavery and anitslavery settlers came rushing into Kansas Territory, to vote for state legislature. The official Kansas legislature was made up of mostly proslavery representatives. Antisalvery settlers then boycotted and formed a government of their own. Settlers on both sides then armed themselves. Soon enough, a mini civil war broke out between them, and then the territory was called, "Bleeding "Kansas" -
Caning of Sumner
In May of 1856, Sumner gave a speech attacking the proslavery forces in Kansas. His speech was packed with insults. He even made fun of A.P. Butler, a senator from South Carolina. Preston Brooks, a relative of Butler defends Butler by attacking Sumner with his cane over 30 times. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
In 1846, Dred Scott, a slave, sued in a Missouri court for his freedom from his master. Scott argued that his service for Dr. Emerson in Illinois, a state from which slavery has been excluded by the Missouri Compromise, made him a free man. Eventually, the case reached the Supreme Court. Scott lost the case but this further separated the northern and southern states. Slavery was the foundation of southern economy and society. -
Attack on Harpers Ferry
In 1859, John Brown had a plan to inspire slaves to fight for their freedom. He planned to capture the weapons in the U.S. arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia. On October 16 John and 18 followers raided the Ferry arsenal. they killed four people in the raid. Eventually, the U.S. marines captured Brown and six of his men. Brown, was later hanged, but raised sectional tensions to the breaking point. -
Election of 1860
The election of 1860 turned into two different races for presidency, one in the North and one in the South. Lincoln and Douglas were in the North, and Breckinridge and Bell competed in the South. Beckinridge and Lincoln had most extreme views on slavery. Lincoln won in North and Breckinridge won South. However, because North had more people Lincoln won the elcetion. This marked the point where the South secedes from the Union.
