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Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
This treaty put an end to the Mexican-American war. The US was given 1.2 million miles of land for $15 million dollars. This gave US states like New Mexico and California. The Whig Party's "No Territory" stance was broken so they changed their candidate in the election to Zachary Taylor. Zachary Taylor and the Whig Party ended up winning this election which gave them the opportunity to see out their plans and they were able to get California as a free state. (McPherson 70) -
Compromise of 1850
Westward expansion pushed the question of slavery. Should California be free? Southerners were outnumbered in CA. CA petitioned to come in as free, but Congress was divided because Southerners were blocking it. The Compromise includes: CA admitted as free + New fugitive slave law -created a US Marshall service to locate and return slaves. They have a lot of power. This also created the tribunals which decided whether the slave was a fugitive.Caused wrongful punishment because of incentives given -
Georgia Platform
After the Compromise of 1850, many southern states were not completely pleased with the rules. So many unionists in these states had taken in the Georgia Platform. This was basically them saying that they disagree with the compromise, but they would go along with it as long as the North did as well. They would resist if there is action against slavery in DC, refusing to admit a new slave state, and recognizing slavery in newer territory. (McPherson 87)This shows that people are more about union. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin & Harriet Beecher Stowe
Stowe published Uncle Tom's Cabin by picking up stories from fugitives she has helped in the Underground Railroad. She released a chapter a week, each was a very harsh critique of slavery, she blames everyone. It had opened the eyes of a lot of Northerners. Uncle Tom's Cabin actually ends up being banned in the South; people were beaten, lynched, and sent to jail for having it. Stowe is invited to the White House after the war, Lincoln tells her that she in some way "started" the Civil War. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Wondering if Kansas and Nebraska should be free or slave states when annexed. This created the idea and implementation of popular sovereignty. This would mean that the people were the ones who got to decide when they moved to that territory. This basically created a free for all and many people started to move to these territories. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery people living in the same area. This gave us a sort of preview to the war, as there were many killed and raids. -
Ostend Manifesto
Soule had met at Ostend with Buchanan and Mason. Soule had conviced Buchanan and Mason to sign a document that became known as the Ostend Manifesto. This was saying that the US need Cuba because it was essential and that if Spain wouldn't hand it over they would fight for it. I included this because it caused an uprising in the anti-slavery movement and was seen as growing rich off of the pain of the slaves. Also, people could see that invading only caused people to be executed. (Mcpherson 130) -
Pottawotomie Massacre
John Brown, an abolitionist, took 13 of his followers into Pottawatomie in Kansas which was a pro-slavery settlement. He ended up killing 5 people who were not slave-holders, immigrants, and poor white people. This led to the federal government feeling okay with using the U.S. Army against the Free-Soil people in Kansas. The army was not even able to keep the peace in Kansas leading to many many days of bloody war. (Varon 267-68) I included this because it was the beginning of Bleeding Kansas. -
Dred Scott Decision
In 1857, there was a supreme court case for Dred Scott. Dred Scott was a slave. He sued for his freedom because he felt that his servatude is invalid because he traveled to states where slavery was already considered illegal. Chief Justice Rodger Taney says that the Dred Scott has no legal standing becuse he is not a citizen because he is a slave, not just because he is a slave, but because of his race. This took aay decades worth of rights just in one ruling. Leaving slave holders much power. -
Election of 1860
This was the end of the decade, there was a big focus and question of the status of slavery and the future. It was a 4 way race between: Douglas, Breckinridge, Lincoln, and Hood. The Republican Party had now come into light and is in the lead. For decades now, many southerners feared that someone will win for the North, not the South. This resulting in slavery being abolished. They do not want the North to completly run the show, giving them "no choice" but to break away and fight for slavery. -
Crittenden's Compromise
There was a "Committee of Thirteen" in Congress with many powerful men, including John J. Crittenden. He had come up with a plan to place amendments in the Constitution. The purpose of these was to keep slavery in the states against interference with the national government, protect slavery below the 30 36' line, etc. These would not be able to be overridden. Lincoln told many to vote against this (McPherson 273) I included this because it showed that Lincoln/Republicans didn't want to keep it.