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Compromise of 1850
Texas was paid $10 million to scale back their land in the west. California was admitted as a free state and Washington DC was required to end its slave trade in the city. -
Fugitive Slave Act
Stated all slaves must be returned to their masters and anyone caught helping a slave could get up to 6 months in jail -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe's book sold 300,000 copies in the first year. Many joined the abolitionist movement after learning about the mistreatment of slaves -
Kansas Nebraska Act
Allowed each territory to decide on slavery based on popular sovereignty. Led to violence over slavery, like the Bleeding Kansas fight -
Dred Scott Decision
Supreme Court ruled that Dred Scott was property and not a person so he had no right to sue for his freedom. The ruling declared that prohibiting slavery in the North was unconstitutional -
Harper's Ferry
Abolitionist John Brown led a group of men to seize weapons from Harpers Ferry to try and lead a slave revolt. South realized the extent the North would go to in order to free the slaves -
Lincoln's Election
Lincoln was the only candidate against slavery and won despite no Southern states voting for him. The election showed how divided the country was and the South started to secede -
Attack on Ft. Sumter
It was a federal fort in South Carolina and the South attacked it as the Union tried to resupply it. The North surrendered the fort to the South and the war had begun