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Missouri Compromise
When in 1819, congress and politicians tried to settle tensions between the north and south. The south was pushing for Missouri to be a slave state, while the north wanted it to be a free state. The problem with that is that the balance of free and slave state would be in favor of one or another. To fix this problem, congress allowed Missouri as a slave, and Maine as a free. This created more problems and did more negative than positive -
Wilmot Provisio
This involved David Wilmot, the US, and Mexico. Representative David Wilmot from Pennsylvania proposed a ban on slavery in all Mexican Cession territories. The bill passed in the House but not the Senate. This took place in the Western part of the US. This happened because the balance of free and slave states were even and a tie could be broken by new territory gained in the Mexican-American War. This made Southerners angered, who viewed the bill as an attack on slavery by the North. -
Compromise of 1850
A series of laws meant to solve the controversy over slavery. This involved Henry Clay, Congress, and President Fillmore. Congress would admit California as a free state. The event took place all over the United States. This happened because of the Mexican-American war. Congress had to equal the balance of slave states and free states. This made the South angry because they thought Congress was unfair and would create more problems. On January 29, 1850, Henry Clay proposed the compromise. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act allowed official to arrest anyone accused of being a runaway slave. Suspects had no rights to a trial. Northern citizens had to help capture accused runaways. The Fugitive Slave Act was very controversial. This involved the North and South of the United States. This took place in the North and the South. His compromise were a group of bills for Southern secession. This made slaves angry and Northerners angry. Which later divided the country more. -
Uncle Toms Cabin
A book written by Harriet Beecher Stowe that was about anti-slavery. This book made the north believe that slavery was morally wrong and not just a political debate. The south was angry from this book because they believed that it was very biased. This book spread a ton throughout the country especially in the north. This further split the country and Abraham Lincoln said that she Stowe started the war from this book. This caused war and led to the bloodiest war in american history. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act/ Bleeding Kansas
The Kansas Nebraska act was an act passed by congress on May 30, 1854. It went against the Missouri Compromise because there wasn’t supposed to be slavery in the northern states. This led to “Bleeding Kansas” which was a bloody fight that happened due to people from all over coming to Kansas and Nebraska to fight or vote for or against slavery. This Foreshadowed the civil war which was a very bloody war. -
Dred Scott Case
The Dred Scott case was so controversial because the Missouri Compromise should have prevented Dred Scott from going back into slavery. His owner used to live in the south until he decided to move to Illinois for a better life, which should have Made Scott a free man, but he didn’t get freed. Then, his first owner died and a second took over Scott, to which Scott attempted to sue him. Once it got to the supreme court, they ruled that Scott was property, not a person. They said he wasn't free. -
Lincoln Douglas Debate
There were 7 debates held throughout Illinois where Lincoln and Douglas squared off. Lincoln was a Republican and Douglas was a democrat. Most of their debates were over slavery. These debates got spread through newspapers and got Lincoln publicity. Many people from all over came to watch these debates. Douglas won Senate, but later on Lincoln became president over Douglas which was important in American history. -
John Browns Raid of Harper's Ferry
John Brown took his sons to Harper's Ferry, Virginia, where he planned to give weapons to slaves who he hoped would help him revolt against slavery. Colonel Robert. E. Lee lead U.S. marines into Harper's Ferry where they stopped Brown and his men. Brown was sentenced to death, but believed that what he had done was for the greater good of the country. This started a big revolt against slavery. -
Lincoln's Election of 1860
Lincoln’s main point in the 1860 election was to stop slavery from spreading, although he had no intention of ending it. The south hated Lincoln with a passion and he got 0 votes in several southern states. The election was very busy, with four different candidates running, all with different views on slavery. Lincoln won every free state, while the other three split the southern slave states. This was important because later on slavery got banned -
Southern Secession
After the election of 1860, the south felt threatened. First south Carolina seceded, declaring themselves an independent country, the rest of the southern states followed and created one country called the confederacy.Some southerners had different opinions on seceding, but their voices were overpowered. They had made a constitution and elected a president in a few short months and their basic premise was slavery. Lincoln had encouraged them to rejoin and America became a whole again
