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The Northwest Ordinance established a government in the Northwest Territory. It also outlined the status of new states, formed in the territory, entering the Union. This included the new states being equal to existing slavery and outlawed slavery in the territory. This was a political event and caused greater tensions. -
A piece of legislation passed for the south to ensure their expansion of slavery. It admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. It also prohibited slavery in the remaining Louisiana Purchase territory above the 36* 30' parallel. This was a political event and helped slow tensions. -
Nat Turner led a rebellion of enslaved Virginians. They killed about 60 people in Virginia, at least 50 of them were white. This led to a massacre of about 200 black men and women. It also caused harsh legislation to be passed prohibiting education and assembly of enslaved men and women. This was a social event and contributed negatively to the rising tensions. -
A group of rules that forbid the discussion and legislation about slaver in the U.S House of Representatives. This was a political event and did hep temporarily relive tensions. -
A case that involved 53 Africans that were kidnapped and shipped to Spain for slave trade. In the middle of the Atlantic, the slaves revolted and killed the crew on the ship and landed on the Eastern coast of Massachusetts The supreme court ruled in favor of the slaves and were considered free. This was a social event and worsened tensions. -
The Republic of Texas entered the union in 1845. The Republic of Texas had declared it independence 9 years earlier in 1836. This was a political event and greatly contributed to the rising tensions. -
The Mexican war when a group of Mexican soldiers attacked a group of U.S soldiers on disputed land and killed about a dozen soldiers. This was a political and economic event which contributed to the tensions. -
A proposal by David Wilmot to prohibit slavery in the New Territory acquired from Mexico. It passed in the House by failed to pass in the Senate. This was a political event that worsened tensions. -
When gold was found at Sutter's Mill in California, it caused a rush of men and women to migrate to California for their own chance at finding gold. This was social event and did worsen tensions. -
The Mexican War ended in the Treaty of Guadalupe which ended the Mexican War with a Victory for the U.S. This was a political and economic event that contributed negatively to the rising tensions. -
A group of 5 bill passed in an attempt to diffuse political tensions between free and slave states over the new Mexican-American War territory. This included admitting California as a free state, ended slave trade in Washington D.C, and created harsher runaway slave laws. This was a political event that did temporarily try to sooth tensions. -
It was part of the Compromise of 1850 and demanded runaway slaves from on state to another to be captured and returned. This was a political and social event which worsened tensions. -
'Uncle Tom's Cabin' is an anti-slavery novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. This was a social event and worsened tensions. -
This act repealed the Missouri compromise, opening up the two new territories Kansas and Nebraska to be either free or slave states. This caused violent uprisings such as Bleeding Kansas when both Anti-slavery and Pro-slavery groups flooded the territories to secure their vote. This was a political and social event and greatly contributed to the rising tensions. -
A document that included the communication of three U.S diplomats and their reasoning for the purchase of Cuba from Spain. This stemmed from from the U.S desire to expand slave territory. This was a political and economic event and contributed negatively to the tensions. -
A period of violent acts of warfare between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups over the new territory of Kansas. This was a social event and created higher tensions. -
A court case that ruled that a slave (Dred Scott) who resided in a Free state was not Free, and was owned by his former masters brother. This was social and political event and contributed negatively to the tensions. -
John Brown led a raid on the Arsenal at Harper's ferry. He wanted to cause a large scale slave revolt, but it failed and was put down by the U.S militia. This was a social event and contributed negatively to the tensions. -
These six amendments would prohibit slavery in territories above the 36* 30' line. This would ensure the survival of the institution of slavery. This was a political event and was and attempt to ease tensions.