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Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was an attempt by Congress to balance free and slave states. This compromise stated Missouri as a slave state, and Maine as a free state. This law prohibited slavery in the Louisiana Territory but was repealed by the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The compromise was later declared unconstitutional by ruling of the Dred Scott case. -
The Missouri Crisis
The Missouri Crisis in 1820, was Missouri trying to declare itself to the Union as a slave state. The issue was Congress trying to balance the slave states to the free states. The compromise that came to be was that Maine and Missouri would enter the Union at the same time, Maine as a free state and Missouri as a slave state. This kept the balance of the Union. -
Nat Turner's Slave Revolt
Nathaniel Turner was an African American slave who lead the only effective slave rebellion. This brought fear to the white southerners. This action caused prevention of the education, movement, and assembly of slaves. -
William Garrison Publishes The Liberator
William Garrison believed himself to be the voice of the abolitionists. He was very much so against slavery and voiced his opinions in his book The Liberator. He wanted to show people how immoral slavery was so that they could join to end it. There was an approximate of 75% of his readers were free African Americans. He lived to see slavery being abolished by Lincoln. -
Texas Annexation
The Texas Annexation was when Texas was still apart Mexico. Mexico prohibited slavery but slaves were still brought in to Texas. The people living in Texas wanted to be separated from Mexico so they could have slaves. This separation caused a war for independence. The Texans won their independence for the land and so Mexico divided. -
The Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso was made to eliminate slavery in the land taken over from the Mexican War. A bill was to be put in place to negotiate the treaty's terms. Daniel Wilmot proposed the termination of slavery and involuntary servitude. It was rejected by the South of the Senate but led the way for the formation of the Republican party. -
Underground Railroad
Underground railroads were secret routes to safe houses by the US, but were used in helping slaves escape. Many slaves using these secret passageways escaped to free states to live their lives. There is an estimate that 100,000 slaves escaped by the railroad in 1850. -
Fugitive Slave Law
The Fugitive Slave Law, which was passed as part of the Compromise of 1850, was the requirement that all escaped slaves must be returned to their masters if/when caught. This also meant that citizens in free states had to cooperate as well. This law brought fear to the Northerners of the slave uprising theory. -
Compromise of 1850
This compromise was the passing of five laws in September of 1850. California requested permission to enter the Union as a free state, which potentially upset the balance between the free and slave states in the U.S. Senate. A series of resolutions was introduced in an attempt to seek a compromise and avoid a crisis between North and South. As part of the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act was amended and the slave trade in Washington, D.C., was abolished. -
Publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom’s Cabin is an anti-slavery book by Harriet Stowe and was published in 1852. She wrote the book due to Fugitive Slave laws that had been recently put in place. This book influenced the view Americans held about slavery. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This act allowed Kansas and Nebraska to determine for themselves whether to allow slavery or not. This was an attempt to repeal the Missouri Compromise of 1820. This upset the northerners but was strongly supported by the southerners. -
Formation of the Republican Party
The party was formed to go against the Kansas-Nebraska Act. It was very popular in the North but not the South. When Abraham Lincoln was elected, the Republican values led the government. These values included abolishing slavery, supporting the banks, for business, and to protect factory workers in railroads for the growth of industry. -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was many violent encounters on whether Kansas should allow slavery or not and if it would be a slave state or free state. Popular vote decided and led to disputes between the pro-slavery group and the anti-slavery group. Pro-slavery believed that everyone should have the right to bring their own property, meaning slaves as well, to their land. Anti-slavery believed the pro-slavery group would buy all the good land to have their slaves work and their would be none left for them. -
Dred Scott Supreme Court Decision
Dred Scott was a slave from Missouri who went on to live for ten years in Illinois, a free state. He returned back to Missouri in 1857 and tried to sue the courts for his freedom, saying that he was a free man because he resided in a free state. The question brought up to court was whether he was a slave or a free man. The court found him as a slave, saying that no pure blooded African American could be a citizen of the country. -
Lincoln Douglas Debates
A series of seven debates between Republican Abraham Lincoln and Democrat Stephen Douglas on the topic of slavery to persuade the control of the Illinois General Assembly. This helped prepare Lincoln for his future role as the President of the United States. -
John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry
In October of 1859, John Brown and a group of supporters raided the arsenal, Harper’s Ferry, and tried to fight back against slavery to free slaves. They had hoped slaves would join in the battle as well so they could take over Harper’s Ferry. This did not happen. Robert E. Lee came with his army and killed many of the raiders and captured John Brown. John Brown was convicted of treason, murder, and slave insurrection. He was hung in December of 1859. -
Election of 1860
The Election of 1860, was when the republican Abraham Lincoln won the election and became the 16th President of the United States. This election was major in deciding state’s rights and slavery. This tested his leadership which he later proved to be magnificient due to his ending of slavery.
