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Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance created a single Northwest territory out of land acquired from the Treaty of Paris. The ordinance established how new states would be admitted to the Union. When the population reached 60,000 people, they could apply for statehood. It also guaranteed freedom of religion, trial by jury, and prohibited slavery throughout the entire territory. Due to the fact that all the new states would be free, it greatly upset the balance between free and slave states. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise solved the issue of how slavery would be handled in new states. When Missouri wanted to join the Union in 1820, the Senate was balanced between members from slave and free states. Adding Missouri would upset the balance, so Henry Clay proposed a solution. Missouri would be a slave state and the state of Maine would be added as a free state. The compromise established that anything above the 36° 30° Latitude line, would be free, while anything under it would have slavery. -
Nat Turner Rebellion
Nat Turner, a literate slave from VA, organized a group of slaves, that killed over 50 white men, women and children in Southampton, VA, in what is known as the bloodiest slave revolt in history. Southerners began to fear insurrection, which led to the execution of 46 slaves, along with beating another 200. Southern states then passed new laws instituting further subjugation of slaves. Northern states then began to sympathize with slaves, furthering the division between the north and the south. -
Gag Rule
Proposed by James Hammond and supported by Southern Democrats and Whigs, the Gag Rule tabled any petitions on the issue of slavery in the House of Representatives. The goal was to prolong the issue of slavery in the US. Strong opposition was present in the north, especially by John Q. Adams, a Northern Whig. It exasperated tension between political parties, along with the north and the south. It made slavery an even bigger issue within the US. The Gag Rule was repealed on December 3, 1844. -
Amistad Case
In 1839, over 50 Africans were illegally forced upon a ship controlled by the Spanish. One night the Africans seized control of the ship and killed the crew members. They planned on returning to Africa, but wound up on the coast of Long Island, where the slaves were sent to prison. At the hearing in Connecticut, the judge ruled that the slaves had the right to overthrow their captors since they were taken illegally and they were freed. This was a major victory for northern abolitionists. -
Annexation of Texas
In 1824, Mexico passed a colonization law attracting Americans to the cheap, fertile land. However, Americans became unhappy with Mexican rule and revolted against Santa Anna’s forces. Texas was granted their independence and wanted to join the Union. However, northerners opposed their annexation because Texas was a large slave state and it would upset the balance in Congress. Texas was ignored at first. In 1845, Texas applied again, and President Polk signed the Bill of Annexation. -
Mexican War
In 1846, Texas and Mexico began having border disputes, initiating the start of the war. In 1848, US forces captured the capital and forced Mexico to sign the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Mexico ceded New Mexico, California and Texas, along with parts of Colorado, Utah and Nevada to the US. The Mexican-American border was also set as the Rio Grande. All the new land raised the question of how to handle slavery, and increased friction between the north and the south. -
Wilmot Proviso
Was introduced by Representative David Wilmot, who was an antislavery Democrat. This was intended to be an amendment to the Mexican War approbations bill. It proposed that in any territory acquired from Mexico, slavery would be illegal. The bill was passed in the House of Representatives, but it never passed in the Senate. The bill was debated and voted on for many years, but never passed due to the southern control over the Senate. -
California Gold Rush
When word reached the East Coast that gold had been found in the hills of Sierra Nevada, thousands of people traveled to California with the hope of becoming rich. During the Gold Rush, the population of California skyrocketed and a diverse population was created. Ethnic tension within California increased, creating the need for a more stable government. When California applied for statehood in 1850, the government had to deal with the issue of whether or not to legalize slavery. -
Compromise of 1850
Proposed in 1850 by Henry Clay, the compromise set out to establish new policies that would favor both the north and the south. The compromise established California as a free state, that the issue of slavery in territorial governments would be decided by popular sovereignty, that the slave trade would be outlawed in DC, and it proposed more effective fugitive slave laws. Tension between the north and the south decreased for a few years, but it showed how divided the nation was over slavery. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act, passed in the Compromise of 1850, reinforced some of the restrictions placed upon runaway slaves. The FSA required all northerners to return runaways to their owners in the south. The north opposed this law and passed personal liberty laws contradicting the act. Northerners also formed mobs and engaged in riots to protest. Southerners began appearing in the north to capture their slaves. In the end, this act only increased tension over the issue of slavery. -
Publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom’s Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Stowe was an abolitionist and her book depicted the helplessness of African Americans against the brutality of slavery. Stowe’s book became one of the best selling books, selling over 300,000 copies in a year.
Stowe was seen as a hero to many abolitionists in the north. However, her novel intensified the opposition between the north and the south. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act (Bleeding Kansas)
Stephen Douglas's act allowed the issue of slavery in Nebraska to be decided by popular sovereignty. This revoked part of the Missouri Compromise, angering the north, but helping the south. The territory was also split into two states: Nebraska and Kansas. The act passed in 1854 with support from the south and partial support from the north. Opposition in the north led to the formation of the Republican Party, and unrest in Kansas led to what is known as Bleeding Kansas. -
Ostend Manifesto
President Pierce wanted to obtain Cuba from Spain, but was unsuccessful at doing so. It wasn’t until 1854, that Pierce received a document from Ostend, Belgium, making the case for the US to take Cuba by force. When northerners found out about this, they were enraged and saw it as a plot to extend slavery. The South was also opposed to all efforts to acquire territory that would not support slavery. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott, a slave living in a free state, sued for his freedom when his master died. The court ruled that slaves were property and that they had no claim to citizenship. The court also ruled that Congress had no right to pass laws depriving people of slaves. It was a win for the south, but a major loss for abolitionists. It later influenced the Election of 1860 because the Republican Party was the only party willing to discuss slavery. This divided the nation on what candidate to vote for. -
John Brown and Raid on Harper's Ferry
John Brown and his followers attacked a Federal Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, with the hope of encouraging slaves to rebel against whites. Brown and some of his followers were later hanged for treason. The raid was supported by some abolitionists in the north, but it led the south to believe the north was committed to producing a slave insurrection. Southerners were also convinced that they could no longer live safely in the Union. -
Crittenden Compromise
Proposed by Senator John Crittenden, the compromise was meant to stall the start of the Civil War. It called for a reenactment of the Missouri Compromise, compensation for fugitive slave owners, popular sovereignty in US territories, protection of slavery in DC. It also forbid interference with the interstate slave trade. It was defeated in 1861 due to opposition by Republicans and Abraham Lincoln. This showed that the north and the south couldn't reach a middle ground on the issue of slavery.
