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The Compromise of 1850
Henry Clay proposes the Compromise of 1850 which would benefit both the north and south. The Compromise included that California would be admitted as a free state, Utah and New Mexico territories decide about slavery, Texas-Mexico boundary dispute would be resolved by Teaxas being paid $10 million by the federal government. Also the compromised included a stricter fugitive slave law. But the comopromise also helped divide the United States in half because of the slave law. -
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 wasa part of the Compromise of 1850. This act enforced that slaves are not allowed to have a trail by jury and could not testity on their own behalf. Also included that anyone who helped an escaped slave could be fined and jailed. Many Northern states did not approve of this law because they could no longer help slaves legally. -
Northern States Pass Personal Liberty Laws
The Personal Liberty Laws were passed by nine Northern States and were a way to counter the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. The laws included forbiding the imrisonment of runaway slaves and runaways could have a trial by jury. But these laws only ran in nine of the Northern States which meant that a few other states in the North and all of the South didn't follow them. These laws showed that the North wanted to follow their own laws which created more seperation in the U.S. -
Harritet Beecher Stowe Publishes "Uncle Toms Cabin"
Harriet Beecher Stowe's story was about a slave named Tom who is seperated from his family and travels to a few plantataions. When Tom reaches the final plantation in the book he is not motivated to do slave work and later is killed. This book showed northerners on how the methods of slavery in the south were. Southereners denied that they treated their slaves like this and it began an uproar. -
The Kanas Nebraska Act of 1854
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 created the boundaries of Kansas and Nebraska. The act also possessed the idea of popular sovereignity, which was the right to vote on slave territories. This created the conflict of Bleeding Kansas. The act made white men rush to Kansas to ge the majority to make it a slave or free state. It became a rivalry betweeen the north and south. -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was caused by the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 whichh created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and which left the state open to get for popular sovereignity to determine slavery in the territories. This introduced John Brown who fought for anti-slavery. But proslavery forces took over the town of Lawerence, where the fighting was, and burned down most of the buildings. This event shows violence between the north and south even though it wasn't armies fighting eachother. -
Violence in the Senate
Charles Sumner, who was a senator from Massachusetts, spoke about the Bleeding Kansas conflict in his "Crime Against Kanas Speech". Sumner wanted to resolve the conflict by admitting Kanas as a free state. Preston Brooks, who was a senator from South Carolina, attacked Sumner with his walking cane afte giving the speech. This event showed no unity or peace between the north or south. -
Dred Scott vs. Sandford
Dred Scott was a free slave who sued his owner for his own freedom. The problem was that Dred Scott was a slave anyway and slaves were not citizens, they were property. Cheif Justice Roger Taney ruled that Scott was and never could become a citizen. This case became poular and northerners didn't agree on it. -
John Browns raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown was an abolitionist who wanted to arm slaves to begin an uprising. John Brown raided an armory in the town of Harpers Ferry, Virginia. But word got out that Brown and his raiders were doing the operation and were caught by Robert E. Lee and his men. The next day Brown was tried for treason, and publicly hanged. John Brown wanted to help slaves fight back so bad that he died and this only led to more conflict. -
Abraham Lincoln is elected President
Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States in late 1860. The majority of southerners didn't want Lincoln to win because of views on slavery. Lincoln's views on slavery was that it was immoral and it should be outlawed. Because of this South Carolina seceeded from the union on December 20,1860. A few more sates would follow and later the Civil War would break out.
