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Mexican-American War (1846-1848)
The Mexican-American War was a conflict between Mexico and the United States from 1846 to 1848. The cause of the war was because both the US and Mexico wanted to claim Texas and its border. The war resulted in the US also securing territories such as modern day California, Arizona, etc. through the Treaty of Guadalupe, which sparked concerns throughout America about which areas would permit or allow slavery, causing a divide between northern and southern territories (McPherson, 47-53). -
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso was a proposal that David Wilmot, Democratic Representative of Pennsylvania, proposed in hopes of banning slavery in territories that the US won from Mexico in the Mexican-American War. The proposal was unsuccessful, and it increased the tensions between the North and South even more than before, leading up to the Civil War. It highlighted the divide between northern and southern territories over the expansion of slavery even more than before (Foner, 262-265). -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a series of laws that passed by congress in order to determine which states were free states, and which were slave states. The compromise was established in hopes of keeping the peace between Northern and Southern. The compromise addressed many things, such as admitting California a free state, the fugitive slave act, the slave trade being banned, etc. Instead of tensions being lowered, this compromise only delayed the civil war for a few years (Baron 210-214). -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act was a new law, created and passed through the Compromise of 1850. The act stated that everyone, including Northerners are required to return any escaped slave that they come across, back to their owners, even if they were caught in a free state. Even though these laws were passed to lessen the tensions between the North and South, this law angered Northerners more than before. If they did not comply, they would be fined and even possibly face time in jail (Varon 212-216). -
Publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was published in 1852 by Harriet Beecher Stowe, who assisted people with the Underground Railroad. Her book was a critique of slavery, and blamed everyone as a nation/society for allowing it to happen. While it opened the eyes of many Northerners, Southerners on the other hand tried to counter it, and had it banned in the South. They also tried to create their own book that favored slavery. People ended up being killed over simply just owning the book itself (Hochman 26-28). -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was proposed by an Illinois senator that the people should decide (popular sovereignty) if they should be a free state or slave state. This act repealed the Missouri Compromise, that prohibited slavery in the Louisiana Purchase. Many pro-slavery people moved into the area, and so did anti-slavery people. This act was like a "preview" of the Civil War in the Kansas territory. Kansas didn't become a free state until the Civil War had already started (McPherson 145-155). -
Bleeding Kansas (1854-1859)
Bleeding Kansas was a period of time in the Kansas territory where violence and conflict occurred, killing over 50 people. It was caused over the Kansas-Nebraska act and all the arguments and debates that it sparked. This was also a foreshadowing moment of the American Civil War. The violence occurred between those who were pro-slavery and anti-slavery, when they both moved to Kansas since it decided that it was up to the people if it would become a free state or not (Varon, 266-271). -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was was a slave who sued for his freedom. He claimed he was brought to states that legally did not have slavery. The case went before the Supreme Court, and Roger Taney who wrote the opinion claimed that because he is a slave, he is therefore not a citizen. With this singular court case, decades of rights for African Americans were taken away. Because they were not considered citizens, African Americans were not guaranteed any protection from the government or courts (Varon 305-307). -
John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry
John Brown was an abolitionist with extreme views. He believed that God would talk directly to him, so he moved his whole family to Kansas, and would go on nightly murder raids with his kids of killing pro-slavery people. He believed that God wanted him to lead a massive slave revolt, and the target was Harper's Ferry in Virginia. In October of 1859, he launched his raid which fell apart quickly when they accidentally shot a slave. Brown was put on trial and eventually hung (Varon, 326-330). -
The Election of 1860
The Election of 1860 highlighted the division between the North and South even more when it came to the issues of slavery and power. In a competition between three other candidates, President Lincoln won, who also opposed the spread of slavery just like the Northerners. Although he was opposed to slavery, Lincoln promised that he wouldn't revoke the states that had already allowed slavery. Southern states began to secceed and remove themselves from the Union as a whole (McPherson 217-221).