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Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was a temporary solution to slavery in the unorganized terrorities of the U.S.. The latitude of 36 degrees 30 minutes was used to divide the territories. All land North of this line was non-slave land, while land south could have slaves. The Missouri Compromise would cause problems later due to the want of Democrats to expand slavery westward and the Republicans who wanted to stop the spread of slavery. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The War with Mexico was started with the idea of manifest destiny. The war was won by the U.S. and in the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (2 Feb, 1848), the U.S. got Texas and territories including the modern day states of Califorina and New Mexico. The gain of land caused problems in the U.S. because the land was under the 36 degree 30 minute line, making it pro slave territories. The Northern states wanted to stop the expansion of slavery, thus causing another division between the sides. -
Wilmont Proviso
The Wilmont Proviso was a bill written in order to ban slavery. This bill was vetoed by the South because they were proslavery. The South viewed this as the North trying to use their power against the South. This made the North made because they wanted at least the banning of expanding slavery, making another divide between the two. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave act allowed slave owners to pursue run-away slaves in the North. This was disliked in the North because white people had to turn in run-aways by law or be punished. The free black people in the North also did not like this due to the fact that they would be found to be a slave by a jury. The jury would be paid more if they turned in slaves rather than let free man go. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin is a book based on the hardships of slavery. Southerners were angered at the book because it was an unfair representation of slavery. The book was banned in the South and burned. The North was shocked at the book and created hated against slavery. -
Formation of the Republican Party
The Republican Party was formed from anti-slavery Whigs and Free Soil Democrats. They believed slavery should not expand to the West, making them disagree with popular soverinty. Seeing this is the oppisite idea of the Democrats, this is yet another division between the two groups. This makes the hate and debate over the issue even stronger. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebreska Act allowed territories to have popluar sovernity (i.e. the territory could vote to have slavery or not.) By allowing this, the Missouri Compromised was repealed, seeing all territories could now choose. Since people from both the North and South moved to this places the choice caused the people within the territories to fight. This issue also divided the Whig party, producing the Republican Party. The new party would argue against the Democrats, leading to more divison. -
Congressman Brooks beats Senator Sumner
During a speech against popular sovereignty, filled with malicious attacks, Congressman Preston Brooks beat Senator Charles Sumner with a cane until he was seriously injured. The South congratulated Brooks and even sent him new canes to hit Sumners with. Sumners became an important figure in the North. This act showed that even the most civilized people became violate over the issue of slavery -
Breakdown of 2 Party System
Prior to this, having a 2 party system caused benefical compromises; however, with the issue of slavery, the parties would not compromise. The Republicans symbolized the opinions of the North while the Democrates were the political party of the South. The contrasting ideas caused a breakdown of the 2 party system, strengthing the distance between the groups. -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was caused by the fighting between pro-slavery and abolistionists in Kansas. Pro-slavery men attacked abolistionists before the vote in order to stop them from voting for Kansas to be a slave free state. This showed that people were unwilling to compromise on the issue now that whites were killed over slavery. -
Dred Scott
Dred Scott was a slave who tried to sue for his freedom; however, the case became an issue of whether Congress could/ would restrict slavery in the territories. The outcome was nullifying the Missouri Compromise and Kansas/ Nebreksa Act becuase they would not restrict slavery. The North feared the South was now using the government to legalize slavery in all of America. This created more Northern support for the Republican Party in order to get Republicans in office to reverse the law. -
Lincoln and Douglas Debates
Lincoln, for the Republican Party, and Douglas, for the Democratic Party, had a string of debates. Lincoln did not want to expand slavery and said that there should not be a divide within the country. The South took this as a threat that slavery would be abolished. Douglas was a supporter of popular soverenity, but with Lincoln's debates, Douglas and his ideas were a little less popular. -
John Brown and Harper's Ferry, VA
John Brown, believing he was told to by God, started a raid in Harper's Ferry, VA. He gave weapons to slaves and they and Brown's sons attacked pro-slavery people. The attack emphaized the fear of Southerners that slaves would kill their owners. John Brown was hung, but the North viewed him as a martyr to the anti-slavery cause. -
1860 Presidental Election
The votes of the election were broken in different sections based on the view point on slavery. Since the North had a greater population, the Republican Party won. The South was now angered since Lincoln, who was just voted president, was anti-slavery. They had no hope of getting proslavery laws passed. -
Fort Sumter
President Lincoln needed to send supplies to Fort Sumter. He informed SC that he was sending 3 ships down, and if there was an attack, the North would fight back. The South had seceeded from the Union, making them need to take a stand against the North to prove themselves. The South attacked the Fort. This was the final straw that caused the Civil War to insue between the North and the South. -
The Crittenden Compromise
The Crittenden Compromise was a last attempt to return to the Missouri Compromise. The same regulations of the Missouri Compromise would be in effect. This, however, was not passed. The South supported it because they would spread slavery to the West (under the 36 degree 30 minute line.) The North rejected the compromise because they did not want slavery to expand at all.
