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Mum Bett Case
Mum Bett, an enslaved woman in Massachusetts, fought for her freedom in court and won, helping to end slavery in the state. This case made a legal example for fighting against slavery and helped inspire abolitionist movements. It made people see slavery as both unfair and illegal, increasing arguments and tensions between different parts of the country. -
⅗ Compromise
During the Constitutional Convention, leaders agreed that three-fifths of a state's enslaved people would be counted when figuring out representation and taxes.
The Three-Fifths Compromise made the divide between the North and South even bigger. Northern states had fewer enslaved people and wanted to end slavery, while Southern states got more power in Congress, which helped them keep slavery in place. -
Northwest Ordinance
This law set up a way for territories to become states once they had 60,000 people. It also banned slavery in the Northwest Territory, making sure that any new states there would be free states. By stopping slavery in the Northwest Territory, the ordinance created a clear split between free and slave states. As more free states were added, Southern leaders lost power, making the fight over slavery even more intense. -
Creation of the Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney created the cotton gin, a machine that greatly improved the speed of cotton processing, allowing for more profitable large-scale production. The cotton gin increased the South’s reliance on slavery, as its efficiency led to a rise in cotton production and a greater need for enslaved labor. This economic growth strengthened the South’s dedication to slavery, fueling tensions between abolitionists and those who supported it. -
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Second Great Awakening
A movement that strengthened religious faith and morality, making them a central part of American society.The religious revival movement made many Southerners believe that slavery was part of God’s plan and should be preserved. This belief gave them moral justification to defend slavery, increasing tensions between supporters and opponents of the institution. -
Louisiana Purchase
The U.S. purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million, greatly expanding its land and doubling the country’s size.
The Louisiana Purchase greatly expanded U.S. territory, sparking debates over whether slavery should spread into the new lands. While Northerners wanted to restrict slavery, Southerners sought to expand it, increasing tensions and further dividing the North and South. -
Missouri Compromise
The compromise dealt with slavery in the Louisiana Territory by establishing a boundary at the 36° latitude line. It declared slavery illegal in territories north of the line. The Missouri Compromise kept a balance between free and slave states, but its repeal led to intense conflicts. When the Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed settlers to decide on slavery, violent clashes erupted in Bleeding Kansas, worsening tensions between the North and South and moving the nation closer to the Civil War. -
Nat Turner’s Rebellion
Nat Turner leads a group of enslaved people to kill 55-60 white people in 2 days. There plan ended as they were killed and hung. It led Southern states to impose stricter rules and harsher restrictions on enslaved people. Fearing rebellion, Southerners tightened control to prevent any inspiration from Nat Turner's actions. -
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Mexican-American War
A conflict between Mexico and the U.S. centered around Texas and its annexation, though other territories were affected. Texas remained the primary battleground throughout the war.
Since Mexico had abolished slavery, adding Texas as a slave state disrupted the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. This shift gave Southern states more influence, sparking concerns among Northerners and increasing tensions over slavery’s expansion. -
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California Gold Rush
The California gold rush was a massive event that made people go to California looking to make a fortune. This made the population quickly rise and it was easy to make California a state. The gold rush increased the population of California rapidly and made it a state. The citizens wanted it to be a free state which increased tensions with southern states. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was an attempt to ease tensions between the North and South over slavery. It made California a free state, let new territories choose whether to allow slavery, and strengthened laws forcing the return of escaped slaves. The Compromise of 1850 increased tensions between the North and South by making slavery more controversial. It made Southerners feel like their way of life was under attack while Northerners grew more determined to stop slavery from spreading. -
Frederick Douglass gives July 4th Speech
Frederick Douglass gave his talk to point out the unfairness of slavery in a country that claimed to value freedom. He said that Independence Day was meaningless to enslaved people and called for real justice and equality for everyone. The Speech shows the divide between the North and South to be greater by criticizing slavery and the false idea of freedom in the US. His words motivated abolitionists and upset those defending slavery, increasing tensions that helped push the country toward war. -
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Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was a period of violent clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas during the late 1850s. This was almost the start of the civil war as people were openly fighting about slavery. The conflict led to deadly battles and raids, and other awful to get their opinion across about slavery. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 allowed settlers in those territories to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery, overturning the Missouri Compromise. This led to violent conflicts between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups, further deepening divisions that contributed to the Civil War. This consisted of massacres, violent protest, ect. -
Attack on Charles Sumner
Congressman Preston Brooks attacked Senator Sumner with a cane following his speech against slavery. This shined a light on how the US government was split on the topic of slavery. Congressmen would be fighting to the death just to make sure their side has a better chance. -
Dred Scott v Sanford
The Supreme Court decided that enslaved people were not citizens and had no legal right to sue in federal court. It also ruled that Congress lacked the power to prohibit slavery in U.S. territories, further intensifying conflicts between the North and South.
This decision allowed slavery in all U.S. territories, frustrating the North and making compromise more difficult. It heightened conflicts over federal versus state authority and further divided the nation. -
Raid on Harpers Ferry
Abolitionist John Brown led an attack on a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, aiming to spark a slave revolt. Although the raid was unsuccessful, it escalated tensions between the North and South and increased Southern fears of future uprisings.
The South saw this as proof that the North wanted to get rid of slavery using force. This made Southerners afraid and less trusting, pushing them closer to leaving the Union. -
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln won the presidency without support from Southern states, leaving many Southerners feeling politically powerless. His election stirred fears that slavery would soon be eliminated. Lincoln’s victory without backing from Southern states left many Southerners feeling powerless in the federal government. This led many to believe that secession was their only choice. -
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Southern Succession
Lincoln’s election without Southern support made many in the South feel powerless in the federal government. This convinced them that secession was the only path forward. Secession broke up the United States because the South wanted to keep slavery and have more control over their own states. The federal government refused to accept this, which led straight to war. -
Shots fired at Ft. Sumter
This was the official start of the fighting in the American Civil War. Union troops (Northern troops) stationed at Fort. Sumter in South Carolina were attacked by the South Carolina militia. Union lost and surrendered the fort to the Confederate militia.
Unlike previous acts of violence, this was the first time violence broke out between organized military units. Fighting in the Civil War would continue for 4 more years after this event. -
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American Industrial Revolution
A time of fast technological progress that reshaped the U.S. economy, boosting factory output, improving transportation, and expanding cities. The North industrialized, building an economy centered around factories, railroads, and wage labor, while cities grew and attracted workers. In contrast, the South remained agricultural and depended on enslaved labor for its cotton industry, worsening tensions over slavery and deepening the divide that led to the Civil War.