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3/5 Compromise
Compromise between northern and southern states made during the Philedelphia Convention of 1787 in which 3/5 of the enumerated popuation of slaves in the US would be counted for representation purposes. Proposed by James Wilson and Roger Sherman. Lead to representation problems. south greatly outnumbered north and was one cause of Civil War. -
Cotton Gin
A device invented by Eli Whitney to make picking cotton more efficient. This made the south even more dependent on plantations and slavery. This didn't make slavery decrease but instead the opposite. They still needed slaves to pick the cotton initially and with the rapid growth of cotton, the need of more slaves grew as well. In general, Eli Whitney can seen as the man who started the Civil War. -
Missouri Compromise
Compromise between north and south which stated the rules for which new territory could become a free state and which could become a slave state. Important because it lead to several different problems based on territory in the future. Caused further seperation and conflicts between the north and south. -
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Amnistad Case
Case between United States and the slaves aboard the ship "The Amnistad." Through this case, the idea of slaves being equ to everyone else arose. This case opened th doors for Africans in America. -
Acuisition of Texas
Lead to Mexican-American War which gave America additional territory to help extend to the Pacific Ocean. Territorial issues were solved in the Compromise of 1850. Without the annexation of Texas, the US would have had a tougher time reaching the Pacific and getting the continental railroad up and running. -
Compromise of 1850
Group of five bills passed regarding territories won during the Mexican-American War.
1. California was admitted as a free state.
2. The slave trade was abolished (the sale of slaves, not the institution of slavery) in the District of Columbia.
3. The Territory of New Mexicoand the Territory of Utah were organized under the rule of popular sovereignty. I
4. A harsher Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the Senate
5.Texas gave up much of the western land which it claimed and recieved 10,000,000$ -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in opposition of slavery. Depicted the gruesom treatment of slaves in the south. This novel caused quite a stir with southerners. They were outraged claiming the falsity of the novel and even went as far as writting "payback" novels. This just made the tension between the north and south grow even more leading up to the Civil War. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
It allowed people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery within their borders. The Act served to repeal the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which prohibited slavery north of latitude 36°30´. Infuriated South. Both north and south flooded Kansas to help determine it's future. Violence soon erupted giving the name "Bleeding Kansas." Kansas ended up being admitted to the Union as a free state. -
Sumner Brooks
Assault attack made on Sentetor Charles Sumner after giving the speech "The Chrime Against Kansas." Southerners took offence to this and Congressmen Preston Brooks and Laurnece Keitt beat Sumner half to death with a walking stick. This iinsident showed how involved both the north and the south were with the abolishment of slavery and that they would not go down without a fight. -
Dred Scott Case
Decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court. It held that the federal government had no power to regulate slavery in the territories, and that people of African descent (both slave and free) were not protected by the Constitution and were not U.S. citizens.This can be seena s the worst decision made by the Supreme Court.Showed how Americans viewed African Americans. Further expanded tension between north and south. -
John Brown
Crazy abolitionist who went as far as killing five pro slavery supporters in Kansas. Lead an unsuccessful raid on the Federal Armory at Harpers Ferry which ultimately resulted in his death by hanging. This could be seen as one of the major contributers to the start of the Civil War. -
Election of Lincoln
With the election of Lincoln, the saving of the Union was sure to be first on his agenda. The previous president would have let the secession occur and America would not have made it through these hard tiimes. With Lincoln however, the Civil War was inevitable and he was going to do everything in his power to keep the Union in tact. With the election of Lincoln, the Civil War begins.