A Divided Nation By JDArePurple Jan 5, 1820 The Missouri Compromise divided the Louisiana Purchase into slave or free Apr 21, 1832 Henry Clay helped the nullification crisis Feb 1, 1848 US gained 500,000 square miles of land for winning the Mexican-American War Nov 10, 1848 The Whigs and Democrats did not take clear position on slavery to attract voters Sep 24, 1850 The Fugitive Slave Act arrested African American James Hamlet Oct 19, 1850 Henry Clay helped make the Compromise of 1850 Dec 24, 1852 Pierce won the election Jan 4, 1854 Douglass introduced the Kansas-Nebraska Act May 30, 1854 The Kansas-Nebraska Act was signed into law Jun 30, 1854 Anthony Burns was arrested and was trying to escape with Abolitionists, but a deputy marshal died in the process May 22, 1856 Brooks beat Sumner unconscious Mar 24, 1857 Roger B. Taney wrote the majority opinion in the Dred Scott decision Dec 24, 1858 Lincoln was nominated for US Senate Dec 2, 1859 John Brown's death sentence Dec 20, 1860 Confederate States of America was made Mar 4, 1861 Lincoln was inaugurated Mar 7, 1862 The impact of Uncle Tom's Cabin was suggested by her reported meeting with Abraham Lincoln