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Missouri Compromise
This legislation admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a non-slave state at the same time, so as not to upset the balance between slave and free states in the nation. -
Nat Turner’s Rebellion
slave rebellion that took place in Southampton County, Virginia -
The Outcome of Nat Turner’s Rebellion
Rebellion suppressed; Participants tried and executed or sold -
Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott was an enslaved African American man who sued for his freedom. -
Compromise of 1850
a series of measures proposed by U.S. Senator Henry Clay and passed by the U.S. Congress to settle several issues connected to slavery and avert the threat of dissolution of the Union. -
Fugitive Slave Act
Congress passed an act that required that slaves be returned to their owners, even if they were in a free state -
The Outcome of Raid on Harper’s Ferry
Sixteen people were killed in the raid, including ten of Brown's men. John Brown, Aaron Stevens, Edwin Coppoc, Shields Green, and John Copeland were taken to jail in Charles Town, Virginia, on October 19. Then on 2 December 1859, Brown was hanged in Charles Town. -
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
strong anti-slavery stance, its impact on public opinion, and the cultural and racial implications of its characters and themes. The story goes over Eliza and her son escaping north, while Uncle Tom is sold south. The book highlights the clash between Christian faith and slavery, ending with Tom's martyrdom inspiring others to renounce slavery. -
Bleeding Kansas
a series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas Territory, and to a lesser extent in western Missouri -
Kansas Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise, created two new territories, and allowed for popular sovereignty. -
Brooks attacks Sumner
Shortly after the Senate had adjourned for the day, Brooks entered the old chamber, where he found Sumner busily attaching his postal frank to copies of his "Crime Against Kansas" speech. Moving quickly, Brooks slammed his metal-topped cane onto the unsuspecting Sumner's head -
Dred Scott Case Decision
The United States Supreme Court upheld slavery in United States territories, denied the legality of black citizenship in America, and declared the Missouri Compromise to be unconstitutional. -
Lincoln Douglas Debates
Douglas argued that white people should decide for themselves whether or not to allow it, while Lincoln claimed slavery was immoral and should eventually be abolished. -
The Outcome of The Lincoln Douglas Debates
Lincoln is considered to have won the debates, as he gained more popular votes than Douglas -
Raid on Harper’s Ferry
John Brown, a staunch abolitionist, and a group of his supporters left their farmhouse hide-out en route to Harpers Ferry. Descending upon the town in the early hours of October 17th, Brown and his men captured prominent citizens and seized the federal armory and arsenal. -
Lincoln is Elected President
The Republican Party ticket of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin emerged victorious in a four-way race. -
The end of Bleeding Kansas
The anti-slavery forces prevailed as Kansas entered into the Union a free state -
Jefferson Davis becomes President of Confederacy
who had been elected president of the Provisional Government of the Confederacy as a compromise between moderates and radical was confirmed by the voters for a full six-year term -
Fort Sumter is Attacked
Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter in South Carolina's Charleston Harbor. This event has been used to mark the beginning of the Civil War. -
The Outcome of the battle of Fort Sumter
Less than 34 hours later, Union forces surrendered. -
General Scott discusses the Anaconda Plan
General-in-Chief Winfield Scott proposed the "Anaconda Plan," a strategy to defeat the Confederacy by strangling it through a naval blockade of Southern ports and controlling the Mississippi River.