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Period: to
Sectional Crisis
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Missouri Compromise
[Compromise](www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Missouri_Compromise.htm#:~:text=March%203%2C%201820,new%20era%20in%20Senate%20history) It was an agreement that, for a short period of time, addressed slavery. There was a debate over slavery in the Louisiana Purchase. It allowed Missouri to be a slave state and Maine as a free state. The compromise led to the K+N Act and the decision for Dred Scott. This only added more fuel to the flame for slavery debates. -
Nat Turner’s Rebellion
[Rebellion](nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/nat-turners-rebellion#:~:text=Nat%20Turner%20believed%20he%20was,and%20killed%20the%20entire%20family.) It was a slave revolt led by a preacher, Nat Turner. The rebellion led to the death of 55 White people, even free slaves contributed in the rebellion. It indirectly led to the Civil war because it increased tension about slavery. Although the rebellion failed, it instilled fear in White Southerners and made owners tighten restrictions. -
Texas annexation
[Annexation]history.state.gov/milestones/1830-1860/texas-annexation) The annexation was the process that admitted Texas as a state. It also contributed to the Mexican-American War since Texas was originally owned by Mexico. The addition of Texas upset the power balance. This started debates over slavery expansion towards the west. The intensity of the tension about slavery inevitably led to the Civil war. -
Wilmot Proviso
[Proviso](www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/wilmot-proviso) The Wilmot Proviso was a proposed law that banned slavery in territories taken from Mexico. This ban was the abolitionists way of stopping slavery from expanding to new territories taken during the Mexican american war. It increased sectionalism, especially since the South was adamant about not banning the expansion of slavery. This also caused the creation of more political parties, making it harder to have compromises. -
Fugitive Slave Act
[Slave Act](www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/fugitive-slave-act#:~:text=Passed%20on%20September%2018%2C%201850,returning%2C%20and%20trying%20escaped%20slaves)
This act made it so slaves that had runaways found outside of their plantation must be returned to their owners. The goal was to appease the South and have the North return the slaves. The act made it so Northerners were forced to cooperate but, inevitably, Northerners retaliated. This only pushed the gap between them further. -
Bleeding Kansas
Kansas This was a period of excessive violence and political problems. It was mainly between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces, leading to a mini-civil war. This was a tragic time that led to the death of 55 people and only made the civil war inevitable. All this was in at this time just proved it was impossible to mend the divide between the North and South. -
Formation of the Republican Party
Republic The Republican Party was created by a group of anti-slavery activists. It was created to oppose the Kansas Nebraska Act and stop slavery. This act made the government impose popular sovereignty instead of them choosing whether or not a state becomes a slave state. The party gained a lot of support quickly and attracted a lot of abolitionists who started "irrepressible conflict." -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
[K-N Act](www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Kansas_Nebraska_Act.htm) It was a controversial territorial act that created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. It overturned the Missouri Compromise which made the Northerners feel betrayed. This act was what introduced popular sovereignty, which allowed the residents of those states to choose what they want to do for themselves. One of the reasons for its contribution to the Civil war was that it significantly heightened sectionalism -
“Caning of Sumner”
[Caning](www.senate.gov/artandhistory/senate-stories/civil-rights.htm#:~:text=On%20May%2022%2C%201856%2C%20Representative,story%20did%20not%20end%20there.) A South Caroline Representative brutally attacked a Massachusetts senator. This attack was because the senator made an antislavery speech and criticized pro-slavery politicians and the actions of the South. This was seen as retribution and Souths willingness to use violence. This incident surprised the north and solidified their resolve. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford (Supreme Court Case)
[Dred Scott](www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/dred-scott-v-sandford) This case was a landmark in history that significant affected slavery and citizenship. The decision proved that Congress was not able to ban slavery in territories, effectively invalidating the Missouri Compromise. The ruling stated that African Americans were not citizens and had no right to sue in federal court. The decision angered the North and solidified the positions of those who supported the expansion of slavery.