Events for the 1850s

Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions written

Nov 15, 1798

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/630019/Virginia-and-Kentucky-ResolutionsThese resolutions were written by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson to try to get Virgina and Kentucky to nullify (not approve of) the Alien and Sedition Acts. The U.S. government tried to pass these acts which made criticising the government illeagal. These acts were directed toward the republicans opposing the government and threatened to fine them for any government criticism. Madison and Jefferson argued that these acts violated the First Ammendment of freedom of speech and press.

Hartford Convention meets during War of 1812

Dec 15, 1814

http://www.course-notes.org/US_History/Unit_Notes/Unit_Four_1800_1840/War_of_1812In Hartford, CT Newenglanders discussed the problems in New England during the war of 1814. New England Federalists were becoming a problem for the national Gov. They opposed gov measures,refused to surrender their militia to national service were unhappy with the expenses of the war, and didnt support the Federal loan of 1814. MA called for a secret confrence to discuss New Englands disagvantage.They decided not to break away from the Union.As a result the gov. passed laws to help NewEngland

Missouri Compromise

Jan 3, 1820

This compromise settled disputes between the free and slave states when MO asked to join the U.S. as a slave state. In 1819 there was a balance between them with 11 slave and 11 free states. So, a comprimise was made that Misouri would join as a slave state and ME would be seperate from MA asa free state along with the MO comprmis line
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/neh/interactives/sectionalism/lesson1/

Tariff of Abominations passed

May 19, 1828

http://txcdk1.unt.edu/TCRR/bitstream/handle/2188/809/06_null_crisis.htm?sequence=4This tax was passed to protect northern United States. It was called by the southerners the Tariff of Abominations because of its negative effects on the Southern economy. It put a tax on low-priced imported goods so that the north wouldnt be driven out of buissness. This made it harder for the South to buy goods they didn't produce.

South Carolina tries to nullify

Nov 24, 1832

http://www.ushistory.org/us/24c.asp
South Carolina tried to nullify the Tarrif of Abominations because it only benifited the north and its industries and economically hurt the south. South Carolina wanted to disolve the union but Vice President John C. Calhoun lead them to instead nullify the law, or call it unconstitutional, and not practice it within its borders. As a result, the Tariff was revised with a compromise bill.

Abolition of Slavary Act (1833)

Dec 11, 1833

http://www.users.muohio.edu/mandellc/projects/aronowml/History.HTM
Slavery ended in England in 1833. The Parliament of the United Kingdom abolishing slavery throughout the British Empire but it was later repealed.

Texas declares independence from Mexico

Mar 2, 1836

http://www.tshaonline.org/day-by-day/30565
Delegates from the seventeen Mexican municipalities of Texas and the settlement of Pecan Point met at Washington-on-the-Brazos to consider independence from Mexico. The convention voted unanimously to accept a resolution for independence. Fifty-eight members signed the document, Texas became the Republic of Texas.

James Polk elected

Nov 15, 1844

http://www.nchistoricsites.org/polk/main.htm
Polk's presidential campaign was centered around the anexation of Texas. He promised he'd fight for the anexation of Texas and for American control of the entire Oregon Territory. He was able to defeat Caly and Birney and win the election. He served one term as the 11th president of the United States.

Mexican War

Apr 25, 1846

http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/timeline_flash.html
Polk had offered Mexico millioins of dollars for North Mexico but Mexico refused. To try to start war to get the land, Polk sent General Taylor's troops toward the Rio Grande where border desputed were. Here, several Americans were killed and War on Mexico was declared. After two years, the U.S. won, winning North Mexico for half of what they had originally offered.

Wilmot Proviso

Aug 8, 1846

http://www.tahg.org/module_display.php?mod_id=119&review=yes#1121David Wilmont proposed this law in whick no land won in the Mexican war would become open to slavary. While most of the support for the bill came from northerners who wanted slavary aboulished, Wilmont formed the law to create land where there was no labor competition for jobs against slaves. The law never passed through both houses of Congress but it did lead to national debate over slavary.

California enters the Union

Sep 9, 1850

http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist5/caladmit.html
California was ceded to U.S. rule under the terms of the Treaty of Guadaloope. Californis entered the union and wanted to become a free state under popular sovernty and by the Compromise of 1850 California was permitted to be admitted to the Union as a free state.

Fugitive Slave Law enacted

Sep 18, 1850

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2951.html
The fugitive slave act was part of the group of lwas reffered to as the Compromise of 1850. This law required citizens to assist in the recovery of fugitive slaves and denied slaves the right to a jury trial. The enactment of this law lead directly to the Underground Railroad.

Publicating of Uncle Tom's Cabin

Mar 20, 1852

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2958.html
A white woman named Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote this popular anti-slavery novel. It was very popular with 5,000 copies of the first edition printed and sold in two days. By the end of the first year, 300,000 copies had been sold in America alone and in England 200,000 copies were sold. Because of her work, thousands of people rallied to the anti-slavery cause.

