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David Wilmot introduces a proposal to ban slavery in any land acquired from Mexico after the Mexican-American War. The proposal sparks heated sectional discussions, exposing stark differences between the North and South, even though it ultimately fails in Congress. It also foreshadows the struggles over the expansion of slavery that will dominate national politics for the next decade. (McPherson, 52) -
The U.S. and Mexico sign a treaty ending the Mexican-American War, giving the U.S. new territories, including California, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. The purchase of these territories heightens disagreements about whether slavery should spread into them, escalating tensions between slave and free states and bringing the country closer to war. (McPherson, 50) -
A series of 5 laws passed in September of 1850 aimed to reduce sectional conflict: California enters as a free state; popular sovereignty decides slavery in other territories; the slave trade ends in D.C.; and the Fugitive Slave Act is strengthened, which angered Northerners. Although it temporarily reduced tensions, it increased mistrust because each region perceived the laws as favoring the other, showing that compromise could no longer completely settle sectional disputes. (McPherson, 71) -
A Virginia court ruled that enslaved people taken into free states or territories did not automatically gain freedom. Northerners saw this as courts prioritizing slavery over justice, while Southerners used it to justify stricter fugitive laws. The case highlighted how legal rulings deepened sectional divisions and made the debate over slavery increasingly national and difficult to resolve. (Varon, 240) -
Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel exposed slavery’s brutality and humanized enslaved people, fueling Northern anti-slavery sentiment. It became a cultural phenomenon, shaping public opinion and turning slavery into a moral issue. The South condemned it as propaganda. By influencing how Americans viewed slavery, it heightened sectional divisions and made compromise more difficult. (Varon, 245-246) -
Anthony Burns, an escaped enslaved man, was captured in Boston and returned to slavery under the Fugitive Slave Act, despite massive protests. Federal troops enforced the law, shocking many Northerners and strengthening anti-slavery sentiment. The case demonstrated the growing tension that led to the Civil War between morality, the law, and sectional loyalty. (Varon, 240-241) -
Senator Stephen Douglas’s law allowed Kansas and Nebraska to decide on slavery via popular sovereignty, effectively repealing the Missouri Compromise. The North saw this as a betrayal, while the South supported it, leading to violent clashes known as “Bleeding Kansas.” The act inflamed sectional tensions, showing that even well-meaning legislation could accelerate the path toward civil war. (McPherson, 121) -
The Supreme Court ruled African Americans were not citizens, and Congress could not ban slavery in U.S. territories. The North was outraged, viewing it as a direct attack on free states and anti-slavery principles, while the South celebrated it. The decision increased sectional divisions and made conflict more likely by undermining compromise and legal channels for settling slavery disputes. (McPherson, 170-171) -
Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debated slavery’s expansion during the Illinois Senate race. Lincoln opposed the spread of slavery, while Douglas defended popular sovereignty. The debates brought national attention to sectional tensions, elevated Lincoln as a Northern anti-slavery leader, and revealed how deeply divided the nation had become over the future of slavery. (McPherson, 182-183) -
John Brown, a vocal abolitionist, attempted to spark a slave rebellion by attacking a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry. The raid failed, and Brown was captured, but it terrified the South and divided the North between condemning his violence and admiring his commitment to his values. The event heightened sectional fears and mistrust, showing the growing potential for violent conflict over slavery. (McPherson, 205)