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Missouri compromise
Provided vast territory for northern non-slavery expansion while opening up somewhat less territory for southern expansion of the slavery institution. Would account for even more northern territory compared to southern territory after the expansion to the Pacific. -
Mexican War
Mr. Polk's war claimed large territories in the southern sub-36/30 line for the sake of Manifest Destiny (the belief in the destiny of the U.S. to expand west) during the war and in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848). This led to northern beliefs that the war was to expand the institution of slavery. -
Wilmot Proviso
Congressman Wilmot, as part of a measure to deal with the newly aquired territory from Mexico, put a proviso into a bill restricting and abolishing slavery in the new territory. It passed the house, but was defeated by the balance of northern and southern senators. The South now had proof of northern hostility. -
new Fugitive Slave Act (Compromise of 1850)
The Compromise of 1850 brought about the Fugitive Slave Act that allowed slave owners to track down a slave, even into the north, and bring them back. The only legal protection of an accused slave was a court marshal, with no trial. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin published
Harriet Beecher Stowe's book describes details of slavery that many northerners did not pay attention to before. Many in the North were moved to go against slavery. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The act not only created Kansas and Nebraska, but set in place the idea of popular sovereignty. The idea was that a state could vote for or against slavery in its borders, thereby nullifying the Missouri Compromise and opening possible slavery in every territory in the U.S. -
Bleeding Kansas
In order to gain political power in the system of popular sovereignty, pro-slavery people of Missouri crossed over to intimidate Kansas. Abolitionists responded with guns and a bloody fight took off. -
Republican Party formed
The Republican Party was a party of the North, primarily against slavery. -
Breakdown of the two-party system
Since the emergence of the Republican Party, the two parties began to represent the North and the South, leading to more support in those regions which led to more radical views and parties going against each other as North and South. -
Brook beats Sumner
Southern Congressman Prestion Brooks beats northern Senator Charles Sumner with a cane after Sumner's speech against slavery. -
Dred Scott ruling
The Supreme Court ruled that slavery could not be restricted since slaves were property, thus nullifying any boundries previously set up against slavery. -
A House Divided Cannot Stand argument by Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln and Stephen Douglas participate in debates where Lincoln makes his "House Divided" point on slavery against Douglass' argument for popular sovereignty. -
Harpers Ferry Revolt
John Brown starts a revolt in Harper's Ferry, arming slaves with guns and having them kill their masters. The revolt is defeated by militia leader Robert E. Lee -
1860 Presidential Election
After Lincoln won the presidentail election, many southerners feared that his hostility toward slavery would lead him to abolish the institution. That left them with living without slavery, or leaving the union. -
Crittenden Compromise fails
The compromise proposed to return to the basis of the Missouri Compromise on slavery. The South mostly supported it, but the North had little support as they were more against slavery than in the past. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
Forces of the suceded South attacked Northern ships that were bringing supplies in to Fort Sumter. This led almost directly to the war.
