-
The Missouri Compromise
Divided Louisiana Purchase territory at the 36 30 lattitude line. Slavery allowed under line, everything above it was prohibited. It was the beginning of the slavery debate in territories. The Tallmadge ammendment (that never passed) made southerners think that north was trying to abolish slavery in general and upset the south's economy. -
War with Mexico
President Polk sought to gain California, New Mexico, and parts of Texas. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided more territory for slave states to enter under the 36 30 line of the Missouri Compromise. -
Wilmot's Proviso
Congressmen Wilmot's proposal to ban slavery in all acquired territory in Mexico. This would upset the balance of free to slave states which frightened the southerners. -
New Fugative Slave Act
It forced northerners to send back run-away slaves to the south or face jailtime. The free slaves could be sent back because there was no trial by jury so they could not prove themselves emancipated. This upset many abolisionists in the north. -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
This Act repealed the MO compromise in Kansas and Nebraska Territory. Instead popular sovereignty was used to decide whether or not territories should have slavery. This opened the door to slavery in all territories, and it caused anti-expansionalists from the Whigs and Northern Democrats to begin to come together. -
Bleeding Kansas
The test of popular sovereignty caused pro slavery from South and abolitionists from the North to physically fight with eachother. Kansas split in two and had two constitutions made up. It was the start of murder due to the debate of slavery in territories. -
Formation of the Republican Party
Because of the failure of popular sovereignty in Kansas, the anti-expansionalist Whigs and Northern Democrats came together with the main goal of restricting slavery in all territories. Which caused Republicans to be enemies to any pro-slavery Southerner. -
Breakdown of the Two-Party System
Republicans for North and Democrats for South. This showed that North and South could never work together on this issue, which allowed for much more radical candidates. -
Violence Spread to Congress
Cong. Preston Brooks from South Carolina beat up Sen. Charles Summer from Massachusetts with a cane. This outrageous scene showed that even the people's elected officials that were supposed to be the most civil people were becomming savage. The nation was beginning to come undone -
Dred Scot Decision
This Supreme Court case came to a decision that Congress couldn't restrict slavery in any territory. This decision proved the MO compromise and the Kansas/Nebraska Act null and void. This was reitterated during the case Ableman vs. Booth where the decision was that states couldn't interfere with the enforcement of federal laws. The Northerners were nervous that the south was trying to legalize slavery everywhere. -
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe
A novel written to show the horrors of slavery. It had a profound impact on the north opinion of slavery. The South burned the book and beat anyone who had it. -
Election between Lincoln and Stephen Douglas
A heated debate where Lincoln believed there should be no more half and half with slavery, where Douglas believed in popular sovereignty. -
John Brown's Atttempt at a Slave Revolt
A republican, John Brown, went to Virginia to try to start a slave revolt. It failed horribly but it confirmed the South's suspisions that the North would provide slaves with knives. In the north he was a hero. -
1860 Election
The presidential election between anti-slavery Lincoln and pro-slavery Breckinridge. A higher population in the north meant that Lincoln would win. The South's worst nightmare came true, with Lincoln's election they would either have to seceed from the Union or watch the destruction of slavery. -
Crittenden Compromise
A last effort to save the Union. The MO compromise was tried to be enforced once again, but it failed to attract huge support. -
Southern States seceed from the Union
After the Fall of Fort Sumter, Lincoln sent volunteers and made it clear there would be a fight to keep the South in the Union. After this all 11 Southern states secceded from the Union
