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Northwest Ordinance
An ordinance passed by Congress on July 13, 1787. This Congressional piece of legislation established a government in the Northwest territory. As well as this the land ordinance created an outline for the territories located Northwest of the Ohio River an opportunity to enter the union as free states. It also protected civil liberties of the citizens in the territory specifically freedom of religion. Finally the Northwest Ordinance outlawed slavery in all of northwestern territories. -
Missouri Compromise
An attempt made by congress to delay a feud between pro slavery and anti slavery forces. Their were high tensions at this point & time because the south wanted to admit Missouri as a slave state, which would upset the balance between free and slave states. So by March 3, 1820 a compromise was reached. It stated that Missouri could be admitted as a slave state and Maine would be admitted as a free state. Then it states how no state above the 36 30 latitude line can be admitted as a slave state. -
Nat Turner Rebellion
An armed slave rebellion in Southampton County Virginia on August 21-22 1831. Nat Turner was a preacher who inspired 40-50 slaves in the county and his plantation to rise up and kill whites across the county. They killed about 55 men, women and children. The rebellion was shut down after two days. However in those two days it was one of the bloodiest slave revolts in American history. -
Gag Rule
A rule that was made in the US House of Representatives to forbid the House from considering antislavery petitions. It tabled all petitions, resolutions and ideas of anti slavery in the House of Representatives. This rule was made in 1835 by James Hammond of South Carolina and passed into action May of 1836. This rule was in action for 8 years until John Quincy Adams was able to lead a group and rally votes to repeal this rule. -
Amistad Case
In 1839, 53 slaves were illegally purchased and transported from Cuba on a Spanish ship called the Amistad. Those slaves took control of the ship, with hopes to bring the ship back to Africa. However the ship went more towards the United States and it was intercepted by an American ship. The ship was brought back to the US where the slaves were put on trial for their actions. With the judicial help from John Quincy Adams the slaves were not liable for their action and became free men. -
Annexation of Texas
After declaring independence from Mexico in 1836 Texas was annexed and became a state in the United States in 1845. Texas was entered into the Union as a slave state. This caused huge controversy in the union because it upset the balance between free and slave states. It also gave the southern state much more seats in the House of Representatives based of a greater population. The addition of the 28th state lead to lots of disputes including the Mexican and civil war in years to follow. -
Mexican War
A conflict between the United States and Mexico over a disputed boarder between Texas and Mexico. This conflict arose back in 1845 when Texas was annexed. In the war the United States won a consistent majority of all the battles lead by their General Zachary Taylor. The war ended in just 2 years after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo this ended the war and the United States received 500,000 square miles of new territory stretching to the Pacific Ocean, for 15 million dollars. -
Wilmot Proviso
A proposal created by David Wilmot a Pennsylvania Democrat, it was made in 1846. The purpose of the proposal was to prohibit slavery in the new territory acquired by the United States following the Mexican War. It was attached to the appropriations bills following the war, however the proviso was not passed by congress when the the appropriations bill was. This proviso never went into effect. -
California Gold Rush
Gold was found in the mountains of California January 24, 1848 by John Sutter, he tried to keep the news quiet but that attempt failed. This lead to a very large migration of people moving to California with hopes of striking it rich. This huge attraction of gold brought many new citizens to the California territory, so much that California was able to apply for statehood in 1849. This new application for statehood caused high controversy on whether or not it will be a free or slave state. -
Compromise of 1850
This was a temporary truce between the Whigs and Democrats. It was proposed by Henry Clay and it was ratified in Congress on January 29, 1850.
5 parts of the compromise
-California was admitted to the Union as a free state
-Popular sovereignty will be used to decide the verdict of slavery in New Mexico and Utah
-Settled the boundary between Texas and New Mexico
-Outlawed the slave trade in Washington D.C.
-Created stricter fugitive slave laws -
Fugitive Slave Act
An act which was ratified by congress on September 18, 1850. The act enforces the seizing and return all run away slaves from any state in the United States of America, including free states. This act was proposed by Henry Clay and it was signed into a law by Millard Fillmore. This made the northern free states unhappy, because it took away their liberties as free states. The act forced abolitionists in the north to accept slavery and assist in returning run away slaves. -
Publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin
A novel written by abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe and published 1852. The book was about the experience of being a slave. It was written about Uncle Tom a slave Tom who was kind to everyone but when the others ran away, Tom refused to say where runaway slaves were this lead to Tom being whipped to death. This story of a slave received huge support from the northern abolitionists. -
Kansas Nebraska Act & Bleeding Kansas
An act made in 1854 that overruled the Missouri compromise by allowing the citizens of of the territory to determine the outcome of slavery through popular sovereignty. While Nebraska was passed as a free state the migration of slave supporters from Missouri to Kansas, made Kansas a slave state. The admittance of Kansas as a free state caused lots of controversy and lead to bleeding Kansas where abolitionists terrorized slave supporters killing between 60 and 200 people. -
Ostend Manifesto
A document created in Ostend Belgium in October of 1854, under the Pierce administration. The document was made because the United States wanted to purchase Cuba from Spain with the idea that they would admit it as a slave state. Part of this agreement was that if Spain refused to sell it the United States would declare war on Spain. However when the North found out about this, the Republicans shut the idea down and they used the word manifesto to rally all northern states against slavery. -
Dred Scott Court Decision
Dred Scott was a slave from Missouri who sued for freedom against his white owners, because his owner brought him to free states. So he sued Harriet Robinson the widow of his owner for his freedom. From 1846-1850 the state case occurred. The end result was partial freedom but was still under the ownership of Mrs. Emerson's brother John Sanford. So Scott appealed and went to the supreme court. In 1857 the court ruled that slaves are private property not citizens, and only citizens can sue. -
John Brown & Harper's Ferry
The raid of a federal armory in Harper's Ferry. This raid was lead by abolitionist John Brown with the support of slaves. It was apart of his goal to arm the slaves and start an armed slaved revolt to destroy the institution of slavery. On the night of October 16, 1859 the group launched their attack on Harper's Ferry. Word got out and by morning Brown and his men were surrounded by Lee and a company of marines. Brown was taken to court and tried for treason and murder, then later executed. -
Crittenden Compromise
Compromise proposed by a Kentucky senator John J. Crittenden in December of 1860 just before the civil war. It was a last chance effort to avoid the war. To appease the south Crittenden included 6 constitutional amendments and 4 constitutional resolutions, in hopes to avoid war. A major point in it was that slavery would be permanent. So even though this compromise gained support from the south and its leaders it was ultimately rejected by Abraham Lincoln and the rest of the northern Democrats.
