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Lauren Cousins
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The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of routes, including paths, roads, rivers, and real railways, that led fugitives out of slavery in the South from 1830 to 1873. Taking this route was not an easy task. For example, anyone who wanted to try to escape their plantation had to secretly leave at a certain time, make sure they didn’t get caught, and take into consideration many other obstacles. For example, physical features along the way. -
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The Underground Railroad
Things like traveling along the east coast because it was a string of low-lying swamps that offered protection from anyone “coming after” them. By contrast, the swamps were also full of poisonous snakes and disease-carrying mosquitoes. Slaves didn’t just go alone. Often, there were conductors on the Underground Railroad that would lead the way, the most famous being Harriet Tubman or “Moses”. In addition, on the Underground Railroad, there were places known to fugitives as stations. -
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The Undergound Railroad
At a station, the slaves would be taken care of for a short amount of time by the owner of the house, or stationmaster. The fugitives just had to be careful when going to stations because they only knew that the house was a station if there were candles in the windows. The Underground Railroad was in effect from March 21, 1787-December 6,1865. -
The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise, passed by Congress on March 3, 1820, is a compromise about whether slavery should or should not be allowed in the new state of Missouri. Since slaves had previously been brought into the Missouri Territory, slavery was already somewhat allowed. The north thought that slaves being brought into the Missouri Territory should be freed at age 25. -
The Missouri Compromise
The south however, thought that Congress should not be allowed to set conditions on new states joining, simply because it would be unfair. The outcome of the Compromise was that the north gained Maine as a free state,and the south gained Missouri as a slave state, also keeping an even free/slave balance. In addition, the 36’30 line was established through the Louisiana Territory. The territory north of the 36’30 was free and the territory south was allowing slavery. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion pt.2
Most of the slaves in the rebellion had been executed, including Nat. Understandably, after the rebellion, plantation owners had become very scared that the same thing would happen at their plantations. As a result, some people joined into groups/mobs to attack slaves. At estimate, mobs had killed about 200 slaves after Nat’s Rebellion. Also taking place after the rebellion, southern states passed new laws. These laws basically took all rights away from slaves. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion pt.3
For example, all slaves could not vote, serve on a jury, own property, testify in court, learn to read or write, buy and sell goods, become a preacher, own guns, meet in groups with more than five people, etc. These restrictions later became known as the Black Codes, which also restricted even the free blacks from doing any of those things. This made daily life even more crucial for slaves than it already was. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner’s Rebellion was a rebellion of 60-70 slaves, led by a religious man named Nat Turner. This rebellion lasted from August 22-23, 1831, a 48 hour rebellion. Nat had previously been a slave to the Travis family, where the rebellion had begun in Southampton, Virginia. Nat and his “team” killed the Travis family and 60 other plantation owners and their families. This rebellion took, or was put to an end by 3,000 troops, a complete overkill. -
Compromise of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Act was an act that required citizens to assist in the recovery of fugitive slaves. This act helped the south because it would help return their runaway slaves. As for the north, it brought many people against slavery. Despite the disagreements between the north and the south at this time, the Compromise of 1850 was passed on January 29,1850. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was written by Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun, and Stephen Douglass. This compromise was made because the California Gold Rush brought many people to California, and they needed a constitution. In that constitution, they forbade slavery in the state and that angered many people. In the compromise, the Fugitive Slave Act was established, California joined the Union as a free state, and the slave trade in Washington, D.C was now outlawed. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska Act said that the people in a territory should decide whether slavery would be allowed there; basically that the nation should forget the 36’30N and rely on popular sovereignty. As he expected, Douglass’ act angered the northerners and excited the southerners. This angered the northerners because the 36’30N would make Kansas and Nebraska free without question. The Kansas Nebraska Act, despite what the northerners think, was passed on May 30, 1854. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska Act was an act, thought up by Stephen Douglass, Senator of Illinois. He wanted two things. The first thing he wanted was for Chicago to benefit from the development of the west. However, he could not do so until the territories of Kansas and Nebraska became states. The sooner they became states, the sooner railroads could be built to link Chicago with the west. Douglass also wanted to run for president. With that being said, Douglass thought up the Kansas Nebraska Act. -
