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3/5 Compromise
The 3/5 Compromise allowed the southern states to use the slave population as 3/5 of a man. So that they could increase their population and get more representatives in the house. So 5 slaves woud equal to 3 men. -
Period: to
1787-1860
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Constitution
The Constitution is the blueprint for the United States government. It divided the government into 3 parts, the Legislative, Executive and the Judicial. The Constitution created the congress, the President, the surpreme court, rules for establishing the military, taxation, etc. -
Bill of Rights created
The Bill of Rights are the first ten emendments to theConstitution. An amendment is an iditional new law or a modification of an existing law. -
Industrial revolution
The industrial revolution is the shift to mechanical producton instead of manual labor. It created new jobs and income and began the shift away from agricultural economy. An example of this would be the steam engine which would soon drive ships and the railroad. -
Cotton Gin
The cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney in 1793. It was then pattened in 1794. It seperated cotton seed from the fibers which before the gin had to be done by hand. It speeded up the process so quickly that growing cotton became very profitable. -
The Louisiana Purchase
President Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the United States by purchasing the area of about ten states from France. He purchased this for 15million dollarsor about 3 cents per acre. -
States Rigths
The Constitution divided the role of government into Federal law and State law. Some functions of government were conducted by Congress and many functions were done in each individule State. As time went on the southern States woud claim and "States Rights" which was to say thatall important levels should be done at the state level. -
Missouri Compromise
As new States joined the Union Southern slave states wanted to make sure that half the states in the country would allow slavery. The Missouri comprmise made missouria slave state and Maine, a free state. Atthis time, there were 15 free states and 15 slave states. It also forbid slavery north of 36/30 degrees. -
Doctrine of Nullification
TheFederal government passed a teriff (A tax on exports). South Carolina did not agree with this law and tried to pass their own State law voiding it. This was the Doctrine of Nullification in 1828. They did not succeed because Andrew Jackson threatened to send Federal troops into South Carolina. -
Indian Remoal Act
In May of 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed a law that would negotiate with the Native Americans in the southern United States for their removal to federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their homelands. Some of the Tribes left peacefulybut some were forced to move under great hardship. This was known as the trail of tears. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
In 1831 Nat Turner lead a slavery vault and killed about 60 white people. Southern whites where horrified and killed many blacks in retaleation. They then passed strict laws forbiding slaves to be educated and to essemble together. -
Mexican-American War
This war took place inbetween1846 and 1848. It is important for two reasons: the United States won the war and added alot of territory to the country including most of Texas and the southwest. This would become an aare that Southern States wanted to expand slavery. It also gave military experience to the future generals of the Civil War. -
Nationalism
Nationalism became popular in the North around 1850. Northerners viewed the United States as one great country witha bright future. Southern States thought of their own area which was called Sectionalism. Southerners were only concerned about slavery and their agracultural intrests. -
Period: to
The Underground Railroad
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Compromise of 1850
The compromise of 1850 kept the peace between he Noth and South for another four years. I delt with all of the new land aquired from the Mexican war. The North got to keep California as a free State and got the slave trade banned in Washington D.C.The South received the right to expand slavery into the new territories of the Southwest and the right to keep the slavery in Washington D.C. The South also go a stronger fugitive slave act. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Toms Cabin was a book written by Harreit Beecher Stowe in 1852. It is important because it portrayed slavery as being brutal to African-American people. Up until the book was written, most Northerners thought that slaves were treated well. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
When Kansas and Nebraska had enough people to become states the Kansas Nebraska act allowed the people themselves to decide wether or noth they would have slavery.This was called popular sovereigntey. What happened was, groups of slave holders would fight against a group of non slave holders And many people died. This became know as bleeding Kansas. -
Dredd Scott decision
In 1857 the surpreme court ruled that if a slave escaped and went up north to a free state that he coud be hunted down and returned into slavery. It basically said that African Americans had no rights as citizens whatsoever. -
John Brown's raid
In 1859 John Brown raided a Federal garison to steal weapons with the intention of starting a slave revolt. This made the slave holders very paranoid and distrustful of the North. -
Election of 1860
In the election of 1860 the republican party was deticated to stopping the expansion of slavery into any of the new territories of the United States. Te Republicans would only allow slavery to exsist in the current Southern States. The Southern states vowed to leave the Union if Lincoln was elected. Within four months of the election 11 southern states left the Union and formed their own country.