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Missouri Compromise
A piece of legislation that drew a line between the north and the south. On The south side of the line slavery was allowed on the North side it was not.
This was important because it kept the balance of power between the two sides. -
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot proviso was proposed by Senator David Wilmot to ban slavery from territory that will be gained from the Mexican American war. This legislation however failed because of the already established line of the Missouri compromise. -
Publication of uncle toms cabin
There was a lot of excuses for slavery and a lot of misinformation regarding its humanity. This story exposed these dark realities of slavery that were covered up.
This story's publication was a big pushing factor in increasing abolitionism. -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was a series of battles between the opposing sides of the Kansas Nebraska act. They broke out as an attempt by the two sides to gain a populous advantage in the vote on whether Kansas and Nebraska were going to be free or slave states. It was a series of 3 major conflicts, the sacking of Lawerence, the battle of Pottawatomie and the battle of Osawatomie. These events were important because it showed the increasing use of violence, it foreshadowed the civil war. -
Boston Slave Riot
A fight of the people to free captured slave Anthony Burns. Troops were sent in to stop the conflict after one officer was killed in the fighting. This event is important because it increased the norths anti slavery sentiment. -
Caning of Sumner
Was a result of Sumner criticizing a political opponent on a personal level. Preston Brooks, the insulted, caned Sumner in front of a bunch of other politicians.
This event is was encouraged the migration of Whig party members to the new Republican party. -
Lincoln-Douglas debates
Debates between Republican politician Abraham Lincoln and Democrat politician Stephen Douglas. The two were competing for a seat in the Illinois senate.
This was an important event because it brought Lincoln and his ideals into light which led people to think that he would make a great presidential candidate. -
John Brown’s Raid at Harper’s Ferry
This was a raid attempt led by John Brown to steal over 100,000 guns from an armory. His goal was to arm a bunch of slaves and start and uprising.
This event alone increased sectional tensions ten-fold and was the point in which nothing could be done to accommodate the North and South. -
The 1860 presidential election
Democrats had two candidates in this election, Stephen Douglas and John Bekenridge, Republicans had one, Abraham Lincoln. This split in the democratic party along with Lincolns HUGE following and supportive base, got the republican party the victory in the election making Lincoln the president.
This outcome created the entire course of history that we see today, if it had been different there could've been a million different ways American history could have gone. -
Battle of Fort Sumpter
The battle for an important military asset that could provide a great advantage in a war. Both sides shot at eachother for 33 hours amazingly with 0 casualties. The union eventually surrendered the fort to the Confederacy.
The first shots on Fort Sumpter marked the first shots of the civil war, this was the starting point of the whole thing.