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Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance refers to the land that is current day Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Congress stated that slavery is prohibited in these areas, and requires the return of fugitive slaves that fled to this area. Although this law is voided when the territories become states, anti-slavery Northerners use this law many times over the years as a support for the abolition of slavery in the United States. Still, the South tries to put slaves in these states. -
Ban on Importation of slaves; Thomas Jefferson
In 1787, Congress put a ban on Congressional action on the matter of slavery. In 1807, the ban expired and Thomas Jefferson urged Congress to ban the importation of slaves. Thomas claimed it was a violation of basic human rights, and Congress passed the law that went into effect on January 1, 1808. This angered southern slave owners for obvious reasons, and the south began illegally smuggling slaves into the country. -
Missouri Compromise
Speaker of the House Henry Clay drafted the Missouri Compromise ending the debate surrounding Missouri's admittance to the union. The compromise admits Missouri as a slave state and adds the northern counties of Massachusetts as a free state, Maine. The compromise outlawed slavery north of the 36 30' line, which southerners argued was too large of an area. This line, however, was removed from the law during Kansas and Nebraska's admittance in the 1850s. -
Mexican-American War
President James K. Polk deployed the army to the disputed Texas territory and the Mexican Army attacked. This caused sectionalism because Northerners saw it as an attempt to expand slavery. During this conflict, northern representatives passed the Wilmot Proviso, which would have outlawed slavery in the new territories. Southern senators blocked this from going to the Senate floor. Although it was never passed, the Wilmot Proviso discussion increased tensions between the two sides. -
California Gold Rush and Admittance to the Union
In 1849, at Sutter's Mill in Northern California, gold was found. This prompted over 300,000 Americans to move westward in search of gold. Most settlers were from the north and for this reason, the state legislature unanimously decided to be a free state. President Zachary Taylor asked Congress to admit California as a free state without it becoming an organized territory, assuring them that he would put down succession in the southern states. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois proposed the Kansas-Nebraska Bill to open up this area to extend the trans-continental railroad. It was passed and stated that popular sovereignty will determine if a state will be a slave state or free state. This caused many people to move into these territories from both sides to try to sway the vote. Northerners feared slave power growing towards the North and Southerners feared slavery being outlawed further south as more western states appeared. -
Abraham Lincoln's Election
In 1860, a senator from Illinois by the name of Abraham Lincoln won the presidential election. His platform included the abolition of slavery in new states and territories. Within days, South Carolina met to discuss secession, and eventually seceded before the end of the year.
