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Northwest Ordinance
Proposed by Thomas Jefferson, this ordinance created one large northwestern territory, which replaced the previous 10 districts that were created in 1785. Once the population of the territory reached 60,000 people, the territory would be granted statehood under the terms it would accept freedom of religion, right to trial by jury, and that they prohibited slavery. This set up the path for an imbalance of free and slave states, beginning the path to the civil war. -
Missouri Compromise
Henry Clay passed after tensions rose between pro and anti slavery beliefs, and it was passed in an attempt to keep the peace. It stated that all new states above the 36 30 line of latitude-longitude would become free states, and every new state south of that line would be a slave state. This act compromise was repealed by the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, and was later declared unconstitutional by the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision. -
Nat Turner Rebellion
Nat Turner, who was a slave from VA, was a literate slave preacher who organized the bloodiest slave revolt in American history. He led about 50 slaves to kill their masters and children. This revolt soon grew, resulting in the deaths of about 55 white men, women, and children. This rebellion increased southern fears of insurrection. It also contributed to the southern views of African Americans as violent and dangerous and warranted further subjugation of slaves. -
Gag Rule
This bill was passed to table any bills Congress proposed that would petition against slavery. This bill prolonged the issue of slavery, and was determined as unconstitutional in 1844, as it went against the first amendment. This bill was proposed by James Hammond of South Carolina, and was opposed by John Quincy. It created stronger sectional divides and amplified the issue of slavery in the press, creating stronger tensions between the northern and southern states. -
Amistad Case
In February of 1839, Portuguese slave hunters abducted a large group of Africans from Sierra Leone and shipped them to Havana, Cuba, which was a center for the slave trade. This violated many treaties in existence, and on this date Africans seized the ship, killed the captain & cook, & ordered Montes and Ruiz to sail to Africa. This was significant because it demonstrated a slave revolt close to the US. Word spread fast and sparked ideas of rebellion among African Americans in southern states. -
Annexation of Texas
American Texans offered to join the Union, but Andrew Johnson feared it would cause sectional controversy & war with Mexico. Texas then cast out on its own and sought money & support from Europe. They dreamed of a vast southwestern nation. Tyler persuaded Texas to apply for statehood again in 1844, and Calhoun presented it as the purpose was to extend slavery, causing senators to defeat it. This urged supporters of Manifest destiny and increased tensions over slave vs. free states. -
Mexican War
There was a border dispute over whether Texas ended at the Rio Grande River or the Nueces River. Congress declared war after Mexican troops crossed the Rio Grande into what the US believed was their land. The war was ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and the Rio Grande river was declared as the official border of Texas. CA was also sold to the US in this treaty. This led to disputes over whether the territory gained should become a free or slave territory. -
Wilmot Proviso
Pennsylvania Congressmen David Wilmot introduced this as an amendment to a bill stating slavery would not exist within any land gained from Mexico in the Mexican war. This bill was passed in the house, but died in the Senate. This bill inflamed the growing controversy over slavery & its underlying principle helped to bring about the formation of the Republican party. -
California Gold Rush
At Sutter's Mill, CA, a carpenter discovered gold on the property. Word quickly spread and migrants around the world began to flock to the free state. This created a labor shortage in CA, as many were quitting their jobs to go search for gold. Though most never found gold, many stayed in CA and swelled the agricultural & urban population. This increased the number of representatives of a free state in the House of Representatives, making the slave states upset with the free states new advantage. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 included 5 parts: CA entering the Union as a free state, popular sovereignty in the Mexican Cession, settled boundary dispute between TX and Mexico, outlawed the slave trade in DC, and enforced a stricter fugitive slave law. This compromise was drafted by Henry Clay. This compromise was significant because no majority in Congress could pass the bill, and it caused the idea of manifest destiny to spread as well as encouraged the Gold Rush in CA. -
Fugitive Slave Act
Included in the Compromise of 1850, this act required those in the north to return any runaway slaves. This allowed for southerners to accuse free black men as slaves. President Fillmore passed this law, relinquishing the right of men of color to testify in court in their defense and to a trial by jury. This act was quickly nullified by northern states, creating stronger tensions between the northern and southern states. This provision was an attempt to preserve the unification of the union. -
Publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin
This book was written by Harriet Beecher in reaction to the Fugitive Slave Laws. This book had a major influence on the way Americans viewed slavery. Beecher wrote against slavery by cataloging the suffering experienced by enslaved people and by showing that their owners were morally broken. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Stephen Douglas introduced a bill to open territory for settlement and put the transcontinental railroad in the south. This bill also repealed the Missouri Compromise, as Nebraska was above the 36'30' parallel. The creation of the state of Kansas was the last modification made to this bill in hopes of keeping the balance of free and slave states. Kansas was admitted as a free state while Nebraska was added as a slave state. This made abolitionists angry and formed the Republican party. -
Bleeding Kansas
After the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed, laws about slavery in Kansas remained undecided. The conflict began to grow and people were coming from other states to advocate for their beliefs. armed associations were formed to fight those who disagreed with their views, and opposing governments were created, each having an opposing view on slavery. After Bleeding Kansas, many protests took place, including the Pottawatomie Massacre, and Kansas was admitted as a free state. -
Ostend Manifesto
Franklin Pierce wanted to buy Cuba from Spain, & sent a private document to Ostend, Belgium to make a case for seizing Cuba by force. This document was leaked to the public, which enraged anti-slavery northerners opposing the addition of a slave state to the Union. Southerners also opposed the addition of a new free state that would not support slavery, so they were at a stand still. This document increased tensions and differing views between the southern and northern states. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slave, who was owned by John Emerson and his wife, Harriet Robinson. In 1834, Scott was taken into a free state by Emerson. Emerson then died and Scott returned to MO. The widows brother then was sued by Scott for freedom. He was declared free by MO government. But, Scott was then sued again and he was declared not free. This was taken to the Supreme Court, and the ruling determined that Scott was property, so he could not sue. This repealed MO Compromise as unconstitutional. -
John Browns Raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown led an anti slavery raid against a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in an attempt to start an armed slave revolt and destroy the institution of slavery. By morning, Brown and his men were surrounded and they were stopped by Robert E Lee and his men. This was significant because it showed the north that the conflict over slavery could no longer be postponed, and convinced the southerners they could no longer live safely within the Union. -
Crittenden Compromise
Proposed by John J Crittenden, this compromise was intended to stall The Civil War and has been criticized for only benefiting the south. Parts of it included the reenactment of the MO Compromise, compensation of owners of fugitive slaves, popular sovereignty in territories, and forbade the government from interfering w/ interstate slave trade. This was never passed, as it was defeated in the Senate, but it was significant because it showed war was not seen as inevitabe.