Kansas-Nebraska Act passed

May 30, 1854

http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/kansasnebraska-act-passedThe U.S. Congress passed this Act allowing voting residents (white males) in Kansas and Nebraska to vote to allow or not allow slavary within the borders of these two states. This Act repealed the Missouri Comprimise of 1820 by allowing popular sovernty in the area of the unorganized territory. This Act was formed to give the southern states the oppertunity to ballance free and slave states again. Befor, there was no way Kansas or Nebraska would be slave states but with the Act, now they could.

Formation of Republican Party

Jun 6, 1854

http://www.ushistory.org/gop/origins.htm
The Republican party was founded by anti-slavery expansion activists. It emerged to combat the Kansas-Nebraska Act which threatened the spread of slavary into Kansas and Nebraska. It was made up completely of northerners.

"Border Ruffians" attack Lawrence

May 21, 1856

http://www.ushistory.org/us/31c.aspOn May 21, 1856 a group of Border Ruffians (proslavary bands from Missouri) entered the Free-State stronghold of Lawrence. There they burned the Free State Hotel, destroyed two newspaper offices and their printing presses, and ransacked homes and stores. Seeking vengence, John Brown, an abolitionist, led a group of men on an attack at Pottawatomie Creek. There, they dragged five proslavery men from their homes and hacked them to death.

Charles Sumner attacked

May 22, 1856

http://www.ushistory.org/us/31e.aspCharles Summer, supporter of free states, gave a speech called Crimes Against Kansas in which he blamed slave supporting senators, especially Andrew Butler for knowing about the Border Ruffians and doing nothing to stop them. A few days later, Reprasentatinve Preston Brooks of South Carolina took revenge for his relative on Summer. While Summer was at his desk in the Senate Chamber, Brooks beet Sumner with his metal cane, knocking him unconsience. No witness stopped Brooks as he walked out.

Pottawatomie Creek

May 24, 1856

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/hns/kansas/jbrown.htmlThree days after Border Ruffians from Missouri burned and pillaged the anti-slavery haven of Lawrence, John Brown and his company went to Pottawatomie Creek to get vengance on them. John Brown and his Free-State vollenteers draged 5 men out of their houses and hacked to death. The fall of Lawrence combined with the Pottawatomie killings caused southeastern Kansas to break out into guerilla warfare.

Dred Scott decision announced

Mar 6, 1857

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=334The Dred Scott case was a case brought to the United States Supreme Court in which the slave Dred Scott was suing his master Sanford for his and his family's freedom. He claimed that he had been brought to the free state of Illinois and therefore once free, always free. The case was determined by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney who declared that all blacks -- slaves as well as free -- were not and could never become citizens of the United States and therefore could not bring forth a law suit.

Lecompton Constitution passed

Dec 21, 1857

http://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/kansas-constitutions/16532The Lecompton Constitution was formed by the Kansas Constitutional convention when they met in Lecompton. This constitution guaranteed a slaveholder’s right to retain ownership of their slaves currently living in the territory, but it also prohibited future importation of slaves to Kansas. If the people kept this in the constitution they would be a slave state but if they didnt, it would be a free state. The people voted to not include this in the constitution, making Kansas a free State.

Lincoln-Douglass Debates

Aug 21, 1858

http://www.manythings.org/voa/history/88.htmlThese debates were between Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln over the 1858 campaign for a US Senate seat from Illinois. Douglass had been the Senate since 1847 and was a supporter of popular sovernty and was responsible for the Kansas-Nebraska Act while Lincon wanted to end the division betwenn slave and free states. Lincon lost the race to Douglass but won the 1860 election for president.

Raid at Harper's Ferry

Oct 16, 1859

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2940.htmlJohn Brown went with 21 other men to Harpers Ferry, a federal arsenal, to support the anti-slavery cause. They crossed the Potomac River, captured the federal armory and arsernal, cut the town's telephone wires, and held 60 citizens of the town hostage in hope that their slaves would join their cause. Local militia, marines and solders ended the uprising and 10 of Brown's men were killed, 7 were captured and 5 escaped.

Formation of Constitutional Union Party

May 1, 1860

http://www.course-notes.org/parties/Constitutional_Union_Party
This party was organized just before the election of 1860. The party followed the Constitution of the county as their political principle. Delegates from 20 states attended the party convention at Baltimore in May, 1860. The party nominated John Bell and Edward Everette were for president and vice president.

Democrats split in 1860

Jun 23, 1860

http://www.tulane.edu/~latner/Background/BackgroundElection.htmlThe Democratic party split over the contraversy over popular sovernty. Southern Democrats felt that popular sovernty should be the way free and slave states were divided since it put the decision in the people's hands. Yet, Northern Democrats didn't want popular sovernty because it didnt effectivly prevent the spred of slavery. This division was eveident when they met in two separate conventions in Baltimore.

Election of 1860

Nov 6, 1860

http://www.ushistory.org/us/32d.asp
The leading political organization of the North was the Republican Party, This party condemmed slavery and wanted to prevent its extension. The South was mostly Democratic and supported slavery. Abraham Lincon, Stephen A. Douglass, John C. Breckinridge, and John Bell ran for president. Lincon recieved 40% of the votes, barely winning him the election.