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Congress passed a series of laws to ease tensions between free and slave states. California was admitted as a free state, while Utah and New Mexico could decide slavery through popular sovereignty. The Fugitive Slave Act required citizens to help capture escaped slaves. -
What happened: Series of violent clashes in Kansas between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups.
How it led to war: Showed that compromise over slavery was breaking down and that violence was becoming a common solution. -
Proposed by Senator Stephen A. Douglas, the act created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and allowed settlers to vote on whether to allow slavery (“popular sovereignty”).
Important people: Stephen A. Douglas, Franklin Pierce.
How it led to war: It repealed the Missouri Compromise line, reopening the slavery debate and leading to violent clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas. -
What happened:
Southern Congressman Preston Brooks attacked Northern Senator Charles Sumner with a cane on the Senate floor after Sumner gave an anti-slavery speech. How it led to war:
The attack symbolized the breakdown of civility and the growing hatred between North and South. -
What happened:
The Supreme Court ruled that enslaved people were not citizens and that Congress had no right to ban slavery in the territories. How it led to war:
The decision invalidated efforts to limit slavery’s spread and enraged Northerners, increasing sectional tensions. -
What happened:
A series of debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas during the Illinois Senate race focused largely on slavery. How it led to war:
Lincoln’s arguments against the expansion of slavery made him a national figure and alarmed Southern leaders. -
What happened:
Abolitionist John Brown led a raid on a federal arsenal in Virginia, hoping to start a slave uprising. How it led to war:
The failed raid terrified Southerners, who believed more Northern abolitionists would turn to violence. -
What happened:
Abraham Lincoln was elected president without any Southern electoral votes. How it led to war:
The South saw Lincoln’s election as a threat to slavery and began to secede from the Union soon after.