Events Leading to the Civil War

By 18johnson2

  • The Missouri Crisis (red)

    The Missouri Crisis is when tensions began to rise between pro and anti-slavery groups across the US when Missouri wanted to be admitted to the Union as a free state. To keep peace, the Missouri Compromise was established

  • Compromise of 1820 (purple)

    Balancing of free and slave states, made states north of the Mason Dixon line free, and south of the line slave states.
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    William Garrison Publishes The Liberator (red)

    The Liberator was an anti-slavery newspaper that was in publication for 35 years from Boston, which created more support for the cause
  • Nat Turner's Slave Revolt (red)

    Nat Turner's Slave Revolt (red)

    This was a slave revolt led by Nat Turner in Southampton County, Virginia, which killed 55 to 65 people. This is the highest recorded deaths from a slave revolt in history.

  • Texas Annexation of 1844(red)

    Addition of the territory of Texas from the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, made Texas a slave state

  • Wilmot Proviso(red)

    Eliminated slavery in land acquired as a result of the Mexican War
  • Compromise of 1850(purple)

    Compromise of 1850(purple)

    Admitted California as a free state and allowed New Mexico and Utah to decide their own slave laws, passed the fugitive slave law
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    Underground Railroad (red)

    The Underground Railroad was a secret connection of routes and safe houses used by slaves to escape to free states.

  • Fugitive Slave Law(red)

    The Fugitive Slave Law was an act that made all escaped slaves able to be returned to their master even if they had crossed free state bounds, apart of the Compromise of 1850.
  • Publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin(red)

    Publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin(red)

    Novel written about the horrors of slavery, created sympathy for the anti-slavery movement

  • Formation of the Republican Party(red)

    The Republican party began as the anti-slavery Democrats who opposed the Kansas–Nebraska Act

  • Kansas-Nebraska Act(red)

    Let Kansas and Nebraska decide their own slave laws, North was angered by their decision because it went against the Mossuri Comprimise
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    Bleeding Kansas (red)

    Bleeding Kansas was a series of violent political confrontations between pro and anti-slavery supporters. It started after the Kansas-Nebraska Act and ended when Kansas became a state.
  • Dredd Scott Supreme Court Decision (red)

    Dredd Scott Supreme Court Decision (red)

    Dredd Scott lived in a free state, but was called in to court to argue his freedom. Lost his freedom in the Supreme Court decision
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    Lincoln Douglas Debates (red)

    This was a series of debates between the presidential candidates Abraham Lincoln, from the republican party, and Stephen Douglas, from the democratic party. The topics of these debates were extremely important to the ideas of sectionalism and the slave state controversy.
  • John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry(red)

    John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry(red)

    John Brown led an armed slave rebellion by raiding the arsenal on board the Harper's Ferry
  • Election of 1860(red)

    Election of 1860(red)

    Abraham Lincoln won the election for his party which opposed slavery, led the south to secede