-
Period: to
The Industrial Revolution
Samuel Slater began the industrial revolution with the opening of the first industrial saw mill. The industrial revolution lead to the opening of factories that efficiently mass produced products. The opening of these factories hurt small businesses all across the country, and eventually lead to a change in the Northern economy. The North focused their efforts on these factories, throwing away the need for slaves that came with agricultural life. -
The Tariff of 1828
Congress instated tariffs that hurt cotton prices in the South. The Southern States were unsatisfied with it, as they had to harvest more to make ends meet. The tariffs encouraged owning more slaves so that more work could be done. -
The Indian Removal Act
Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, which pushed Native Americans to small reservations west of the Mississippi river. This opened new land up for agriculture and slavery. Slave territory became a matter of debate across the country. -
Period: to
Antebellum Period
Many direct causes of the war occurred within this time period. -
Texas Became a State
Texas was added to the United States as a slave state, deepening the argument over slavery across the country. The addition of Texas created context for a potential inequality in free and slave states. -
Period: to
The Mexican American War
The United States fought a war in the Southwest of the United over the annexation of Texas. Southerners wanted the newly gained territory to be open for slavery but faced resistance. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Was Published
The publication of Uncle Tom's cabin brought a romanticized version of the cruelties of slavery to readers across the country. It opened up the eyes of a great many Northerners who wouldn't have cared otherwise. This was much to the dismay of Southerners who depended on slavery for their economy to function. -
The Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave act passed, which upset Northerners. Abolitionists were unhappy with it and what it entailed. The Northern states resisted by entitling slaves to a jury (which was contrary to the act), or by fighting against it within state legislation. -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was Signed
The Kansas-Nebraska act ordered that new states use a system of popular sovereignty to decide whether or not to have slavery be legal. The system was unbalanced by pro or anti-slavery advocates from neighboring states. The act led to Bleeding Kansas and contributed to the start of the Civil War. -
Period: to
Bleeding Kansas
A series of violent confrontations between pro slave and anti slave groups that occurred within Kansas. The small skirmishes were an unfortunate prelude to the violence of the civil war. -
Dred Scott v. Stanford Case
In a divisive court case, the Supreme Court ruled that Dred Scott was the property of his owners, despite living in a free state. This decision turned heads, not only for its slow burning resolution, but also the message that it sent: by technicality, slaves could be owned anywhere in the country. -
The Civil War Began
The civil war officially started. The battle of Fort Sumter kicked it off. The many grievances leading up to it created a deep feud that couldn't be solved with a simple civil case.
