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The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed each territory to decide the issue of slavery on the basis of popular sovereignty. Kansas with slavery would violate the Missouri Compromise. “Bleeding Kansas” is violently torn in half for years between pro slave/anti slave. -
Texas got paid $10mil to scale back its land claims in the west.
Washington was required to end the slave trade, but slavery was still legal. California was admitted as a free state.
A Stricter Fugitive Slave Act was passed. -
this act stated that all fugitive slaves must be returned to their masters. Anyone who was caught giving food/shelter/ or protection to them could be put into jail for up to 6 months. The north felt this was a way to expand the power and reach of slavery. Congress had made it illegal to even assist a fugitive slave -
Harriet Beecher Stowe's book sells over 300k copies in the first year and over 2mil copies in over 5 years. This was the 2nd highest selling book in the 19th century. The book is about a kindly old slave that is treated horribly by his master. Many joined the abolitionist movement after learning the harsh realities of life as a slave. -
Supreme Court ruled that Dred Scott was property and not a citizen and had no right to sue. The ruling declared that the Missouri Compromise prohibiting slavery in the Northern territories was unconstitutional. -
Brown leads a group of men to attack the weapons arsenal at Harpers Ferry. Their goal is to gain control of weapons and lead a slave revolt. The raid fails and Brown is captured and hanged for treason. Becomes a martyr in the North. South sees to what extent North will do to end slavery. -
Lincoln was the only candidate against slavery. He won, but the election showed that the country was divided. No southern states voted for Lincoln. On the basis of states’ rights, a too powerful federal government and the issue of slavery, the south started to secede. Lincoln’s election pushed the nation to the brink of war. -
Ft. Sumter was a federal fort in South Carolina. The South fired upon Fort Sumter as the Union tried to resupply it. Fort nearly out of food/ ammunition and badly outnumbered. Surrendered the fort to the Southern Army. President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers. The war had begun.