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Fugitive Slave Law (Red)
The Fugitive Slave Laws allowed for the capture and return of slaves. Local governments were now able to take the escaped slaves back to their owners and cause penalties to anyone that helped the slave escape. This increased tension, because northern states would have to return a slave to his owner even though they knew that the whole thing was wrong. -
Missouri Compromise of 1820 (Blue)
The Missouri Compromise was passed to balance power in Congress among slave and non-slave states. Missouri became a slave state and Maine was deemed a non-slave state. This decreased tension, because it allowed for equality amongst the slave and anti-slave states. -
The Missouri Crisis (Red)
This was a problem with the Missouri compromise of 1820, because it dealt with the imbalance of slave and non-slave states. This increased tension, because it tipped the scales between the balance of the union states that were or were not in favor of slavery. -
Nat Turner's Slave Revolt (Red)
Nat Turner, a black slave, lead a revolt with 6 other slaves in Southampton, VA. They decided to kill all the white people connected to slavery. Turner and his men killed the owner and his family. They then moved on to 11 different plantations where they killed 55 people. When they reached the town of Jerusalem, a governor ordered, white militia of 3,000 caught and killed the majority of the slaves. This increased tension because, the segregation of blacks and whites worsened. -
Annexation of Texas (Blue)
JohnTyler, the president, managed to expand the United States substantially by acquiring Texas after the Mexican-American War. This decreased tension, because there was more land and this allowed for the power to be equal in congress. -
The Compromise of 1850 (Blue)
Henry Clay tried to balance out the power between the north and the south by introducing this compromise. Fugitive Slave clause was amended, slave trade abolished in Washington, D.C., California entered Union as free state, territorial government was established in Utah, and a boundary dispute between Texas and New Mexico was settled. This decreased tension, because it solved some of the main issues that upset many of the states. -
Publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin (Red)
Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery novel was written in reaction to the recently tightened fugitive slave laws. This novel brought attention to the brutality of slavery and is considered to be one of the reasons for the Civil War. This increased tension, because it showed the masses how terrible slavery was and was considered to be one of the reasons of the Civil War. -
Bleeding Kansas (Red)
A term used to describe the battles going on through the settling of Kansas. This increased tension, because it killed many people. -
Formation of the Republican Party 1854 (Red)
In Ripon, WI, former members of the well known Whig Party met to create a new party. This Republican Party would oppose slavery in the western part of the United States. This increased tension, because southern states who were pro-slavery disagreed and didn't want to lose political power. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act (Red)
This act allowed citizens of Kansas or Nebraska to determine for themselves whether or not to practice slavery. This law repealed the Missouri Compromise and caused strife among the Northern States and was supported by the pro-slave states. This increased tension, because of the mixed feelings between residents of the two states. -
Dred Scott Court Decision (Red)
Dred Scott was a slave that had once lived in Illinois and Wisconsin which are free from slavery, so he should be a free man. The court decided to not allow him his freedom and he was sentenced to be a slave again. This increased tension, because it took away the equal rights that free men get from being in a slave free state. -
Election of 1860 (Red)
Republican Abraham Lincoln won the presidency over John C. Brekinridge mainly because of the topic of slavery. This caused South Carolina and 6 other states to secede from the union. This increased tension, because it split the country up and ultimately led to the Civil War. -
The Wilmot Proviso (Red)
The Wilmot Proviso was an amendment written by congressman David Wilmot of Pennsylvania, in response to James K. Polk's $2,000,000 appropriation of funds to negotiate a treaty with Mexico. Wilmot feared that the new territory would increase the pro-slavery state's power in congress, so he proposed that the new land be anti-slavery. His bill was denied by the Senate. This increased tension, because it made the southern states more passionate about their cause. -
Underground Railroad (Red)
This was a network of people who helped slaves escape from their owners and seek freedom. This increased tension, because slave owners were losing their workers and were being angered by the accomplices. -
John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry (Red)
Abolitionist John Brown, in an attempt to end slavery, organized a group of men to raid the Arsenal at Harper's Ferry, so that he would cause a slave revolt that would end slavery. This increased tension, because it angered the slave owners and others involved with slavery.
