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Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a secret network made up of volunteers who were white abolitionist and free African Americans that were going to help runaway (fugitive) slaves on their journey North to freedom. Hariett Tubman, an excaped slave, was nicknamed the "conductor" of the Underground Railroad. She would venture back into the South to try to save other slaves. People would come during the night to try to teach songs on how to get to the North or what symbols were for safe houses. -
THE COMPROMISE OF 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a way of avoiding war and was created to try to please both the North and South. In favor of the North, it would be admitting California as a free state. In favor of the South, it called for a stronger and stricter fugitive slave law and the North were to return escaped slaves to their owners. -
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
In response to the Compromise of 1850, the act had become more strict. If a slave were to escape the master of the slave were punish them brutally. The twist on the act was that anyone who was to help the escaped slave was to be subjected to a harsh punishment as well. Such as being thrown in jail. -
Personal Liberty Laws
To contradict the Fugitve Slave Act, nine of the Northern states passed the Personal Liberty Laws. The new law forbid the imprisonment of escaped slaves. It also had given some rights to slaves when it came to law. Such as the big justice of being granted to have a jury trials. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
This novel was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It made more Northerner abolishionist increase the protest on the Fugitive Slave Act. Meanwhile, this novel had offended the Southerners. Some Southerners tried to write a novel to show the lies about the novel but they had failed to deflate the increase of the strong belief that slavery was evil and destroyed families. -
New Political Parties Arising
Slavery had affected the Whig Party. This is where we start to see the dividing between North and South or what they were called the Northern Whigs and the Southern Whigs. The sense of unity in the political parties forcasted losses during election time. Such as when the Whig Party loses to the Democratic candidate, Franklin Pierce. -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
With the growing conflict arrising from the North and South, came this act. This act had published the idea of popular sovereignty. This had split the Nebraska into territories of Nebraska and Kansas. Leaving the states to their own fate of being a slave state or free state. -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was the name for the period of violence that erupted in the Kansas territory. John Brown attributed to the huge chaos after he killed 5 proslavery citizens during a raid. From this more attacks were being taken place throughout the territory. By the end around 200 people, proslavery and antislavery supporters, had died. -
Dred Scott v. Sanford Chief Justice Roger B. Taney
This case was a big turning point in the crisis of slavery in the territories. In the case Dred Scott was suing for his freedom because his owner had moved with him to free land. In the end the Court ruled in favor of Dred Scott's master. This case showed that even in the North there was no power in stopping the spread of slavery in the territories and that slaves are only property -
Rebellion Harpers Ferry
At Harpers Ferry in Virignia, a white slave abolitionist named John Brown was trying to strike up a slave rebellion. John Brown and a few of his followers broke into a federal arsenal. Their goal was to steal guns and give them to slaves so they can revoly. But, Brown was caught and charged with treason.
