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Mexican American War
Following the annexation of Texas, a border dispute leads to war with Mexico. The war was overwhelmingly supported by the south viewing the war as a means to expand their southern empire. It is where many future confederates first see combat. The war would be a major concern for the North, viewing the war as nothing more than an avenue to expand southern power. America will leave the war victorious gaining major territories in the modern southwest, but more questions about the future of slavery. -
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Increasing Catholic Migration
Following a tumultuos decade in Europe, America was accepting a new class of predominantly Catholic voters. Catholic voters were a core base for democrats, specifically in the north. The whigs found themselves in a tough position in 1852 attempting to appeal to Irish Catholic voters, alienating the nativist northern base. Due to the large increase in Catholic European immigration, cities began facing higher crime rates, and welfare expenses leading to a hostile nativist reaction. Mcphearson 132 -
1848 Presidential Election
The 1848 presidential election would be the last major electoral victory for the dying Whig party marking the beginning of a political realignment in America, and the beginning of a decade of weak Presidents. Zachary Taylor would win the presidency and despite being a Whig candidate, was seen as beholden to southern Democrats. The disillusionment of many anti-slavery northerners following the 48 elections would lead to the eventual grassroots rise of the progressive Republican party. (Varon 206) -
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
Refers to a series of laws passed that strictly mandated citizens must assist in the capture of runaway slaves. In the north the laws were viewed as a violation of state sovereignty, and rights, prompting backlash. It leads to personal liberty laws, essentially local non compliance policies leading to rising tensions between states. It also furthered the southern slave holder conspiracy, where some northerners believe a group of southern slave holders wield disproportionate power in government. -
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1854-55 Midterm Elections
With the results of the 1854 election in the North we see a repudiation of the Democrats for possibly allowing the expansion of slavery via the Kansas-Nebraska act. In 1852, democrats had carried all but 2 Northern states, and by 54 they had lost all but 2 legislatures. Their representation had fallen from 93 northern reps, to 23 in the matter of one election. An estimated 1/4 of former northern democrats abandon the party. It would also see the height of nativist parties. (Mcphearson 130) -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
In an effort to ease sectional tensions the Kansas-Nebraska act is passed to placate everyone. Allows for a public referendum in the states giving people the choice of slavery. Kansas earns name bleeding Kansas when northerners and southerners pour into the state in an attempt to swing the vote, the state experiences a small civil war. Both sides repeatedly submit petition for statehood, with no result before the civil war. It should be legally void because it violates the Missouri compromise. -
Caning of Senator Charles Sumner
Charles Sumner is a fierce antislavery proponent giving one of the most prominent speeches in the senate “Crime against Kansas” laying into how awful the south has been in Kansas, particularly calling out Sen Andrew Butler. Rep. Preston Brooks cousin to Butler, outraged by Sumner's speech accuses him of liable against his family and state, and repeatedly beats Sumner with a cane. Nobody intervenes, Sumner slips into a comma. Northerners are outraged while Brooks is hailed as a hero in the south. -
Minnesota Joins the Union as a Free State
The bill to add Minnesota as a free state was submitted alongside the bill to add Kansas as a slave state. Although Kansas would not enter the union until southerners left congress during the war, Minnesota would become a free state on May 11, 1858. The quick admission of Minnesota as a free state demonstrates that the North was expanding similarly to the south. The admission of Minnesota was a point of contention for slaveholding southern states, viewing it as unequal northern expansion. -
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Lincoln-Douglas Debates
For the 1858 senate race in Illinois, Republican Abraham Lincoln would run against Democrat Stephen Douglas. Douglas was a prominent national figure, and as part of Lincoln's campaign strategy he debated Douglas 7 times. The primary topic was Kansas in which Douglas took a neutral stance as long as democracy was preserved, alternatively Lincoln argued allowing slavery into Kansas would open the flood gates, and tied Douglas to the slavery conspiracy. Douglas won the election.(Mcphearson 180-183) -
John Brown's Raid at Harpers Ferry
The event in which religious zealot fierce abolitionist John Brown led radical abolitionists to raid Harpers Ferry military arsenal in Virginia. John Brown believed that he was speaking with God, and it was his divine duty to end slavery. The results were tragic, with John Brown and his men being defeated and swiftly brought to justice by the state of Virginia. This event scared many in the south, as it proved the North was hostile towards the institution of slavery to the point of violence.