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The Missouri Compromise
The North and South disagreed on whether slavery should be allowed in the most recently added state, Missouri. Northerners were more against slavery and were worried the balance of slave and free states would become unequal in the Union. Southerners were more pro slavery and argued that the people of Missouri should be able to vote on the matter. A compromise was made. Missouri would become a slave state and Maine a free state. Slavery would then be banned north of the 36º 30’ parallel. -
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The Events of Slavery leading up to the Civil War
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Nat Turners Rebellion
A slave named Nat Turner in south Virginia decided to start a slave uprising. He and roughly 70 others killed about 60 white plantation owners and their families. This lasted two days until they were stopped by a militia. This would result into less rights being given unto slaves in Virginia, and solidified pro slavery southerners views. -
The Free Soil Party
The Free Soil Party was a small political party between 1848 and 1854. Their motto was “free soil, free speech, free labor, and free men”. They didn't want slavery to expand into the west as it was competition to white farmers. In 1854 they merged into the Republican party, where they also believed slavery was morally wrong. -
Harriet Tubman and the Underground railround
Harriet Tubman and her family used the underground railroad from Maryland to Pennsylvania in order to gain freedom. She felt uncomfortable living in freedom however, as she wanted other slaves to become free as well. She then became the main leader of the Railroad and its estimated she freed 50 - 300 people. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise made California a free state and gave popular sovereignty to New Mexico and Utah. It also changed the boundary between Texas and Mexico. The fugitive slave act was created as well. The distaste for a free state by slave owners in the west, and the distaste for the fugitive slave act by abolitionists, created contention leading up to the civil war. -
The Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act forced officers and officers to arrest or turn in slaves seeking Asylum in free states. If not they could face a large fine. This required runaway slaves in free states to be captured and returned to their slaveowners. This would anger abolitionists and would motivate them to fight even harder for slavery to end -
Bleeding Kansas
After the Kansas Nebraska Act, violence broke out in Kansas. Both anti and pro slavery individuals migrated to Kansas for the popular sovereignty vote. This led to an influx of passionate voters who eventually would fight once the vote was decided pro slavery. John Brown was an abolitionist who brought others to fight, and held a raid on Harpers Ferry. President Franklin Pierce brought in troops to stop the fighting, but it was only to stop the anti slavery people. This would last until 1858. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska Act essentially repealed the Missouri compromise, while also allowing Kansas and Nebraska to decide to allow slavery or not. Voting was held to determine the legality of slavery in Kansas. The vote for slavery won, but anti slavery people declared there was election fraud. There was another election, but the pro slavery people refused to vote. Violence and fighting ensued and President Franklin Pierce sent in troops to stop it. Kansas was then not declared a state until 1861. -
Dred Scott case
Dred Scott was enslaved by Dr. John Emerson from 1832 to 1843. After Emerson died, Scott and his wife belonged to John's wife Irene. They travelled from Missouri, to Louisiana, and to Wisconsin all within this time frame. There was a law in Missouri that allowed slaves to sue for wrongful enslavement, and that they could become free if they travelled to a free state (in this case Wisconsin). They first sued in 1846, but after years of court cases, he eventually lost in a Supreme Court Ruling. -
John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown was a passionate abolitionist who was determined to end slavery. John previously killed 5 slave owners with his sons, after his town was attacked by slave owners. On October 16th 1859. John and 22 other men raided a Ferry and were able to release slaves and attack the slave owners. The raid went mostly unsuccessful and ten of his men were killed. John was later executed.
