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The Walker Tariff
Adopted by the United States under President Polk, the Walker Tariff was implemented with the hope to maximize trade revenue. This led to economic tension between the North and South, as the South was in favor of this because of their mass exportations of agrarian goods, like cotton, whereas the North opposed this in fear of foreign competition. This disparity over financial decisions intensified leading up to 1861, deserving remembrance for exacerbating regional differences. (McPherson, 192) -
Wilmont Proviso
Quite unsuccessful, the Wilmont Proviso proposed to ban slavery in territories acquired as a result of the Mexican-American War. It did happen to pass in the House of Representatives but repeatedly failed in the Senate, yet what makes it so significant was its contribution to a new political faction, the Free Soil Party. The Wilmont Proviso exacerbated sectional tensions that, for the next decade, deepened the inability to decide on the issue of slavery during the Civil War . (Varon, 191, 206) -
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The Road to the Civil War
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The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a series of 5 pieces of legislature, all with the intent to resolve statehood tensions regarding the issue of slavery. California was admitted as a free state, Utah and New Mexico territories were minted under the doctrine of 'popular sovereignty', a tighter Fugitive Slave Act, defined post-Mexican-American War Texas boundaries, and it outlawed the slave trade in Washington D.C. While not solving the evilness of slavery, it prolonged immediate conflict. (Magliari, 527) -
The Christiana Riot
Two fugitives, who escaped years prior, were sought after by a Maryland slave owner and three deputy marshals. Quakers suggested that the slave hunters leave for their own good, rather a shooting arose. 38 people were charged with treason, most being acquitted. Edward Gorsuch, the Maryland native, was ultimately killed by Christiana, Pennsylvania, African Americans. This event merits inclusion as it was crucial in highlighting the resistance against the Fugitive Slave Act. (McPherson, 84) -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Published by Harriet Beecher Stowe, the pages hold stories of her encounters with fugitive slaves along the underground railway. Often noted for its tone of 'statesmanship', leaders, who later decided whether or not to intervene on behalf of the South during the Civil War, like Lord Palmerston, admired Stowe's work. The novel merits inclusion, not only for selling 300,000 copies in its first year, but for being a wakeup call as to the monstrous realities existing in the South. (McPherson, 88-90) -
Jordan Hatcher Case
Jordan Hatcher, a Chesterfield County, Virginia slave, was working in a tobacco factory when the white overseer attacked him with a cowhide strap for not working 'well' enough. In a resort to self-defense, Hatcher took an iron poker to the head of the overseer, later proving fatal. Hatcher was convicted of first-degree murder and subsequently hung. This shows how slaves were dehumanized and denied justice, and how the lack of federal oversight deepened divides over the institution. (Varon, 240) -
Anthony Burns' Arrest
After escaping in March of 1854 and finding his way to Boston, Anthony Burns was arrested by a deputy marshal. He had found a job at a local store, but by writing to his still enslaved brother, his owner found out his whereabouts. Bostonians were willing to pay the price of his freedom, but U.S. attorneys refused to sanction this. For its ability to galvanize abolitionist efforts and spark protests, signifying the depth of Northern opposition to the law, it merits inclusion. (McPherson, 119) -
The Pottawatomie Massacre
In Franklin, Kansas, John Brown and his four sons tempted five pro-slavery settlers out of their homes. The promise was that they would be returned unharmed, yet they were later stabbed to death. Abolitionists viewed Brown's actions as heroic while proslavery forces viewed him as a villain. This merits inclusion as it further elucidates to the growing culture of violence leading up to the Civil War and highlights the measures some individuals would take to fight against slavery. (Byas, 1-7) -
Caning of Charles Sumner
Charles Sumner was a Republican Senator from Massachusetts. Two days after giving his famous speech, 'The Crime Against Kansas', he was beat to unconsciousness by the cane of Preston Brooks. A South Carolina native, Brooks was a Democratic Congressman. This not only highlighted the division between the North and the South but also the functionality of federal law in a legal system otherwise considered adversarial, proving it to be deserving as influential leading up to war. (Varon, 268-271) -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott himself was a slave who had his case dismissed due to 'lack of standing', by Chief Justice Roger Taney. Unsubtly, this decision invoked the precedent that slaveowners should always have the right to keep their slaves as property and that the protection of their property should never be challenged. For the North, abolitionists outraged, yet for the South, they supported this belief, only dividing the regions further over the question of citizenship prior to the war. (Varon, 305-306)