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American Industrial Revolution
The industrial revolution was when products became standardized by use of interchangeable parts (created by Eli Whitney). This resulted in products becoming mass produced.
This made a lot of job opportunities in the north for immigrants, which increased the population in the north. This also increased the demand for slavery. The American Industrial revolution divided America. -
Creation of Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney created the cotton gin which was a machine that cleaned cotton, making it ready to be sold. This caused people to produce cotton at much higher rates.Because cotton was being produced at much higher rates more plantations were made as the demand for cotton increased. As more plantations were made, more people were enslaved to work on the plantations. Textile factories were created in the north so more slavery occurred in the south. -
Second Great Awakening
This was a Protestant religious revival in the United States.
It may have made more people want to abolish slavery. It also made many reform movements. -
Louisiana Purchase
The U.S. purchased westward territories from France for 15 million dollars. It promotes movement westward, doubles the country’s land. It raises the question on whether slavery will be allowed in westward states. It causes conflict with the Native American tribes living in the west. -
Missouri Compromise
Missouri is admitted to the Union as a slave state but in the future, states north of Missouri would be admitted only if they were free
The politician balance between the north and south had been kept by admitting slave and free states. The more popular North had come to dominate the House of Representatives and the South redressed the balance. -
Nat Turner’s Rebellion
Nat Turner was an enslaved man who led enslaved people and created a massacre to abolish slavery.
This made southern states start making militias due to the attack. That way, if they were to get attacked again, they would have protection. -
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Nullification Crisis (President Jackson)
It was a confrontation between the state of South Carolina and the federal government in 1832–1833 over the former's attempt to declare null and void within the state the federal Tariffs
This almost made the Civil War start due to tension between the states. A tariff bill was compromised and it ended. -
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Mexican American War
The US won the war and this doubled the size of the US. This caused further debate on whether newly acquired states would be against slavery or allow it. -
California Gold Rush
Gold was discovered on Sutter’s Mill so many people migrated to california. This led to many African-Americans moving to California. Some enslaved people were brought to work in California but there were also free African-Americans settling there as well. -
Compromise of 1850
Slave trade became illegal in Washington DC. California became a free state and Utah and New Mexico decided for themselves to be a free state or not. It makes it so slavery could POTENTIALY expand westward. If Utah and New Mexico vote to keep slavery legal. -
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin
A book published by Harriet Beecher Stowe about the story of a enslaved person and what he goes through. This novel reached worldwide popularity especially among white people in the north. Helped people in the north realize what was going on in the south. -
Frederick Douglass gives July 4th Speech
A speech given by Fredrick Douglass on The Fourth of July about being a black person during the Fourth of July. The speech is advocating equal justice and rights, and citizenship for black people.
in the north the speech was reprinted and was published and sold as a 40 page pamphlet within weeks. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
A act that allowed Kansas and Nebraska to decide if they want to be a free or slave state using popular sovereignty. Enslavers and anti slavery rush to Kansas to secure their allege vote and cause a lot of violence in Kansas. -
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“Bleeding Kansas”
Thousands of abolitionist northerners and pro-slavery southerners travel to Kansas. They intend to cross the border for only long enough to vote. While they were there southern slave-owners and slavery fight each other and radical abolishinist john browns and his sons murder many pro slavery settlers. -
Attack on Charles Sumner
Charles Sumner had just given a speech condemning the pro-enslavement forces in Kansas. After the speech Congressman Preston Brooks attacked Sumner with a cane.
Due to this event congressmen start to bring weapons into the senate floor. -
Dred Scott v Sanford
Dred Scott, an enslaved person living in a free state, lost his case that argued that he should be a free person. He stated that since his enslaver had knowingly taken I’m to a free state he was a free man. But the Supreme Court said that since he was enslaved he was not a US citizen and therefore couldn’t sue the first place. This decision resulted in African-Americans not being considered citizens until after the civil war. -
Raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown had a plan to raid a arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia and arm slaves on the way and start a uprising. The plan didn’t work out because while capturing a building he got surrounded by militias and was eventually hanged for treason. This event sparked more passion for growing Black activist movements that lead to open civil war. -
Election of 1860
In this election Republican Abraham Lincoln defeated southern Democrat Stephan A. Douglas. Even though Lincoln’s name wasn’t even on ten of the southern ballots he still won with 180 electoral college votes. Due to Lincoln winning the election South Carolina and six other states seceded from the union one by one. -
Southern Secession
One month after Abraham Lincoln's Inauguration, 11 slaveholding states had seceded from the union. The first one to leave was South Carolina. After South Carolina left one by one 10 more states seceded from the union. Due to the secession the nation had been led into civil war against the seceded states. -
Shots fired at Ft. Sumter
This was the official start of fighting in the American Civil War. Union troops (northern troops) stationed at Ft. Sumter in South Carolina were attacked by the South Carolina militia. Union troops lost and surrendered the fort to the Confederate militia. Unlike previous acts of violence, this was the first time violence broke out between organized military troops. Fighting in the Civil War would continue for 4 more years after this event.