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Mexican-American War
The U.S. denied Texas, a newly independent state, of being accepted into the Union because they did not want a new slave state. Gold was also discovered in California. Polk ordered troops into Mexican territory and the war began. The Mexican-American war was the first conflict that created a lot of tension within the U.S. -
Oregon Treaty
The Oregon Treaty settled a dispute over the Oregon Territory, once belonging to four different claimers. Two of the four surrendered their claims, leaving Great Britain and America with the to deal with the territory. The Oregon Treaty was created to make an agreement of a "joint occupation", settling the dispute and avoiding any future conflicts and war. This was important because it allowed the U.S. to focus on the disputes that were already going on within the country. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 had five parts: 1. California would join the union as a free state; 2. Texas would give up land for money from the government; 3. All new states added to the union would choose whether they are a free or slave state by popular sovereignty; 4. Slave trade was banned in D.C.; 5. The Fugitive Slave Act would be passed. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The only people who loved this act were slave owners. The Fugitive Slave Act made it so anyone helping a slave run away would suffer severe punishment, therefore compelling them to return runaway slaves to their owners. This caused stir because anti-slavery supporters wanted to help out the slaves but couldn't. -
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" Published
Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was a book describing the horrors of the brutal punishments the slaves endured. This book encouraged and inspired people to choose to fight against slavery. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska Act allowed popular sovereignty to decide whether or not the state would allow slavery. This was important because it repealed the both the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850, stirring up tension once again between slave states and non-slave states. -
Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott moved to Illinois (a free state) with his master. When his master died, Scott believed that he was free, but his master's widow claimed that he now belonged to her. This turned into a major case, where he ended up losing in front of the Supreme Court, stirring up anger in anti-slavery supporters that slaves were only treated like property instead of people. -
Raid on Harper's Ferry
John Brown came up with a devious plan of raiding Harper's Ferry of weapons and give them to runaway slaves to start a rebellion in West Virginia. He raided the Ferry with his sons and a couple others, but the slaves never showed up, causing forces to kill the raiders and execute John Brown for treason. This had an impact on slave owners, creating the thought that their slaves could one day rebel against them, causing them be harsher to their slaves. -
Lincoln Becomes President
Abraham Lincoln was elected through the Electoral College. Southerners didn't like Lincoln because they knew that he was going to try and end slavery altogether. President Lincoln declared war in order to stop the South from leaving the United States completely. -
Forming of the Confederacy
The South seceded and named themselves The Confederate States of America. The North was outraged and therefore this led to Lincoln declaring war to win them back.
