-
Importation of slaves ends
Article 1, Section 9, Clause 1 of the constitution says that all importation of slaves will end in 1808. This is Economic because no longer imported certain goods. -
The Missouri Comprise
The Missouri compromise was Political because it arranged for there to be equal representation of slave states and free states in the senate and decided what territories where free and not. -
The Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso Attempted to ban slavery in the territory acquired from Mexico, but was unsuccessful. This was both political and social because it tried to influence the political” power and the social structure of the new territory. -
The Compromise of 1850
Texas becomes smaller, federal government takes some of Texas’ national debt, California joins the union as a free state, and all territories get to choose by popular vote whether slavery is legal. This was political because it passed five laws that were all very carefully planned to maintain a balance of power and prevent war. -
The Fugitive Slave Act
This said that any slaves who ran away had to be returned, even if they escaped into a free state. This was a social decision because it forced northerners to give slaves back to their masters. -
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Uncle Tom’s Cabin was an anti-slavery book read by thousands. This book changed society because everyone read it and it influenced their views. -
The Kansas Nebraska Act
The act replaced the Missouri Compromise and said that the new territories of Nebraska and Kansas could choose if they wanted slavery. This was political because it dealt with laws and the balance in congress. -
Bleeding Kansas
Citizens of other states were moving into Kansas to vote, either for or against slavery, and it led to many violent battles. This is mostly political because it was about voting and the legality of slavery. -
The Caning of Charles Sumner
Discussions in the House of Representatives got so heated that a pro-slavery representative caned an anti-slavery republican. This was political because it took place in congress. -
The Dred Scott Decision
This is political because the Supreme Court ruled that slaves have no rights, and slave owners can legally take their property into states where slavery is illegal.