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Compromise of 1850
In the year 1850 California was admitted as a free state. There was also a fugitive slave act that was passed to be more strict. At this time Washington D.C was required to end the slave trade in the city even thought slavery was still legal in the state. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Slave Act of 1850 enraged the Northerners. The Act stated that all fugitive slaves must be returned to their masters. Anyone who helped the slaves that did not return would be put in prison for up to six months. -
1852
When people found out how bad life for a slave is then they joined the abolitionist movement. The public found out about the life of a slave from a book written by Harriet Beecher Stow. The book was about a kind old slave that is treated badly by his master. Uncle Tom's Cabin was the name of the book. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
This act stated that the territories would decide if they wanted to be pro slave or against slavery by the people. This meant that the people within the territory would vote for what they wanted. When Kansas gets the word out that they are going to be a free state that violates the Missouri Compromise. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slave who lived in a free state. In 1857 the Supreme Court found out about this they sued Scott. The court argued that he was property and not a citizen. -
Harper's Ferry
John Brown leads an attack on Harper's Ferry. The main goals are to get control of the weapons and begin an end to slavery. Brown gets captured in the act and becomes a martyr in the north. After all that the south will wait to see what the north will do to end slavery. -
Lincoln's Election
During the election Lincoln was the only candidate that was against slavery. None of the southern states had voted for him and that showed that the country was divided. This upset the north and the south. The south strongly disagreed with Lincoln and the north so they started to secede away. -
Attack on Ft. Sumter
In 1861 Fort Sumter was a federal fort in South Carolina. The fort was nearly out of food and ammunition and they were badly outnumbered. They decided to surrender the for the the Southern Army. President Lincoln asked for 75,000 people to come help fight for the north. Suddenly the South fired at Fort Sumter when the Union was trying to resupply them. That's when the war began.