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Slavery
Slavery was becoming an increasingly sectional issue, meaning that it was increasingly dividing the nation along regional lines. Northerners were becoming more opposed to slavery, whether for moral or economic reasons, and Southerners were becoming more united in their defense of slavery as an institution. -
1820 | The Missouri Compromise
Missouri’s application for statehood as a slave state sparked a bitter national debate.This created an issue posed by the growth of slavery. -
Abolitionist Movement 1830-1860
The Abolitionist movement in the United States of America was an effort to end slavery in a nation that valued personal freedom and believed “all men are created equal.” Over time, abolitionists grew more strident in their demands, and slave owners entrenched in response. -
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The Mexican War
The United States went to war with Mexico in 1846. The war lasted two years. By the end of the war, Mexico would lose almost half its territory to the US, including lands from Texas to California. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a series of five bills intended to stave off sectional strife. The issue was extremely important to both free and slave states because of the balance of power in terms of voting blocs in the US Senate and House of Representatives. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was released and showed northerns the cruelty of slavery and inspired more efforts of abolitionists.Its popularity brought the issue of slavery to life for those few who remained unmoved after decades of legislative conflict and widened the division between North and South. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)
By the early 1850s settlers and entrepreneurs wanted to move into the area now known as Nebraska. However, until the area was organized as a territory, settlers would not move there because they could not legally hold a claim on the land. -
Dred Scott Decision
In 1857, Dred Scott lost his case proving that he should be free because he had been held as a slave while living in a free state. It went further, to state that even though he had been taken by his 'owner' into a free state, he was still a slave because slaves were to be considered property of their owners. -
The Lincoln Douglas Debates
Lincoln and Stephen Douglas ran against each other for a US Senate position in 1858. Lincoln challenged Douglas to a series of debates. In a series of 7 debates that were widely publicized, the two men debated slavery and states' rights. -
Lincoln Became President
While Abraham Lincoln was running for President, 6 states including South Carolina said that they would break off from the Union if he won causing Lincoln and the Republican Party to make is so that any states joining the Union could not be slave states.
