-
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise, suggested by Henery Clay, allowed Missouri to be entered as a slave state to the Union and Maine as a free state. The compromise was devised to balance the power between free and slave states in the Union. This document was in effect until 1854 when the Kansas- Nebraska act was set in place. This event might have led to the Civil War becase of how slave and free state admissions were viewed after this. -
Nathaniel Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner was a slave who openly rebelled against his owner. The slave codes had just become more severe and Turner saw an eclipse of the sun, which he took as a sign form God. God "told" him to rebel against and kill his enemies. Turner, and about 6 others, killed his owner and the owner's family. The group then went from farm to farm killing any whites they saw. Tuner was eventually caught and killed, but this uprising rattled slaveholders. This led to the Undergroung Railroad. -
Wilmont Provisio
Introduced by David Wilmont, the Wilmont Provisio would ban slavery in any lands acquired from Mexico.This became an issue because the South was currently fighting a war with Mexico. They were planning to gain most of Mexico's territory. The Wilmont Provisio caused much tension in the South. The South argued that the provisio endangered slavery everywhere. In the end this proposal did not pass, but no slavery emerged in the Mexican territory gained by the South. -
Compromise of 1850
A combination of five bills derived from Clay's proposal. The bills dealt with the issue of slavery and the balance of power in the Senate. Clay's propsed that California enter as a free state, while the rest of the territory have no boundaries on slavery. Also slave trade would be banned in the capitol. Also, that the Fugitive Slave Act would be enforced stronger. These bills, seperated by Stephen Douglas, were passed and became known as the compromise of 1850. -
Fugitive Slave Act
This act was apart of the Compromise os 1850, thought of by Henery Clay. This was an attempt to pacify slaveholders. This act required all citizens to help catch runaways. Anyone who helped a runaway would be sent to jail or fined. This act led Northerners to capture anyone who was African American just so they could gain a little profit. But, this act also led to growing support for free slaves. The Underground Railroad helped enslaved people to make it to Territories where they would be free. -
The Kansas- Nebraska Act
territory. With some difficulty the act was passed by President Peirce. This act led to the Civil War becasue it helped fuel the fire of states rights and representation in the Senate. -
The Kansas - Nebraska Act
This act, put in place by Stephen Douglas, was an attepmt to try and organize the territory west of Missouri and Iowa. The unorganized land would be seperated in to two territories, the Kansas territory and the Nebraksa territory. Their location insisted that they would become free states, but Douglas knew this would cause trouble. He came up with the idea of popular soverignity. Popular Soverignity would allow the people to decide if the territroy they had settled in would be a free or slave -
The Dred Scott Case
"due process of law," which was not present here. This decision ultimately stated that the Constitution protected slavery. This divided the country even more, leading to the Civil War. -
The Dred - Scott Case
Dred Scott was an enslaved person who fought for his right to be free. He claimed that he should be free becasue he once lived in an area in the North where slavery was banned. This case was such a big deal it reached the Supreme Court. The decision of Cheif Justice Robert B. Taney electrified the issue. He said that Dred Scott was still an enslaved person and would not be considered as a citizen. He also said that Scott was property and Congress cannot take away proprerty without -
John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry
After the election of 1858, the Southerners felt threatened and the violence of John Brown added to their fears. John Brown led a raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia. He was fighting for the arsenal, so he could arm slaves and they could revolt. Brown was defeated by local citizens. He was convicted of treason and murder, and would be hung. Brown's death rallied abolitionists, leaving th enation on the horizon of disaster. -
Lincoln's Election
The Democrats, split in half between Stephen Douglas and John Breckenridge, lost the election the the Republicans and Abraham Lincoln. Since Lincoln was elected, he tried to abolish slavery where it should be abolished. This casued tension and pushed the South over the edge. They wanted to secede more than ever now. This event helped lead to the Civil War. -
Battle at Fort Sumter
The Confederate forces made the descision to open fire on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Two days later the Union surrendered to the Confederate forces. The Union was forced to surrender because the supplies that were in route never made it to South Carolina in time. This battle officially marked the satrt of the Civil War.
