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Mum Bett Case
In Massachusetts, Mum Bett sued and won her freedom from her owners which caused an end of slavery in Massachusetts being the first slate to do so. This victory against slavery caused many other states to become anti-slavery. This caused a divide in the nation between slave and non-slave states. -
Northwest Ordinance
For a territory to be considered a state they need at least a population of 60,000 before applying for statehood. More states being introduced to America leads to America’s senate to be not 50/50 on the topic of slavery. America started to become tense on the topic of slavery. -
3/5 Compromise
A compromise that said that that only 3/5th of the slave population of a state counted for representation. The 3/5th compromise caused people in the South to feel like they are not well represented in their country. They felt this way because the south was largely populated by slaves. -
American Industrial Revolution
A period of large growth industrially in America, specifically in the north. The growth of industrial machines caused America to be dependent on slavery to make money. America growed in slavery because of the demand that industrial machines caused. -
Creation of Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney created a machine that made the production of cotton profitable. The profit the cotton gin had for farmers caused an influx of slavery in the south which furthered the use of slavery. The problem of slavery worsened because of the cotton gin. -
Second Great Awakening
A religious revival in America caused many new ideas for our country. The Second Great Awakening caused a growth in abolitionists who wanted to end slavery. These abolitionists wanted to end slavery because it was against their morals and their religious principles -
Louisiana Purchase
President Jefferson bought 828,000 square miles of land from France, hugely growing the nation in land. The new territories caused conflicts to keep the House of Representatives 50/50 when it comes to slavery. -
Missouri Compromise
America let Missouri join America as a slave state but also admitted Maine as a free state, America also prohibited slavery north of the 36° 30° parallel. This temporarily lessened conflict in the country. It also set a precedent for not addressing the issue of slavery in America -
Nat Turner’s Rebellion
A violent slave rebellion, whose leader was Nat Turner, that killed around 60 white people. The Nat Turner Rebellion led to Southerners' stereotypes against black people to be reinforced. Stricter slave laws were introduced because of the rebellion -
Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American War was fought over territorial disputes following the U.S. annexation of Texas. It ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which gave the U.S. new territories, intensifying the debate over the expansion of slavery. Mexicans and American went to war over the topic of Texas annexing America. The war resulted in vast new territories for the U.S., sparking fierce disputes over whether slavery would be allowed in the newly acquired lands, worsening sectional tensions. -
California Gold Rush
The 1849 discovery of gold in California drew a massive influx of settlers. Its rapid population growth led to California’s quick admission as a free state, intensifying sectional tensions. The Gold Rush led to a rapid population boom in California, hastening its admission as a free state and intensifying the debate over the expansion of slavery. -
Compromise of 1850
This series of laws aimed to ease tensions between free and slave states, including admitting California as a free state and strengthening the Fugitive Slave Act. It temporarily delayed conflict but ultimately failed to resolve the issue. This compromise attempted to ease sectional conflict by admitting California as a free state and strengthening the Fugitive Slave Act, but it ultimately deepened divisions over slavery. -
Frederick Douglass gives July 4th Speech
In his 1852 speech, Douglass criticized the celebration of independence while slavery persisted in America. He called out the hypocrisy of a nation that declared liberty while denying it to millions. Douglass's powerful 1852 speech exposed the hypocrisy of celebrating freedom in a nation that upheld slavery, fueling abolitionist sentiment and increasing tensions between the North and South. -
“Bleeding Kansas”
Pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers violently clashed in Kansas over the issue of slavery in the territory. Kansas on the topic of slavery has become a battleground where people are attacking others for their ideas about slavery. This shows the brewing violence against each other. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This 1854 law allowed settlers in those territories to decide on slavery through popular sovereignty. It repealed the Missouri Compromise and led to violent conflict in Kansas. This act caused violent conflicts in Kansas over whether the state should be a slave or non-slave state. -
Attack on Charles Sumner
Senator Charles Sumner was brutally beaten on the Senate floor by Representative Preston Brooks after giving an anti-slavery speech. The attack symbolized the growing violence and hostility between North and South. America has started to get violent on the topic of slavery. -
Dred Scott v Sanford
The Supreme Court ruled that African Americans were not citizens and had no right to sue in federal court. It also declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, angering the North and empowering the South. America became more divided following the court case with people in the north furious at the south. People started being angry at each other and tension started to grow. -
Raid on Harpers Ferry
Abolitionist John Brown led a raid on the federal armory at Harper’s Ferry in an attempt to start a slave revolt, the raid failed due to a lack of support from enslaved people. Uprisings against slavery has started to get more and more violent in America. -
Southern Secession
Southern states seceded from the Union after Abraham Lincoln's election, fearing he would abolish slavery. America became divided and the tension grew larger. The Southern states seceding directly led into the Confederate army forming in America. -
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln won the presidency without being on many Southern states ballot. Southerners felt like they had no say in American politics with their leader not even being on their ballot. Southerners became scared about the future of slavery in America. -
Shots fired at Ft. Sumter
This was the official start of the fighting in the American Civil War. Union troops (Northern troops) stationed at Fort. Sumter in South Carolina were attacked by the South Carolina militia. Union lost and surrendered the fort to the Confederate militia. Unlike previous acts of violence, this was the first time violence broke out between organized military units. Fighting in the Civil War would continue for 4 more years after this event.