MISSOURI
COMPROMISE
1820
When the United States was preparing to adopt Missouri as
a state, the regional differences in America exacerbated.
Tensions heightened as people debated over whether
Missouri was a free or slave state. In order to keep the
balance within the nation and Congress, the Missouri
Compromise was established in 1820. This compromise
admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free
state. Furthermore, it created an imaginary 36-30 line along
Missouris southern border, constituting that everything
north of the line cannot allow slavery, and everything south
could be pro-slavery. This officially segregated the north
and the south, demonstrating how disunited the nationon
was. It is here where the sides of the debate were physically
manifested into one half of a country against another.
COMPROMISE
OF 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was created to accommodate the
new territory that the United States acquired from the
Mexican American War. It adopted both California and New
Mexico (balance between free & slave states). California is
declared a free state, which benefited the north. The south
also benefited due to the tightening of the fugitive slave act.
This was disadvantageous for northerners since anyone
who failed to turn over a slave was culpable. This
compromise led to an increase of distrust and opposition
among the states. Abolitionists became resentful because
they felt that freedom was being stolen from them for the
sake of southerners happiness. The country becomes even
more censorious about the slave system and the cotton
economy.
DRED SCOTT
march, 1857
Dred Scott was a slave, whose owner lived in Illinois and
Wisconsin territory. Dred Scott claimed that since the
territory where he was taken to were free states, he was
free. He sued in court, and his case goes back and forth
between various courts until it reaches the Supreme Court.
Dred Scott is eventually ruled as a slave because he sued
for freedom after returning to Missouri, which was a slave
state. Supreme Court Justice Taney states that the Missouri
Compromise unconstitutional, that slaves are property
regardless of where their owners take them. This decision
impacts abolitionists as it meant the expansion of slavery;
slavery exists where owners decide to take their slaves. It
threatens the balance of power in congress, and is a
contributing event that led up to Harpers Ferry.
ELECTION
OF 1860
The election of 1860 was more of a regional election.
Lincoln was not on any of the southern ballots. Despite
receiving not a single southern state, Lincoln wins from
electoral college votes. This served as the final straw for the
southerners. In the souths eyes, the north was gaining
political dominance, and superseding the souths voice in
government. The south felt that policies and laws were
being geared toward satisfying the norths concerns, and
worsening the souths situation. They also felt that they were
losing their influence. With this election, the south felt that
everyone in the country was purposefully out to get them,
and therefore kindled their desire to secede.
WILMOT
PROVISO
1846
The Wilmot Proviso proposed that any new territory
acquired from the Mexican-American War would not have
slavery. It was Congress way of avoiding the debate of
having one slave state and free state. After this law was
proposed, the economic debates about agriculture and
industrialism featured the element of slavery. This was a
notable shift, because prior to the Wilmot Proviso, slavery
was not discussed about. People began questioning the
brutal nature of slavery, and how it would be handled.
Southerners were concerned since they saw the Wilmot
Proviso as a power grab by the government to force the
country into becoming more free state.
KANSAS-
NEBRASKA
ACT
may, 1854
When Kansas and Nebraska wanted to join the United
States, the question of whether they will be free or slave
states rose once again. Stephen Douglas proposed that the
states will have popular sovereignty: they can decide for
themselves. As a result, Bleeding Kansas occurs. Both pro
and anti slavery agitators enter Kansas temporarily to shape
votes. They ripped the state apart through violence: people
beat each other, property is destroyed, and riots took place.
The votes were drastically skewed; people were forced to
vote at gunpoint and other revolted, which resulted in many
voting irregularities. This act was a key stepping stone
toward the Civil War as it amplified the violence that
proslavery and antislavery argumentative were. It
foreshadowed how violent the Civil War would become.
HARPER'S
FERRY
october, 1859
John Brown is a radical abolitionist who leads a slave revolt
in Virginia in an attempt to trigger a slave insurrection. His
motive was that if enough slaves join together in an uprising,
the economy in the south would collapse. He seizes armory
at the Harpers Ferry. Unable to gain enough support from
slaves, Browns revolt was a debacle, and results in his
execution. This contributed towards the Civil War as the split
between the nation worsens even further. Northerners side
with the ideologies of Brown because they are so frustrated
with politics. Abolitionists see him as a martyr and praise
him through songs. The south, however, were afraid that the
north would destroy them. They feared that abolitionists
would create a slave uprising and ruin the south.
SOUTH
CAROLINA
december, 1860
South Carolina secedes in December of 1860, which
prompted other southern states to follow. This is the official
beginning of the Civil War. The states have declared
themselves as no longer part of the Union, which only
meant war.