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The Wilmot Provisio was an amendment proposed at the end of the war to ban slavery in territory taken by US in the Mexican-American War. David Wilmot wanted to address the issue and show that free territory should remain free. (Varon, 185) I believe this was important because it set the stage for the civil war by fueling the debate between North and South states over slavery. This then made war inevitable, but also impacted the future since some language was used in creation of 13th amendment. -
A law that was passed by Congress that worked alongside the Compromise of 1850 that addressed tensions between the north and south. It required that the slaves who escaped must be returned back to their owners even if they traveled to a free state, and it was the federal governments job to find and return them. This correlates to the tensions of the war because it proved to the south that the north could not be trusted when it came to slavery since they would go back on their word. (Varon, 235) -
Uncle Tom's Cabin was a powerful anti-slavery novel published by a woman named Harriet Beecher Stowe. It explores the evils of slavery to those that do not have a first hand interaction with it and the impact it had on slaves and their families. This novel influenced the public opinion of those in the US to empathize with slaves, and contributed to the growing abolitionist movement. It also increased the tensions between the North and the South, causing the South to publish counter novels. -
This was a period of very violent conflict between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces in the Kansas territory. Factors such as election fraud, land claims, and political groups in Kansas. There were territorial disputes over land claims and violence between the pro-slavery, free-staters, and abolitionists. I believe this should be included since it showed the deep divide between the North and South, and correlates to the Kansas-Nebraska Act that was very important (McPherson, 144).
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A law that repealed the Missouri Compromise; prohibited slavery in Louisiana Purchase north of the 36°30' latitude, exception of Missouri. The Kansas-Nebraska Act established popular sovereignty since it allowed white residents of states to vote on the permit of slavery when applying for statehood of these new territories. It is considered to be one of the most consequential pieces of legislation passed since it reopened the national debate over slavery and increase divide of north and south. -
John Brown, 5 of his sons, and 3 associates went and murdered 5 proslavery men in cabins along this creek. It was a violent attack on a pro-slavery settlement where the victims were dragged away from their homes and then hacked to death and shot. The massacre is what started "Bleeding Kansas" which was a period of conflict and terror. This is important because it shows a direct event from Bleeding Kansas and how violent the build up to the civil war really was. (McPherson, 145) -
Dred Scott was the slave of a US officer who was a surgeon in the army. Scott makes the decision to sue with the argument that since he moved out of Missouri to Wisconsin which was a free state, he is a resident and can no longer be held as a slave according to this state. This case made it to the Supreme Court in 1857, where Scott loses. The ultimate ruling of this case was that enslaved people like Dred Scott were not considered citizens of the US and could not sue in federal court. -
Debates between Democratic senator Douglas and Lincoln, Republican Challenger, during the 1858 Illinois senatorial campaign. They argued about slavery extension in the new territories, and consisted of Lincoln accusing Douglass of nationalizing slavery, and Douglas accusing Lincoln of being an abolitionist (McPherson, 129) It is important since it shows that the south didn't trust republicans and it reflected the issues the nation was dealing with and both sides fighting over what was "right". -
This raid was a violent attempt by radical John Brown to incite a slave uprising by seizing the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, VA. He planned to arm enslaved people and spark large rebellion against slavery. He believed God spoke to him directly and he was doing God's work by putting an end to slavery. He is unsuccessful since local slaves do not join and they are spotted sooner than thought. He lives only to be seized and executed. This leads to further tensions between the North and South. -
This election was a four way race between Stephen Douglass, John Breckinridge, John Bell, and Abraham Lincoln. 3 of the 4 candidates were of the Democratic Party, making the election a sectional referendum among the voters. The main topic of discussion being slavery and where to allow it. The outcome was that Abraham Lincoln won the election with 39.8% of the popular vote, even though the south were not printing his name on the ballots.