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War with Mexico
From 1846 to 1848, U.S. and Mexican troops fought against one another in the Mexican-American War. It was a battle for land where Mexico was fighting to keep what they thought was their property and the U.S. desired to retain the disputed land of Texas and obtain more of Mexico's northern lands. The North was upset because now more territory could have slaves -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 were 5 separate bills passed by the United States Congress in September 1850. The compromise admitted California as a free state, enforced the Fugitive Slave Act, abolished slave trade but not slaves, and did not regulate slavery in the remainder of the Mexican cession. -
The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses established in the United States during 1850-1860. It was used by African-American slaves to escape into free states with the aid of abolitionists and allies. Since the North aided the slaves, it enraged the South. -
Fugitive Slave Law
This law was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850. Abolitionists nicknamed it the "Bloodhound Law.” It provided southern slaveholders with legal weapons to capture slaves who had escaped to the free states. Northern citizens began to oppose the Act and further assist those escaping to find freedom. It lead to eventually having to pick a side of for slavery or against slavery -
Pro and Con Literature
Popular books were written about both the North and the South. These were often written as North against South and vice versa. The North was writing books about the truths of slavery but the South called them "untruths." As a result, the morality of slavery became a concern and the Southerners believed that the North was trying to destroy the institution of slavery. -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was series of violent civil confrontations in the United States between 1854 and 1861. It emerged from a political and ideological debate over the legality of slavery in Kansas. This was the battlefield where the forces of anti-slavery and the forces of slavery meet and the tension became deeper. -
Republican Party established
This party was founded in the Northern states on March 20, 1854 by abolitionists and Northerners. The Republican Party quickly became an opponent to the dominant Democratic Party. The sides were very different and caused a huge divide. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
This act was passed by the U.S. Congress on May 30, 1854. It allowed people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery within their borders. Popular sovereignty was applied to the territories and permitted the expansion of slavery beyond the Southern states -
Sumner-Brooks Incident
This incident occurred in 1856, in the United States Senate when Representative Preston Brooks used a walking cane to attack Senator Charles Sumner, an abolitionist. This was in retaliation for a speech given by Sumner two days earlier. This was sign of even more growing tensions. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
The Supreme Court ruled that Americans of African descent, whether free or slave, were not American citizens and could not sue in federal court. The Court also ruled that Congress did not have power to ban slavery in the U.S. territories. This destroyed the agreement between slave and free states and created national anger. (argued in 1856, decided in 1857) -
Panic of 1857
This was a financial panic in the United States caused by the declining international economy and over-expansion of the domestic economy. The South became haughty and believed that since their economy was good, they no longer needed union with the North. -
Lecompton Constitution
This was the second of four proposed constitutions for the state of Kansas during 1857. James Buchanan asked Congress to accept the document even though it did not have the majority vote. Congress did not accept because many Democrats joined with Republicans and rejected it. In 1858, the pro-slavery document was widely rejected by Kansas settlers. This upset Kansas as they did not want slavery in their territory -
Lincoln-Douglas debates
This was a series of seven debates, in 1858, between Abraham Lincoln and Senator Stephen Douglas. Lincoln understood the moral issue of slavery. Southerners became angered when they felt Douglas didn't go far enough in supporting the Dred Scott decision. -
John Brown's Raid
This was an effort by abolitionist John Brown to initiate an armed slave revolt in October 1859 by taking over a United States arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia. He wanted to do this to try to gain nationwide support for abolishing slavery by using violence. Northerners condemned Brown's raid but Southerners didn't believe them -
Election of 1860
American presidential election held in 1860, in which Republican Abraham Lincoln defeated Southern Democrat John C. Breckinridge, Democrat Stephen A. Douglas, and Constitutional Union candidate, John Bell. Abraham Lincoln was seen as a moderate on slavery, but Southerners feared his election and vowed to leave the Union if he was elected.