Bleeding Kansas
When the Kansas-Nebraska bill became a law in January of 1854, tensions began. The beginning of Bleeding Kansas was all started in Lawrence, Kansas by proslavery supporters on May 21, 1856. That however was just the beginning. John Brown led other antislavery supporters in an attack on pro slavery settlers near Pottawatomie Creek, where they killed five pro slavery men in front of their families. Brown also led a raid on Harpers Ferry from October 16 to the 18,1859. -
Bleeding Kansas
This raid on Harpers Ferry and attack near Pottawatomie Creek started a period of time where raids through Kansas gave the territory the name “Bleeding Kansas”. -
Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott had been a slave in Missouri before his owner had taken him to the free territory in Wisconsin and Illinois and back to Missouri. After getting back into Missouri, Dred Scott decided to appeal to the Supreme Court for his freedom, thinking that since he was living in free territory, it made him free. Scott appealed for ten years but was ruled against. -
Dred Scott Case
Accordingly, Scott lacked the legal standing to sue in the federal court because he was not a citizen. the court decided on March 6, 1857, the most infamous case in history, that all people free or not of African ancestry could never become citizens. Also, that the government didn’t have power to prohibit slavery in its territories. During this decision, the Missouri Compromise of 1820 was declared unconstitutional and therefore discontinued. -
Dred Scott Case
In addition, the decision led to outraged northerners and the south’s secession. In the end of it all, childhood friends of Scott’s purchased him and set him free. -
John Brown
John Brown was a white abolitionist from Torrington, Connecticut. Brown played a very big role during the Abolitionist Movement. For example, he and his sons led attacks on pro-slavery residents. Not only did Brown lead attacks on pro-slavery residents, he also fought those who supported slavery in Lawrence, Kansas.These attacks made him a hero in the eyes of northern extremists. The most famous attack that John Brown led took place at Harper’s Ferry. -
John Brown
He and twenty-one followers attacked and occupied the federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry in 1859. Brown’s goal had been to get supplies and use them to arm a slave rebellion. Little did he know, his plan was going to fail and he’d be captured during the raid. Brown was later put to death by hanging because he used violence to try to stop slavery. -
Raid on Harper's Ferry
John Brown attacked the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia on October 16, 1859. He, along with twenty-two men including two African Americans, hoped to seize the weapons in the arsenal and give them to enslaved people. With these weapons, they wanted to make a massive uprising of enslaved African Americans that would end slavery, punish slave holders, and lead the United States to moral renewal. -
Raid on Harper's Ferry
As disappointing as it is to some, the United States troops surrounded Brown and his men, killing half of them before they surrendered. Brown, was convicted of treason against the state of Virginia and hanged on December 2,1859. As many other events did, this raid and the trial deepened the division between the north and the south. -
Presidential Election of 1860
Fifty-nine ballots was all that was needed to make the decision between the northern democrats, and southern democrats. Northerners nominated Stephen Douglass, Illinois, and the southerners nominated John C. Breckinridge, each with different opinions on slavery. Douglass was fine with slavery but supported popular sovereignty, while Breckinridge was committed to an aggressive policy of expanding slavery in the territories. -
Presidential Election of 1860
As the leading candidate for the Republican nomination, William Henry Seward of New York was the total opposite of John C. Breckinridge because he was committed to an aggressive policy of ending slavery. Despite this, Illinois nominated Lincoln over Seward, seeing that his views on slavery were more moderate and the border states nominated John Bell. By November, Lincoln led the northern states, along with California and Oregon. -
Presidential Election of 1860
Douglass led southern New Jersey and Missouri, Breckinridge led southern states along with Delaware and Maryland, and Bell led the states of Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Lincoln won the election without one southern vote having 180 of 303 electoral votes and 40% of the popular votes. Douglass was second at 29%, Breckinridge third at 18%, and Bell had 13%.
