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Missouri Compromise
Tried to solve the disputes about slavery and expansion. Said that no slavery would be allowed in new territories above the latitude of 36 degrees 30 minutes with the exception of Missouri. This was only a temporary solution and it caused alot of resentment and arguements to break out in senate and the House, furthering the gap between South and North. -
War with Mexico
President James K. Polk took California, New Mexico and part of Texas from Mexico by force when Mexico refused to sell. Northeners said that the War was just another way for the South to get more slave territory for themselves beacuse a large portion of the land was beneath the 36 degrees 30 minutes line of the Missoui Compromise allowing slavery to expand even more. -
Wilmot's Proviso
A Congressman named David Wilmot propsed a law that would abolish slavery in all the land won in the Mexican War. The law passed in the north controlled House, but in the Senate where the North and South were eqaully matched it was stopped. The Proviso greatly damaged North and Suth relationships because the South believed that the North would now do anything in its power to destroy the southern way of life. -
Fugitive Slave Act
Part of the Compromise of 1850 was the FUgitive Slave Act which encouraged slave owners to chase runnaway slaves into the North also threatened Northeners that were caught helping runnaway slaves with jail time. Northeners often ignored the Fugitive Slave Act which disrupted North and South relations even more. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe's book changed many opinions of Northeners on slavery and in the South it caused an uproar. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Repealed the Missouri Compromise, now allowing new territories to vote on whether or not they wanted to be slave or free by popular sovereignty. This caused the Whig party and the Northern Democratic party to join together and create the Republican party. -
Bleeding Kansas
The first test of popular sovereignty happened in Kansas. Pro-slavery Border Ruffians crossed into Kansas to intimidate those voting for a free state while abolitionists came from the north to even the odds. Hundreds died in murders. This was the first white on white violence over the topic of slavery. -
Republican Party
Formation of Republican Party in Ripton, Wisconsin. This party's main proposal was to make all territories free territories. This was viewed as an act of war by the South, who now hated Republicans. -
Breakdown of the Two-Party System
Less moderation in politics, Democrats and Republicans kept becoming increaingly more radicals in their calls for the removal of slavery from America. Split America, Northern Republicans and Southern Democrats. -
Preston Brooks Beating.
Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina brutally beat Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts with a cane. North saw Sumner as a martyr and the South praised Brooks. -
Dred Scott Case
Supreme Court ruled in Dred Scott's case that Congress couldn't restrict slavery in any territory. Caused many Northenerns to join the Republican party. -
Abraham Lincoln vs. Stephen Douglas
Debate between lincoln and Douglas. Lincoln argued that the North and South needed to stand together and Douglas argued for popular soveirignty -
John Brown's Revolt
John Brown tried to start a slave uprising in Virginia but failed. Caused Southener's to believe that all Northeners were willing to give slaves weapons to kill their masters. -
!860 Presidential Election
Two canidates, Lincoln and Breckinridge. Lincoln won, the South's worst's fears had come true, they believed they only had one choice, to abandon the Union. -
Crittenden Compromise
Last attempt at compromise between North an South. Would have restored the Missouri Compromise. Failed to recieve much support. Showed how little both the North and South wanted to compromise. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
7 states seceded from the Union. The South attacked Fort Sumter in order to keep it from resupplying a federal fort in the South. This marked the first opening hostilities of the Civil War.
