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Wilmot Proviso
The idea that all territories in the Mexican Succession should be banned of slavery. Although it did not pass congress, the idea was out there. -
Zachary Taylor Elected President
Whig candidate Taylor, defeated Lewis Cass of the democrat party, and Van Buren of the Free-Soil. -
Free-Soil party founded
Party brought of by nothern abolitionists. A plat form deticated to the iratification of the institution of slavery. -
California Admitted
The territory would be admitted as a free state, skipping over the territorial stage completely, this worried southerners seeing that all the states formed from the Mexican succession might be free. -
Comprimise of 1850
Henry Clay proposed, among other comprimises, allowed territory occupied by the Mexican succession (Utah territory, and New Mexico Territory) be open to popular sovereignty and the rest of the territories would be garenteed free. -
Franklin Pierce Elected
Democratic president elected, overwhelming the whig, who no longer had apeal to the publican, while the free-soilers still participated as a third party. -
Uncle Tom's Cabinc
A perfect example of the climax of the Northern abolition liturature movement. Harriet Breecher's novel sold over 300,000 copys in a single year. It gave the cruel slave holder in the monds of norther abolitionists. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
Douglas had attempted to southe the dispute between the North and South by repealing the Missouri Comprimise and letting all territories open to popular sovereignty. This had only dimolished what little political harmony was present. -
Birth of the Republican party
Although the Kansas-Nebraska act had destroyed the Whig party and severely damages the democrat party, it made room to the republcans and numerous other parties on the rise. The republicans were open to the halt og the expansion of the slave empire in the south. -
Fall of the Whigs
The whigs were already on it's last legs on account of the loss of public support. Since the party's main platform was government intervention of the country's economy, no one showed any interest in the party considering the country was going through a point of ecnomical prosperity. The Kansas Nebraska act was the final straw before the party completely split between the debate over the status of slavery. -
Buchanan Elected President
Buchanan was yet another democratic president, but the competition the republican candidate Fremont, proved that the young party was the new second party, while the south completely ignored the new party. -
Dred Scott Case
The Supreme court legalized slavery in all states and claimed the Scott was property, not a citizen, and had no right to sue in the first place. This, however, only gave the republican party more support. -
Kansas Slave Status
The Kansas ?Territory was open to popular sovereignty. It wasn't long before settlers from both the north and the south poured into the state. Slave holders were quick to rig the polls, and after three voting sessions, voting rigs had failed and Kansas was admitted as a free state. -
Lecompton Constitution
In an attempt to resolve the disputes over Kansas's slavery status, supported of the Lecompton Constitution allowed a simppler electorate, either allowed further importation of slaves or not. But since there were no absolute abolition, Northerners voted it down six to one. -
John Brown's Raid
Event by Northern Abolitionists alarmed many southerners that their rights were being intruded. The first of the accounts was John Brown's raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. -
Lincoln nominated
The republican party nominated Abraham Lincoln as their party's candidate. Heobtained a modest image and allowed the broadest peal over the north. -
Democrats Split
Disputed between the southerners and northerners of the in the democratic party caused it to split. Southern Democrats chose John C. Breckingridge, while the Northern Democrats chose Stephen A. Douglas. -
Lincoln Elected President
Nearly all Northern states voted for Lincoln. This was an insult to the Southern states who didn't even bother putting him on their ballot. Talk of succession increased over the dispute.
