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Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was a plan made by Henry Clay which allowed Missouri to become a slave state and Maine to be a free state. This compromise had a big impact because it expanded slavery westward. The legislation was passed on May 9th, 1820. -
Wilmont Proviso
On August 8th, 1846 a man named David Wilmot brought up the topic of slavery in The House of Representatives, which outraged the South but the North applauded him. This was important because it forced politicians to take a stand on slavery. -
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was elected in 1848. He was a war hero and was well liked by both the North and the South at first. But when Henry Clay proposed the compromise of 1850, Taylor was against it and threatened to veto it. He was against slavery and wanted to preserve the union through compromise. This led to hate and treats from the south. Only a year into his presidency, he died from consuming bad food. -
Millard Filmore
Millard Fillmore was the vice president of Zachary Taylor and succeeded him after he died in 1850. He was against the views of Taylor and fired his entire cabinet. Fillmore believed slavery was necessary because slavery was a large part of its economy. He passed the compromise of 1850, angering both the North and South. He even angered members of his own party, who refused to elect him a second time. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a solution by Henry Clay that declared California a free state, Utah and New Mexico would be decided free or slave by peoples vote, strengthened fugitive slave act. This is important because the North was mad that New Mexico and Utah were above the 36° parallel and could become slave states. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Acts were a set of laws that allowed for the capture and return of runaway slaves in the United States. The fugitive slave acts were some of the most controversial laws of the 19th century because slave owners could capture any free or escaped black person and enslave them. This outraged the North because slavery was being protected. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
June 5, 1851, a book published by Harriet Beecher Stowe called Uncle Tom’s Cabin depicted the horrors of slavery. The book solded over a million copies and was important because it turned some people against the cruel practices in the South. -
Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce won the election of 1852. He was charming and well liked. But before he took office, his 11 year old son died in a train crash. Later, his vice President also died. He passed the Kansas nebraska act and the North was outraged. His own party refused to elect him and he left the office with his reputation ruined. -
Creation of the Republican Party
On March 20th, 1854, northerners that were anti-slavery formed the Republican Party. This was important because the North supported them and the South was growing worried about the rise of anti-slavery beliefs. -
Bleeding Kansas
In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed which allowed the transcontinental railroad to go through Chicago and let Kansas and Nebraska to vote to be a free state. This forced settlers from the North and South to move to Kansas and have bloody showdowns to force the other group to leave. This sparked a lot of tension between the North because the two sides were killing each other to vote Kansas a free/slave state. -
Sumner Caning
On May 22nd, 1856, a republican senator named Sumner humiliated a southern politician that wasn’t present. The next day, a man named Preston Brooks attacked Sumner with his cane, beating him brutally and leaving him hospitalized. The North was outraged at Brook’s actions, but the South celebrated him. This increased tensions between the North and South. -
The Dred Scott Case
The Dred Scott Case happened in 1857 when a slave decided to sue his owner for using him as a slave in the north, where it is illegal. The case went to the Supreme Court, where they ruled that Dred Scott was property and was returned to his owner. This was important beca -
James Buchanan
James Buchanan took office in 1857 and was arguably the worst president in history. He allowed many pro-southern policies to be passed and greatly angered the northern states. He did nothing to settle slavery and caused the divide among north and south to become even larger. In his presidency, 7 states left the union and 7 more were on the fence, becoming ‘border states’. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
A republican named Abraham Lincoln was running against a man named John Douglas for a position in the senate. Lincoln was an extremely strong speaker, and was anti-slavery and Douglas was neutral. Even though Lincoln lost, the South took notice of his strong speeches and anti-slavery beliefs. -
Harpers Ferry
An slavery abolitionist named John Brown raided a southern arsenal. Brown expected enslaved blacks to help him, but none came and he was captured. The South viewed him as a terrorist, but the North viewed him as a hero. He was hanged on December 2, 1859. -
Lincoln's Election
The election on September, 6th 1860 was the 19th presidential election. Abraham Lincoln was the first republican to be elected in the United States. Lincoln only received 40 percent of the popular vote but he beat the three other candidates. This was an important election because Lincoln later went on to abolish slavery. -
Southern Secession
After Abraham Lincoln was elected president, several Southern states voted to leave the nation on December 20th, 1860. This caused the Civil War because the north would not let the South leave, so fighting between the two sides broke out.
