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1. Missouri Compromise (1820)
The Missouri Compromise was a federal law that attempted to regulate slavery in the western territories. It admitted Missouri into the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining the balance between free and slave states in the Senate. The compromise also established the 36°30′ parallel as the northern limit for slavery in the Louisiana Purchase territory. -
2. Nat Turner's Rebellion (1831)
Nat Turner's Rebellion was a slave rebellion that took place in Southampton County, Virginia, in August 1831. Led by Nat Turner, enslaved African Americans killed approximately 60 white people. The rebellion was brutally suppressed, and Turner was eventually captured and executed. The rebellion instilled fear in white Southerners and led to stricter laws and regulations regarding slaves. -
3. Nullification Crisis (1832-1833)
The Nullification Crisis was a political confrontation between President Andrew Jackson and South Carolina over the Tariff ofAbominations. South Carolina declared the tariff unconstitutional and threatened to secede from the Union.President Jackson responded by threatening to use military force to enforce the law. A compromise was eventually reached, but the crisis demonstrated the growing tensions between the federal government and states' rights advocates inthe South. -
4. The Gag Rule (1836-1844)
The Gag Rule was a series of resolutions passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that effectively prohibited the discussion of anti-slavery petitions. These resolutions were enacted in response to the growing number of petitions calling for the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia. The Gag Rule was seen by abolitionists as a violation of their First Amendment rights and a suppression of free speech. -
5. Annexation of Texas (1845)
Texas declared its independence from Mexico in 1836 and was subsequently annexed by the United States in 1845. The annexation of Texas was controversial because it added another slave state to the Union, upsetting the balance between free and slave states. It also led to the Mexican-American War, which further expanded U.S. territory and raised the question of whether slavery would be allowed in the newly acquired lands. -
6. Wilmot Proviso (1846)
The Wilmot Proviso was a proposal introduced by Congressman David Wilmot that would have banned slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico as a result of the Mexican-American War. Although the proviso never passed, it sparked a fierce debate in Congress and further divided the nation along sectional lines. The Wilmot Proviso became a symbol of the growing conflict over slavery and the expansion of slavery into new territories. -
8. Fugitive Slave Act (1850)
The Fugitive Slave Act was a federal law that required citizens to assist in the capture and return of runaway slaves. It denied fugitive slaves the right to a jury trial and imposed harsh penalties on those who aided or harbored them. The Fugitive Slave Act was widely unpopular in the North and led to increased resistance to slavery. It also contributed to the growing sense of moral outrage against slavery and fueled the abolitionist movement. -
7. Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a series of laws passed by Congress in an attempt to resolve the issue of slavery in the territories acquired from Mexico. The compromise admitted California as a free state, organized the territories of New Mexico and Utah without restrictions on slavery (allowing for popular sovereignty), resolved the Texas-New Mexico boundary dispute, abolished the slave trade in the District of Columbia, and enacted a stricter fugitive slave law. -
9. Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a law that allowed the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide whether to allow slavery based on popular sovereignty. The act repealed the Missouri Compromise, which had previously prohibited slavery in those territories. The Kansas-Nebraska Act led to violence and chaos in Kansas, as pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces clashed in what became known as "Bleeding Kansas." -
10. Dred Scott Decision (1857)
The Dred Scott Decision was a Supreme Court ruling that declared that African Americans were not citizens of the United States and could not sue in federal court. The Court also ruled that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional and that Congress did not have the power to prohibit slavery in the territories. The Dred Scott Decision was widely celebrated in the South and condemned in the North. -
11. John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry (1859)
John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry was an attempt by abolitionist John Brown to start a slave rebellion in Virginia. Brown and his followers seized the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, but they were quickly surrounded and captured by federal troops. Brown was subsequently tried and executed for treason. While the raid was unsuccessful, it had a profound impact on the nation. -
12. Election of Abraham Lincoln (1860)
The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 was the final straw for many Southern states. Lincoln was a Republican who opposed the expansion of slavery, and his election was seen as a threat to the Southern way of life. In response to Lincoln's election, seven Southern states seceded from the Union, forming the Confederate States of America.