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Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
Those laws were laws passed by the United States Congress to provide for the return of slaves who escaped from one state into another state or territory. It required citizens of free states to coopirate to find escaped slaves in this law. Northerners were upset about possible expansion of slavery in the Southwest and the stronger fugitive slave law, To counter it, Personal liberty laws were passed. That affected opposition of North and South intensively, eventually, it led to the Civil War. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was introduced by Senator Henry Clay. After the war with Mexico, United States acquired some territories. The debates were about California, The compromise was orientired on the balance between free and slave states. This compromise led to the Fugitive Slave Act. This compromise lead to the Civil War as the Abolitionists disobeyed the laws and operated the underground railroad, freeing even more slaves. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Was Published
Uncle Tom's Cabin is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe, This novel depicts the reality of slavery through Uncle Tom, a long-suffering black slave around whom the stories of other characters revolve. Uncle Tom's Cabin was the best-selling novel of the 19th century, it inspired a lot of people to fight with immoral aspects of slavery. Lincol said: "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war!" This quote shows the real influence of the book. -
Kansas–Nebraska Act
Congress enacts the Kansas-Nebraska Act, providing that popular sovereignty. Douglas hoped that the popular sovereignty would ease national tensions over the issue of slavery and that he would not have to take a side on the issue. However, both Northerners and Southerners rush to the Kansas and Nebraska territories to express their opinion in the voting. This event led to a series of violent political confrontations in the United States among North and South states and to the Civil War. -
Bleeding Kansas
The Kansas–Nebraska Act led to the countless violence amoing North and South states. At the heart of the conflict was the question of whether Kansas would allow or outlaw slavery. The popular sovereignty was the right of people to decide. Pro-slavery citizens and abolitionists turn the Kansas Territory into a battleground. The violence there captured attention of the whole country, eventually, it led to the Civil War. Bleeding Kansas was a catalyst for the Civil War. -
Caning of Charles Sumner
Representative Preston Brooks attacked Senator Charles Sumner with his walking cane in retaliation for a speech given by Sumner. Brooks is a hero in the South, Sumner a martyr in the North. Caning of Charles Sumner considered symbolic of the breakdown of reasoned discourse that eventually led to the Civil War. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott, an African American slave who had been taken by his owners to free states and territories, attempted to sue for his freedom. The U.S. Supreme Court argued that slaves are property and have no rights as citizens and that slaves are not made free by living in free territory. This conclusion would allow all territories to be open to slavery. The Nortthen states opposed it.The Dred Scott decision was overturned by the 13th and 14th Amendments to the Constitution.The changes were needed. -
The Impending Crisis of the South
It is a book written by Hinton Rowan Helper of North Carolina. Helper claimed that slavery hurt the Southern economy by preventing economic development and industrialization, and that it was the main reason why the South had progressed so much less than the Northt was a strong. It was a strong attack on slavery and one more proof of the immorality of slavery that let to the Civil War.This book showed the real face of slavery, people started to demand changes even more intensively. -
John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
It was an attempt by the white abolitionist John Brown to start an armed slave revolt in 1859 by seizing a United States arsenal at Harpers Ferry. No slaves join him and no rebellion ensues but seventeen persons, including 10 of Brown's men, are killed, Brown has been captured. After the raid southerners lived in fear of slave uprisings and invasion by armed abolitionists. It was an example of possible uprisings all around of South against slavery. -
United States presidential election
November 6: Abraham Lincoln wins the 1860 presidential election on a platform that includes the prohibition of slavery in new states and territories. Lincoln wins all of the electoral votes in all of the free states except New Jersey. A lot of Southern states declared seccession from the United States. It was the direct reason of the Civil War, Lincoln was a threat to the plantation owners and the people, who supported slavery.
