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Slavery in the South
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End of the Atlantic Slave Trade
As an attempt to slowly create a country without slavery, the U.S. Government abolished the Atlantic Slave Trade. This only lead to a lot more trading within the South, and more families being separated from each other. It was the first step towards a panicking South, worried about loosing the gentry lifestyle. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
A self educated slave by the name of Nat Turner became deeply spiritual after being separated from his wife. Taking an August eclipse as a sign from God, Turner lead a rebellion that killed no fewer than 55 white Southerners. White militia disbanded Nat Turner's small group, and Turner was hanged. Afterwards, stricter slave codes were put into effect. -
Annexation of Texas
After Texas became an independent nation, the future state wanted to be a part of the United States. This caused some debate in congress, with worries of a disbanded union, but eventually in 1845, Texas was admitted as a slave state. -
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Bleeding Kansas
Missouri senator David R. Atchison convinced Missouri residents to go into Kansas to vote the state as pro-slavery. The majority of Kansas wanted to be slave free, and so this lead to Bleeding Kansas. -
California
When the California Territory wanted to be admitted to the union, it was above and below the Missouri Compromise Latitude. Congress then changed the compromise to popular sovereignty to decided weather future states were slave or free states. -
Fugitive Slave Act
To give the South something because of California, congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act. This stated Southerners could go up North to capture escaped slaves. This caused some problems, as free men who had been free their whole lives where brought to the South. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, the book depicted the life and death of a Southern slave. It was competing with the Bible in sales, and showed the North the horrors of slavery in the South. -
Pottawatomie Massacre
Abolitionist John Brown murdered 5 settlers at Pottawatomie with his followers after pro-slavery forces burned down Lawrence. Together, these events started a guerrilla war in Kansas -
Dred Scott vs. Stanford
After being brought up North by his master, Scott claimed he was free. His case found its way to the supreme court with the final ruling stating Scott was property, and could not use the court system. Along with the Fugitive Slave Act, one could have slaves anywhere. -
Lincoln voted into Presidency
In 1860, the United States elected middle ground president Lincoln. He was against slavery, which lead to an even more divided country.
