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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 causing a division in Congress. Although, not a success it led to the formation of the Free Soil Party. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a way to settle the disagreements between the North and the South. To please the North, California would be admitted as a free state. To please the South, Congress would not pass laws regarding slavery for the rest of the territories won from Mexico. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
As time went on, Slavery got more and more of an issue and brought bloodshed in the West which eventually led them to establishing a bill to organize territorial governments for the Nebraska territory. Stephen A. Douglas proposed that it would be divided into two territories- Nebraska and Kanasa. If this bill passed, it would get rid of the Missouri Compromise. -
"Bleeding Kansas"
Proslavery and antislavery settlers rushed into the kansas territory to vote for territorial legislature. Their were more proslavery than antislavery settlers in the territory, but the proslavery didnt want to take the risk of losing so they voted illegally. A proslavery mob attacked a town and destroyed offices of the antislavery government. To avenge this scene, John brown, an extreme abolitionists, went and murdered proslavery people. This territory later became to be called "Bleeding Kansas' -
Caning of Sumner
In late may, Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts delivered a speech attacking the proslavery forces in Kansas and in the speech he offended many people. Preston Brooks heard the speech and went and attacked Sumner with a cane and beat him up with a cane. -
Dred Scott V. Stanford
Dred Scott was a slave in Missouri. His owner took him to live in territories where slavery was illegal and then he returned to Missouri. After his owner died, he sued for his freedom because he argued that he had lived in territories where slavery was illegal. The court ruled aganist his case and Chief Justice Roger B. Taney said that Dred Scott was not a U.S citizen and as a result of that he wasnt allowed to sue the courts. He ended up being a slave again. -
Attacks on Harpers Ferry
John brown wanted to inspire slaves to fight for their freedom. To do thism he planned to capture the weapons in the U.S arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. On October 16, 1859, brown and 18 followers went and captured the Harpers Ferry arsenal and killed four people. The U.S Marines attacked at Harpers Ferry and some men escaped but six others were captured. Brown was tried for murdered and treason. He was convicted and sentenced to be hanged. -
Election of 1860
The election basically turned into two different races for presidency, one in the north, and one in the south. Lincoln and douglas were the only two candidates in the north with much support and Breckinridge and bell were competing in the south. Lincoln and Breckinridge had the most extreme views on slavery. Lincoln opposed the expansion of slavery. Douglas and Bell were considered moderates because neither wanted new laws on slavery. Lincoln ended up winning the election.