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The Mason Dixon line
The Mason Dixon line is the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania, taken as the northern limit of the slave-owning states before the abolition of slavery.The Mason Dixon line occurred due to the dispute over boundary between two proprietary colonies, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The key figures in the Mason Dixon line were Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon as they drew the line. The Penn and Calvert families are also important as they were the ones who hired Mason and Dixon. -
The Missouri compromise
The Missouri compromise occured to disarm the the sectional and political rivalries activated by the request of Missouri late in 1819 for admission that slavery would be permitted as a state. The key figure to this compromise was the congress and new states, as they had the power to prohibit or choose slavery if they wished. The compromise occurred to allow another free state to join at the same time, this being Maine. The result ended as Missouri being a slave state and Maine a free state. -
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Rise of the abolition movement
From the 1830's to the 1860's an abolition of slavery movement gained strength in the U.S. The anti-slavery sentiment sparked an abolitionist movement that employed risky and radical tactics to bring an end to slavery. The rise of the abolition movement occurred to reach the goal of ending racial discrimination and segregation. An Important key figure was Frederick Douglass as he led the "free blacks" -
The Fugitive slave act
The fugitive slave acts were a pair of federal laws that permitted the capture and return of runaway slaves. This act enacted by congress, occurred due to the numbers of slaves that escaped, and to allow local governments to seize and return escaped slaves to their owners, and inflict penalties on anyone who aided in their flight.The key figure to this act were the Southern politicians, believing that slave debate was a vital driving force to new states, pressured the congress to pass this law. -
The Kansas Nebraska act
The Kansas Nebraska act allowed the people in the territories of Nebraska and Kansas to determine whether they wanted slavery in their borders or not. The Act served to rescind the Missouri Compromise of 1820. This act occurred due to purpose of opening thousands of new farms and make feasible a midwestern. Douglas was a key feature to the act, as he proposed creating two territories in the area–Kansas and Nebraska–and repealing the Missouri Compromise line. -
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The civil war
The civil war occurred between the northern US states and the confederate states. The war was fought over the issues of slavery and states' rights, and to prohibit slavery in the territories that had not yet become states. The civil war occurred due to the uncompromising differences between the free and slave states. The key figure of the civil war is Abraham Lincoln, as he was the first Republican president on a platform pledging to keep slavery out of the territories. -
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The black codes
The black codes were laws passed in the Southern regions of the United states after the civil war, restricting African American's freedoms as well as impelling them to do labour on a low wage. Under the presidency of Andrew Johnson, a key figure to the black codes, white southerner's established this law.The black codes occurred to reduce the influence of "free blacks" (slave rebellions), due to the potential influence they had on slaves and to also ensure their availability as a labour force. -
Slavery abolished
Slavery was ratified on 6th December 1865, and the 13th amendment is formally adopted in the U.S. constitution. That is “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude… shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” This occurred due to Abraham Lincoln and other leaders of the anti-slavery Republican Party (who were also key figures to slavery being abolished) sought to stop slavery in the new states.