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Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance created a method of achieving statehood in the Northwest territory. Slavery was prohibited in this territory, and all states created from the Northwest Ordinance. As a result Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana became free states. -
Missouri Compromise
At this time the slave states and free states were even in number. Missouri wanted to become a slave state, to compromise the relation of free and slave states Maine became a free state. The 36'30 line was created. South of this line slavery was allowed, north of it slavery was prohibited. At this point the national government had jurisdiction over the expansion of slavery. The North and South were divided. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian removal Act was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson. Jackson's justification was that Native Americans were no legal citizens, therefore had no right to property. Thousands of Natives were forcefully moved to the Oklahoma territory, many of them died. The act was strongly supported by the South. Some Christian missionaries protested against the passage of the act. The Indian Removal Act led to the "Trail of Tears" and Creek Wars. -
Annexation of Texas
Texas attempts to achieve statehood failed in the beginning, as there were too many slave states. Eventually it was accepted as a new state via joint resolution. The North viewed this as sneaky and unfair, they accused the South of only wanting to become more powerful. Texas was also a slave state and the South now has more power in the Senate. The tension between North and South increases. -
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Mexican American War
America wanted California and Texas as slave states, Mexico threatened to declare war, if Texas becomes a state. This basically started the war. The United states moved into and took control of Mexico City until the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty stated that the northern parts of Mexico, including Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Colorado and the Present state of Nevada, were to break apart from Mexico and become states. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act stated that slaves cannot become free by escaping to a free state. They had to be captured and returned to the state they escaped from. As a result many free blacks in the North were captured and sold in the South. The rewards in the South were high for capturing slaves and the people who wanted the money were cruel and had no mercy. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and made it possible to settle these lands. settlers in this territory should decide on their own wether to allow or prohibit slavery. This eventually led to "Bleeding Kansas". As a result the Kansas-Nebraska Act rose the line of the Missouri Compromise.
