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The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 stated that no state could be a slave state about the 36 30' line except for Missouri. But, this only lasted for 34 years. -
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Events
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War With Mexico
In 1846, the U.S. went to war with Mexico in order to gain more land from them such as California, New Mexic, and Texas. Northerners opposed the war becuase they didnt want more land in the South becuase they feared more slave states would be created. -
Wilmot's Provisio
David wilmot proposed a law, Wilmot's Proviso, that would ban slavery in all lands gained from Mexico. Southern senators blocked it thoughgt and it never became a law. But, it did ruin North and South relations badly. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Compromise of 1850 had a new part added to it called the Fugitive Slave Act. This Act encouraged slave owners to look for their runaway slaves in the North and bring them back into their possesion. The Fugitive Slave Act also denied slaves right to a jury. This outraged the North, becuase many blacks were being convicted as runaway slaves even if they were always free. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
The novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe had one of the biggest impacts on the North and the South. In the North, people were absolutely horrified at the conditions in which slaves lived in. Southerners were outraged by the book and burned it, and beat anyone caught possessing it. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed which repealed the Missouri Compromise. It stated that the territories in the Louisiana purchase had popular sovereignty, which meant that people could vote on the issue of slavery and see if their territory would be a slave or a free state. -
Bleeding Kansas
Popular sovereignty was first tsted with Kansas, but it ended up in a disaster. People who were pro-slavery and anti-slavery poured into Kansas to try to persuade others to vote either for or against slavery. Brutal fights and battles broke out in 1854-1858, and it was later known as Bleeding Kansas. -
Formation of Republican Party
Because of Bleeding Kansas, the Republican Party ws formed in Ripon, Wisconsin. Its main proposal was ther restriction of slavery from all territories. This was basically a declaration of war to Southerners, because with Republicans they were engaged in a final struggle for liberty. -
Democratic Party Supports South
The Democratic Party increasingly supported the interests of the South. Now that their were 2 parties it signaled that the North and South would and could not work together anymore. Republican and Democratic candidates then became very radical in their calls for either ending slavery, or extending it. -
Violence Over Slavery in US Congress
Violence over slavery even spread to the U.S. Congress in 1856 when Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina viscously beat Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts with a cane. He did this becuase Sumner delievered a brutal attack on slavery, that got personal to Brooks. Northerners were horrified at the act, but Southerners praised Brooks for what he did to Sumner. -
Dred Scott Decsion
In the Dred Scott case of 1857, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress could not restrict slavery in any territory. This decision therefore nullified the Missouri Compromise and the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Northerners flocked to the Republican Party, and feared that slave-owners would conpire to use government to legalize slavery everywhere. -
Lincoln and Douglas Debate
Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas argued on an important debate. Lincoln stated, "A house divided against itslef cannot stand," meanin that America could no longer run half of the country supporting slavery, and the other half wanting to abolish it. Douglas argued however, that states should use popular sovereignty on the issue of slavery. -
Revolt in Harper's Ferry
John Brown, was an abolitionist of the North who believed that God had sent him to completey rid America of slavery. He then planned a slave revolt in Harper's Ferry, Virginia and got slaves to revolt with him and provided them with knives to kill their masters. This revolt however failed miserably for him, and he was hanged for treason. The South was digusted by his act, but the North considered him as a martyr. -
Presidential Election of 1860
The candidates for the 1860 election were Abraham Lincoln, who was against slavery, and John Breckinridge who was for slavery. Lincoln however, won the election and the South's worst nightmare had come true. They then believed that they had to leave the Union or face the destruction of every instituion they held dear. -
The Crittenden Compromise
In 1860-1861 the Crittenden Compromise was one last effort to preserve the Union by stating that slavery would be forbidden above the 36/30 line, but would be protected below it. This compromise however was not very popular and didn't carry much support. -
The South Secedes the Union
7 states of the Lower South seceded from the Union by February of 1861. And then, on April 12, 1861, Southern forces attacked Fort Sumter to prevent it from being re-supplied which opened hostilities between the North and South. Lincoln responded by calling for volunteers to fight to make it clear to try to preserve the Union, but this caused 4 more states of the Upper South to secede as well.
