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The Wilmot Proviso was introduced in August 1846 by Pennsylvania congressman David Wilmot. It proposed that slavery be banned in any territory acquired from Mexico as a result of the Mexican-American War. It was passed in the House but failed in the Senate. (McPherson 52) This is important to include because it highlights there were other attempts at preventing slavery from heading west other than the Compromise of 1850. That, and there is a street labeled 'Wilmot Rd' near to where I live.
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The Free Soil Party was a political party from 1848-1854 and was the precursor to the Republican Party. The party's main focus was on preventing slavery from expanding into western territories. While not explicitly for complete abolition, they wouldn't be opposed to that result. (Varon 202) I feel this is an important event because one of the leading party of the US government not only during Civil War but in US history has its roots in this political party.
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John C. Calhoun was a prominent Southern Senator in the pre-Civil War era. Before he died, he wrote a speech condemning the compromise of 1850 and said that the south had to choose between subjugation or succession. This is important because it opened up succession as an option for the southern states.
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Delegates from 9 slave states meet in Nashville, Tennessee, to discuss secession if Congress decides to outlaw slavery in new territories. The moderates were able to overrule the fired up delegates who wanted secession. The speaker for the moderates reminded the convention that they convened to continue the union, not destroy it. However, that did not mean that secession was completely off the table. This is an important event as it was the first time the south seriously considered secession.
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The Fugitive Slave Act stated that all escaped slaves should be returned to their owner once captured and that officials/citizens of free states had to cooperate. This is important because it further polarized both sides. The north was pissed that the act was passed and circumvented their own laws and beliefs of slavery.
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Maryland slaveowner Edward Gorsuch arrived with federal marshals in Christiana, PA, to recapture four fugitive slaves. A group of former slaves and white abolitionists refused to surrender the fugitives. A violent confrontation followed and Gorsuch was killed. After all was said and done, many of the people involved would be indicted but not convicted of anything. This sent a signal to the south that the north would not be willing to help them capture escaped slaves.
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Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts was viciously beaten by Senator Preston Brooks of South Carolina in the Senate after Sumner made fun of Andrew Butler, Brooks' cousin, and his speech impediment. Sumner was nearly killed and suffered constant health problems for the rest of his life, Brooks was given a slap on the wrist, reigning from and then being reelected to Congress. The incident only highlighted the polarization in America at that time.
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John Brown, and staunch abolitionist, thought it'd be a good idea to use slaves to raid Harpers Ferry, one of only two places in the US that housed and manufactured the guns used by the US military. He planned to use the guns to arm slaves and start a slave uprising. However, it ended up being a complete disaster and John Brown being tried and executed. The South was now fully convinced the north would fight them for their slaves and the north turned John Brown into a martyr.
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The Election of 1860 and its results directly led to the secession of the majority of southern states. The rest would follow a little whiles after the fact. The election ended with Abraham Lincoln coming out on top. He was a member of the Republican Party, a known abolitionist party. While Lincoln was in support of containment, not outright abolition yet, that didn't matter to the southern states.
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At the entrance of Charleston Harbor lay Fort Sumter, an undersupplied Union fort that remained in Union hands after secession. After offering to pay for the fort and being rejected, the South attacked the meager force defending the fort. This is considered the beginning of the American Civil War.