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Underground Railroad
A series of checkpoints where slaves could go to run towards the North for freedom. The "railroad" was not a true train track but houses and churches willing to help slaves escape. Northeners became tired of waiting for abolishment of slavery and decided to take action into their own hands. Southeners thought this to be a way of stealing property since slaves were not considered true people. The Southeners used this event as a way to cessed from the United States. -
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Mexican-American War
A war between the Americans moving Westward and the already settled Mexicans. The Mexican's allowed the Americans to come and settle in their lands so they could expand more. However, the Americans wanted the land and were willing to pay but the Mexican's wouldn't have it. They fought over the area of Texas and California until finally the Americans won. The land became disputed over whether the states should become slave states or free states. This led to the Civil War. -
Wilmot Proviso
A document made by David Wilmot saying that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist" within the territory gained from Mexico. Southern states fought to gain the territory as slave land. They believed the balance of slave and free states was becoming uneven. They felt free states were taking over and feared losing their slaves. This led more toward the Civil War. -
Fugitive Slave Act
A law passed after the Compromise of 1850 which forced northeners to capture runaway slaves and return them to their orginal owners. Northeners did not like to help capture slaves and would rather help free them. They objected to this law but they were unheard and went unnoticed. They became angry with the south for their law. Slavery once again made a path to the Civil War. -
Compromise of 1850
Henry Clay brought up a compromise for Utah territory and New Mexico territory. They made the areas open to slavery but were not allowed to trade them in. The compromise became law and free states began to worry if there would be an overstock of slave states. However, the north recieved more benifiets which frightened the south. This made them want to cessed from the United States a little more. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
An american novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. The story was about an enslaved black slave and his hardships. The story itself was anti-slavery which angered the South. The story was believed to help bring about the start of the Civil War, the final straw that broke out. -
Ostend Manifesto
A document written from the United States to Spain about purchasing Cuba or going to war against them. Problems occured with an unsecret meeting that made journalists pressure the people. They denounced the document from both the North and Britian. Northeners cried outrage at having lost a state to slavery. This led to "Bleeding Kansas" and a fight against the South in the Civil War. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
An act that repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1850. Kansas became an ability to have slavery which angered the Northerners. They were promised that Kansas would remain free but with the new act, Kansas was tipping towards slavery. Nebraska as well was also a state able to be voted for slavery or not. Kansas was the main problem which forced the Northeners into a war with the South, or the Civil War. -
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Bleeding Kansas
The newspapers called the battleground in Kansas this due to the 200 people dieing and the $2 million property damage. It came from people crossing into the boarder of Kansas to go pro-slavery. The North did not like how the South were doing this and took a stand. They had rebels attack those in Kansas who supported slavery which caused the Civil War epidemic. -
The Caning of Charles Sumner
Charles Sumner was an abolistionist who spoke out against the South's senator Andrew P. Butler. Brook, the cousin of Butler, went oSumner's desk and beat him with a cane, saying of how he defamed his family. Sumner was severley injured which made Southeners love Brook. They supported him and trusted him. The North became angry and retaliated with more anti-slavery tactics. It was time for them to "strike back, or be slaves." -
The Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slave who lived on free territory. He lived on the land for several years before his orginal slaveowner came to take him away. He sued the man, saying that he lived on free land which made him a free man. The Court did not go in Scott's favor and said he was not a person but property. Taney argued that the consistiution and the Compromise of 1850 said that Scott could be a free man. Northerners cheered to what happened, Scott getting his freedom back but the South didn't like it -
John Brown's Raid
John Brown was an abolistionist who killed slaveholders as he went from town to town. He made a rebellion to free African Americans from Virginia and plan to kill any and all slaveholders there. They were stopped and defeated and tried and killed. The Northerners saw Brown as a hero while the South saw the threat of the situation. The South used Brown's raid as a way to start a war, the Civil War. They claimed that the North would kill you unless you fought back because they were coming in.
