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Missouri Compromise of 1820
Missouri territory wanted to aply for statehood, however, they would have to be inducted as a slave state. Adding another slave state would unbalance the senate. In 1820, Henry Clay had suggested that they add Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, thus, keeping the balance of free and slave states. This kept things steady. Through this, Congress had also created an imaginary line separating free and slave states, which went along the southern border of Missouri. -
Wilmot Proviso
There was the question of if the Mexiacn Cession territory would be free or slave land. To answer this question, David Wilmot wrote up the Wilmot Proviso, which stated, "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in any part of the territory." The House of Representatives was northern-dominated and they passed the Proviso, however, the Senate, which was southern-controlled, did not pass. This was a growing example of sectionalism in the country. -
Compromise of 1850
The Missouri Compromise only applied to Louisiana territory, so Southerners tried to spread slavery Westward. This led to debate of what to do with the Mexican Cession land. Eventually, Henry Clay worked out the Compromise of 1850. Through this, California would be entered as a free state, the rest of the territory would be split into Utah and New Mexico, where voters would answer the slavery question. Also there would be a stricter Fugitive Slave Law in act. Again, things were temporarily okay. -
Fugitive Slave Act
As part of the Compromise of 1850, there was a tougher Fugitive Slave Law in act. This made it a crime to help runaway slaves and allowed officials to arrest runways living in free areas. Slaveowners could use testimony from white witnesses, but slaves accused could not testify. Anthony Burns, who was a fugitive slave living in Boston, was arrested and although abolitionists tried to rescue him, he was sent to Virginia on trial. This case persuaded many to join the abolitionists cause. -
Kansas- Nebraska Act
Stephen Douglas wanted to build a railroad from Chicago to the west coast, this would require the rest of the Louisiana territory be organized and according to the Missouri Compromise it would be free land. However, to get the South to agree, Douglas suggested the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which would divide the land into Kansas and Nebraska and each territory would have the people vote and decide the whole slavery deal. Pro-slaves took advantage of this and went to Kansas to sway the vote. -
Bleeding Kansas
Because Pro-Slaves went to Kansas and messed up the vote, Anti-Slaves made their own legislation. A committee was sent to see which of the two were legit. The committee said that the Pro-Slave legislative was unfair, but on the federal level, they disagreed. In response, Pro-Slaves attacked the town of Lawrence. To scare them back, John Brown and other Anti-Slaves killed 5 Pro-Slaves. This led to more violence and a Civil War in Kansas. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dr. Emerson would take his slave, Dred Scott on tours in free territory. After Dr. Emerson died, Mr. Scott sued for freedom. He claimed that he was free after visiting the states. The case eventually made it to the Supreme Court. The first ruling of this case stated that slaves were property, thus, cannot do the things that citizens could do, like be held in the court of law. The court also ruled that Congress couldn't ban slavery and the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional. -
Lincoln and Douglas Debates
These were debates between Abe Lincoln and Steph Douglas. Douglas had attacked Lincoln for, "thinking that the Negro is his brother," although Lincoln was far from that. In response, Lincoln asked how Congress couldn't ban slavery themselves, but rather make the people do that. Douglas answered this saying, it didn't matter what Congress said, whatever the people decided they wanted, police would enforce it ((this notion would be known as the Freeport Doctrine)).
