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The Lecompton Constitution was a pro-slavery document drafted by Southern settlers in Kansas, proposing that Kansas join the Union as a slave state. It was highly contested because it was perceived as being imposed on the people of Kansas, who were overwhelmingly opposed to slavery. The debate whether Kansas should accept slavery or not got so heated that it formed a symbol of the sectional divide between the North and South, pushing the country in the direction of civil war.(McPherson, 145). -
This United States Supreme Court case addressed a Pennsylvania legislation that permitted free states to assist fugitive slaves in escaping to freedom. The Court found that states lacked power to protect runaway slaves from being caught and returned to their owners, upholding the Fugitive Slave Act. The decision was interpreted as a victory for Southern slave owners, but also sparked anger in the North, where abolitionists saw it as an abuse of government power.(Varon, 87). -
This event is when the US officially annexed Texas and had won independence from Mexico. This decision came off controversial because Texas entered the Union as a slave state. This annexation greatly intensified the debate over the expansion of slavery and fueled tensions that would eventually lead up to the American Civil War. (Varon 29). -
The Mexican American War was a turning point for the US, resulting in the country gaining vast new territories like California and New Mexico. The war reunited debates over slavery. As these new territories cane under US control, it raised the question whether they would allow slavery, that would intensify the division between North and South. This debate played a significant role in the events leading up to the Civil War. (McPherson, 76). -
This event was a series of legislative actions that were aimed at easing the tensions between free and slave states after the US gained new land from Mexico. It made California a free state and set up territories where residents could decide for themselves about slavery. A significant part of this event was the Fugitive Slave Act, which forced citizens to help catch runaway slaves, which angered many and kept pushing closer to conflict. -
This act allowed people in Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether they wanted to permit slavery through popular sovereignty. This specific act sparked violent confrontations between pro slavery and anti slavery groups in Kansas. This time period highlighted the deepening divide between North and South. (McPherson 137). -
Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts gave an emotional speech in 1856 protesting slavery and accused Southern leaders of assassination. In revenge, South Carolina Congressman Preston Brooks attacked Sumner on the Senate floor, nearly killing him. This tragic occurrence exemplified the violent character of American politics in the 1850s, when mounting tensions between the North and South escalated into physical violence.
Source: Battle Cry of Freedom (McPherson, 120). -
During this event involved Supreme Court decision, the Court declared that Dred Scott, an enslaved man, was not a citizen and could not seek for his freedom. The Supreme Court also stated that Congress lacked the authority to outlaw slavery in U.S. territories, essentially invalidating the Missouri Compromise. This decision heightened emotions across the country and contributed to the escalating sectional conflict.
(McPherson, 180). -
When Abraham Lincoln was elected president with no Southern support, many Southern states took it as an indication that their interests were no longer being represented. Lincoln's antislavery position prompted Southern leaders to separate from the Union, resulting in the formation of the Confederacy and, eventually, the Civil War. (McPherson, 256). -
The Battle of Fort Sumter in April 1861 is often seenas the official moment the Civil War began. Confederate forces attacked the Union garrison at the fort at Charleston, South Carolina, after Southern states had seceded. The attack marked the start of armed conflict and was the last cause for Southern states to permanently secede from the Union, making it a direct result of rising tensions in the 1850s.(Varon, 245).
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