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Missouri Compromise
With the support of Abolition in America, people started to worry about slavery as America grew to the West. There were debates between the North and South over slavery. The Great Compromise, Henry Clay settled the debate by declaring Maine a free state and Arkansas a slave state. The Compromise were laws that kept the balance between the slave, and free states -
The Nullification Crisis
South Carolina, and other southern states felt that the tariff laws were unfair. The government denied the Souths argument so South Carolina threatened to secede. In the end Henry Clay came up with a compromise -
Compromise of 1850
Congress had many debates after the war with Mexico, over what territories from mexico would become free, or slave states. Henry Clay helped settle this debate once again. California would become a free state, and and the slave trade in Washington D.C would be abolished. Congress couldn't pass laws that banned slavery from other territories from Mexico. Many people felt that this saved the Union. -
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Act allowed runaway slaves in the north to be forced back to the south with their owners. Abolitionists took major strides to end slavery -
Bleeding Kansas 1855
An election was held in Kansas to decide of it were to be a slave, or free state. It was decided that they would let the people decide what it was. 5000 people from Missouri, a salve state, came to vote for pro slavery in Kansas. In the end Kansas became a slave state, those against slavery then started their own government. This cause pro slavery forces to attack the anti-slavery government. John Brown retaliated by murdering his pro-slavery neighbors -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott sued his owner for his freedom. He said that because he had been living in the Northern territories and should have been freed, but the court stated that he wasn't free because he lived in Illinois or Wisconsin. Next they said that African Americans weren't citizens when the constitution was first drafted in 1787. Finally they said that Dred Scott was property, and therefore he couldn't be taken without due process of law -
Attack on Harpers Ferry
John Brown wanted to convince slaves to fight for freedom, he wanted to fight in Virginia and arm the slaves. When Brown went to rally the slaves, none of them showed up, leaving Brown and his men to fight alone. Eventually they were all caught and ten of his men were left dead. This put the tension of slavery to its breaking point in America. -
The Election of 1860
Even though Abraham Lincoln said that he wouldn't abolish slavery in the South, he still win the election, this caused Southerners to not trust Lincoln. This caused Southern states to star to secede after he was elected
