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Missouri Compromise
In the Missouri Compromise, the main issue was whether new states would be admitted as free or slave states. The North and South were impacted differently because it affected the balance of power in Congress. Slavery was voted on in Congress, and more slave states meant more support for slavery. It increased tensions by making slavery a national political issue. -
Nullification Crisis
The South didn't like that the federal government was putting import taxes on goods. The Southern States were affected because they had to pay more for the goods that they relied on. This led to tensions because the South didn't want a strong federal government like the North did. Instead, they wanted more power in the states. When the South refused to pay the federal government's import taxes, it was like saying they didn't support the federal government. They wanted states to regulate taxes. -
Compromise of 1850
The main issue in the Compromise of 1850 was how to add California to the US. It didn't follow the 36/30 line and was big. The North and the South were both affected by this. The North got to have California be free, and the South got Texas. The Fugitive Slave Act was also passed, which increased tensions. The South benefited from it, but the Northern people thought it countered their values. They were mad at the South for making them turn in slaves, because slaves should be free in the North. -
Fugitive Slave Law
The Fugitive Slave Act benefited the South in the Compromise of 1850. Escaped slaves used to be free once they were in the North. This new act made slavecatchers able to track them down. It affected escaped slaves, slaveowners, and people in the North. The slaves were able to be caught, which benefited plantations. The people in the North thought their values were being violated. This led to tensions because the North didn't want to turn in the slaves, but they could be jailed for not doing it. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the book to address the issue of slavery. After helping a runaway slave, she decided to write a book to convince people that slaves shouldn't be enslaved. This affected the white population. It showed them that slaves were people that didn't deserve this. This drew a line between the North, who wanted people to read the book, and the South, who banned the book. It still made many people despise slavery, so fewer people were supporting the South's views. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
The issue was how Kansas and Nebraska would be added to the US. They gave both states popular sovereignty and let them choose if they were a slave or free state. It affected Nebraska and a lot of Kansas. This increased tension by making sectionalism part of the states too, instead of the country. The separation in Kansas led to Bleeding Kansas and the Pottawatomie Massacre, the first violent attacks in this time period. It broke the Missouri Compromise even more by abandoning the 36/30 line. -
Bleeding Kansas and the Pottawatomie Massacre
The pro-slavery settlers and the abolitionists were fighting to decide if Kansas was a slave or free state. The people and government of Kansas were impacted by the violence. This increased tensions by making sectionalism a violent issue. Kansas had a civil war over it. It also increased tensions when government officials attacked each other. It showed that the government couldn't control sectionalism among themselves, so they couldn't control it in the whole country either. -
Dred Scott Decision
The issue in the Dred Scott case dealt with the freedom of slaves in free states. Dred Scott thought he was free if he was in a free state. This affected Dred Scott and slaves in free territories. They would still be property, even in the North. This affected tensions because the North thought slaves were free in free states. The South thought slaves were property. It also increased tensions because the Supreme Court said the 36/30 line was unconstitutional. Slaves weren't free in free states. -
John Brown's Raid and Trial
The issue that John Brown was trying to solve was to get people to fight against slavery. He tried to start a rebellion with slaves in Harper's Ferry. Brown was affected by being sentenced to death for treason. The Northern people were affected by the death of their leader. They thought that Brown was killed unfairly for protesting what he believed. This led to sectionalism because the South thought it was a fair punishment. The North also wanted to follow Brown and use violence to free slaves. -
The Election of Abraham Lincoln
The issue in the election of 1860 was the president's view on slavery. Lincoln was an abolitionist who said he would end slavery. This affected the North because they would get to end slavery. The South didn't like Lincoln because they needed slavery.
This led to the South seceding. There is too much tension for the South to remain part of the Union. Lincoln doesn't let them secede, because he thinks the US needs to remain a united country. This leads to a civil war because they can't agree.