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Gabriel slave rebellion in Virginia
A slave from Virginia by the name Gabriel made his mark in history, after attempting to lead a slave rebellion that was upended by betrayal within his camp. -
Britain abolishes slave trade
The act abolished the slave trade in the British Empire, but not slavery itself. It was not until 26 years later that slavery itself was actually abolished. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States Congress, involving primarily the regulation of slavery in the western territories. -
Gag Resolution
The Gag Resolution was a strict rule passed by pro southern Congressmen in 1836 to prohibit all discussion of slavery in the House of Representatives. -
Antislavery Liberty Party organized
The American Anti-Slavery Society was an abolitionist society founded by William Lloyd Garrison and Arthur Tappan. -
Webster- Ashburton Treaty
This was a treaty resolving several border issues between the United States and the British North American colonies. It resolved the Aroostook War, a nonviolent dispute over the location of the Maine–New Brunswick border. -
US annexes Texas
The US annexed the Republic of Texas and admitted it to the Union as the 28th state. -
Mexican War
America went to war to gain territory from Mexico and expand the nation’s boundary from Texas to California. -
Walker Tariff
The Walker Tariff was enacted by the Democrats, and made substantial cuts in the high rates of the "Black Tariff" of 1842, enacted by the Whigs. -
Free Soil party organized
The Free Soil party was a short-lived political party in the United States active in the 1848 and 1852 presidential elections, and in some state elections. -
California Gold Rush
During the Gold Rush of 1849, tens of thousands of people flocked to California to seek their fortunes mining gold, it was the largest migration in the US. -
Gadsden Purchase from Mexico
The Gadsden Purchase, or Treaty, was an agreement between the United States and Mexico, finalized in 1854, in which the United States agreed to pay Mexico $10 million for a 29,670 square mile portion of Mexico that later became part of Arizona and New Mexico. -
Republican party organized
The Republicans rapidly gained supporters in the North, and in 1856 their first presidential candidate, John C. Fremont, won 11 of the 16 Northern states. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act repeals Missouri Compromise of 1820
Douglas helped write the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which called for the repeal of the Missouri Compromise of 1820.