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Missouri Compromise of 1820
The Missouri Compromise was an effort to maintain the balance between slave and free states by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. It also established a line (36°30') beyond which slavery was prohibited in the Louisiana Territory. While it provided a temporary solution, it intensified debates over the expansion of slavery into new territories. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a series of legislative measures aimed at addressing the sectional tensions arising from the acquisition of new territories after the Mexican-American War. It included the admission of California as a free state, the Fugitive Slave Act, and the organization of the Utah and New Mexico Territories without specifying the status of slavery. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act, proposed by Stephen Douglas, repealed the Missouri Compromise and allowed residents of the territories to decide on the issue of slavery through popular sovereignty. This led to violent clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in the Kansas Territory. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
The Supreme Court's decision in the Dred Scott case declared that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, could not be considered citizens and had no standing to sue in federal court. The ruling also declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, stating that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in the territories. This decision further polarized the nation on the issue of slavery. -
John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry
Abolitionist John Brown led a raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, to arm slaves and sparking a widespread rebellion against slavery. The raid was unsuccessful, and Brown was captured and executed. While it did not lead to an immediate slave revolt, it heightened tensions and contributed to the perception of irreconcilable differences between the North and the South.