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Eli Whitney Invents the Cotton Gin
The Cotton Gin made it much easier and quicker to produce cotton, leading to many farmers expanding their fields and creating cotton plantations. This expansion created a need for slaves, increasing the amount of slaves to three million. -
The Missouri Compromise
Devised by Henry Clay, the Missouri Compromise prohibited slavery in new states west of the 36th parallel, except for Missouri. It caused tension because of rising anti-slavery feelings in the North, and growing resentment in slaves in the South. The South felt that this compromise was wrong and upset the balance of power, while the North argued that the South already had slaves and property, and that the compromise was fair. -
William Lloyd Garrison Published The Liberator
The Liberator was an abolitionist newspaper which called for immediate emancipation of slaves. Pro-slavery Southerners detested the paper and even offered a $5,000 reward for the capture of Garrison. The Liberator was the most influential paper of its time. -
Fugitive Slave Act
Congress enacted this act to help the South in maintaining their rights to property, this property included slaves. Freed blacks in the North were taken to the South and made slaves, regardless of how long they had been free, or if they were born free. This act forces all states to comply and assist the South, angering many Northerners and increasing tension. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 replaced the Missouri Compromise. California requested to be admitted as a free state, and areas such as Washington D.C. had slaves. This was put into place because of the need to restore the balance of power, however, it upset abolitionists. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Published by Harriot Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin is an anti-slavery novel influenced by the Fugitive Slave Act. Abolitionists praised it, whereas pro-slavery Southerners despised it and protested it. This book was widely popular and informed its readers of the horrors of slavery. However, many critics and Southerners claimed that they were all lies. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed the people in the territories to decide whether slavery would be prohibited in their area. The North was enraged because this dismisses the Missouri Compromise, where slavery was declared illegal beyond the parallel 36°30' North. -
Formation of the Republican Party
The Republican Party was founded by members of the former Whig Party. The Republican Party gained popularity in the North, and the South threatened to secede if there was a Republican President elected. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected, and many Southern states seceded. -
Charles Sumner Beaten
Senator Sumner was beaten by Representative Preston Brooks in the Senate chamber because he was an advocate for free-soilers and denounced "slave-power." Rep. Brooks, Sumner's cousin, was infuriated by Sumner's anti-slavery claims. Originally, Brooks challenged Sumner to a duel, but after consultation decided it would be more appropriate to beat him with his cane. Sumner became a martyr for the North; Brooks, a hero to the South. -
Dred Scott vs. Sandford
Dred Scott was a slave whose master moved into a free state. After his master's death, Dred Scott argued for his and his family's freedom, and the case was taken to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court declared that slaves were property, not citizens, deeming the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional. Republicans gained power, and the 14th amendment would later be necessary to define a citizen. -
John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry
John Brown attempted to lead a surprise slave revolt in Virginia, but was unsuccessful. His failure ignited sympathy and admiration in the North, and shock and outrage in the South. Republicans falsely claimed that Abraham Lincoln supported Brown, leaving any possibility of Lincoln being electred unthinkable to southerners. -
Election of Abraham Lincoln
The election of Abraham Lincoln, a moderate, enraged Southerners who had grown to see him as anti-slavery. Lincoln was one of the most prominent advocates for "free-soil," another reason for Southerners and border ruffians to dislike him. His election was the catalyst for Southern states to secede from the Union. -
South Carolina Secedes from the United States
South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union after the election of Republican Abraham Lincoln in 1860. The secession of South Carolina was the catalyst for other states to secede. Eventually, this led to the formation of the Confederate States of America. -
Fort Sumter is Attacked
Confederate forces attacked the Union Fort Sumter after the Union forces denied surrender. Confederate forces occupied Fort Sumter for four years. This attack marked the beginning of the Civil War. -
Bleeding Kansas
Also known as the Border War, Bleeding Kansas described outbreaks of violence between the anti-slavery freesoilers and the pro-slavery border ruffians. It followed the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
