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Missouri Compromise
Two states were being added to the country. They needed to decide whether they were free or slave states. A compromise was made where Maine was made a free state, and Missouri was made a slave state. The number of free and slave states were now even. Now anything above a certain point would be free and anything below that point would be slave. -
Wilmot Proviso
Wilmot Proviso was a proposal that would prohibit any more slave states aquired from Mexico. Southerners protested because they wanted California and New Mexico. -
Compromise of 1850
Compromise that could enforce a stronger fugitive slave act. Also, slave trade was abolished in the district of Columbia. New Mexico had no restrictions and California was a free state. This was just one more temporary solution. -
Dred Scott Decision
There was a slave who was brought with his master to a state that was free. His name was Dred Scott. He sued his master after not being freed upon arrival. The Decision was that since the slave was his masters property, he would not be freed. This made the North even more mad, abolitionists fought for the right of freedom. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act required all citizens to catch runaway slaves. If you were caught helping a slave, you would either be imprisoned, or you would be fined. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. This author managed to stun people with her description of slavery. Her book made many people realize how terrible slavery really is. The North got mad at slavery and "joined the fight". -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This act gave the states Nebraska and Kansas the right to popular sovereignty. Many people felt that this undid the Missouri Compromise because states could now allow popular sovereignty. It could potentially unbalance the union. -
Bleeding Kansas
While voting was going on proslavery and antislavery were crossing borders to vote for or against slavery. These people were called border ruffians.The North armed themselves and started their own constitution. Kansas was voted free. During this conflict, 900 men were killed. This being the first violent clash over slavery, the violence grew. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Abraham Lincoln, and Douglas debated mostly about slavery and fought for a seat in the senate. Since Lincoln was an abolitionist, he believed that slavery should be abolished completely, while Douglas said that it should be up to the states to vote for themselves. This was the Souths first impression of Lincoln, and they didn't like it. They believed that he was going to ruin their union. -
John Brown's Raid
John Brown was an abolitionist who assisted runaway slaves to help them get to freedom. After a one year delay, he launched an attack on slave holders, and attacked Harper's Ferry. This put fear into the South's eyes. Most of Brown's men were killed in battle. -
Lincoln elected/Election
Lincoln was at a disadvantage in the election. Some southern states did not even bother putting his name on the ballot so that they could not vote for him at all. But, Lincoln still won the election. This pushed the south towards secession because of their belief that he was going to ruin their union. -
Secession of South Carolina
The state of South Carolina did not trust the party to protect the slave states. This was tearing up the union one state at a time. After a long-standing threat of secession, South Carolina finally breaks away from the union.
