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Nat Turner was a former slave who started a rebellion against the oppressive system of slavery. He managed to lead more than 50 followers to a very bloody revolt in Southampton, Virginia. They killed almost 60 white people which mostly consisted of women and children. The local authorities managed to stop the rebellion by dawn the next day. They killed or captured most of the people involved, but Turner avoided capture for nearly 60 days. -
Pennsylvania passed laws in 1788 and 1826, which consisted of removing Negroes from the state to enslave them. Margaret Morgan was a former slave who was freed by her owner John Ashmore. Ashmore’s heir said they wanted Morgan returned to Edward Prigg as a slave. Morgan was eventually returned back to Maryland, but Prigg was convicted in court in Pennsylvania for violating the laws made. Prigg failed to argue the Supreme Court in Pennsylvania. The court argued Prigg broke both 1788 and 1826 laws. -
A very small but influential political party in the pre-civil war period. The party that wanted to stop slavery moving further into western territory. The Wilmot Proviso which originated from the Free-Soil Party, which was not passed through congress. The Party attempted to win the Presidential election of 1848 and 1852 but failed both with getting less than 10% of the popular vote both times. The party shrunk and the remaining people were formed into the Republican Party. -
The Compromise of 1850 was 5 laws that dealt with slavery and territorial expansion. California requested to be a free Union state, Senator Henry Clay came up with a compromise. The 5 acts that were in the compromise were the Fugitive Slave Act, Act which lessened Slave Trade in The District of Columbia, Act that would establish Territorial government for Utah, Act for the Addminssion of the State of California, and an Act for the state of Texas that said the boundaires would be relinquished. -
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American author who wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The novel was about Uncle Tom who was enslaved. While being transported to a New Orleans auction, he saved Little Eva who was a young girl. They became closer but Eva’s health declined. While on her deathbed, she wished for Tom to free all of the enslaved people. He made a plan but was eventually killed. His new owner whipped him to death after not saying where all of the free slaves are. -
Dried Scott was enslaved in Missouri in Illinois(a free state) from 1833 to 1843. He was returned to Missouri and he filed for court for his freedom. He claimed that his residence in his territory made him a freed man. He lost the case and came back with a new suit. His owner claimed that no former slave or “negro” could be a citizen according to the Article III of the Constitution. -
The District of Columbia Compensated the Emancipation Act in 1862. Senator Henry Wilson from Massachusetts started the act. The act freed slaves in the Colombian District and repaid the former slave owners $300 for each freed slave. A few months after the act was put into place, 2,989 slaves were freed. -
Robert Smalls was an enslaved crew member during the Civil war. On May 12, 1862, Smalls and his crew members were left unattended on their ship. The enslaved crew members fled on the ship. While on their journey, they encountered many Confederate forces. Smalls knew the signals to give to other sailors to fit in. Smalls sailed the planter and the enslaved crew members to naval blockades and turned the Planter over to the United States Army. Smalls and his family were freed. -
It was a virtually emancipated proclamation. It said that slaves who were owned under civilians and military confederate officials would be freed forever. But this was only applied to Southern states that were occupied by the Union Army. Lincoln urged the states to gradually stop slavery because he was worried about bordering states where there was no emancipation proclamation. -
This Act was passed along with the Second Confiscation Act. The Militia Act made it legal for African-Americans to enlist in the army. The Act also allowed for any slave along with their family emancipation for joining the army.