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Kuntucky and Virginia Resolutions
Democratic-Republican response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, stated that if states considered federal law unconstitutional, they had the ability to nullify the act. Set the foundation for the extent of state's rights, and would become basis for the idea of sucession allowing the South to believe that they could lawfully leave the Union because they thought the Union's actions to be unjust. Connects to Politics & Power because it legally granted states a vast amount of power over federal law. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Slave rebellion organized by Nat Turner, claimed working on the instructions of god, killed at least 55 whites. Rebellion caused fear of slave uprisings in South, Southern legislators passed laws supression the rights of free and enslaved blacks, these laws would be later critisized by abolitionist groups. Connects to Politics because it further enodrsed white hiarchy over African Americans that was backed by the acts passed in response to the rebellion. -
Annexation of Texas
Annexation of Texas into the United States after Texas won it's independence from Mexico in 1836. Reinvigorated debates over how the federal government would decide whether a state was slave or free. -
The Wilmot Proviso
Bill proposed by congress to outlaw slavery in the territories aqquired by the Mexican-American War. Killed by proslavery congressmen but sparked debates in congress over the new mexican territories. Connects to Politics & Power because it divided congress between proslavery and antislavery representatives and pushed Polk to try to obtain more slave territory. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Abolitionist novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, best selling novel of the 19th century. Helped to fuel the abolition movement in the North by detailing the gruesome reality of slavery. Connects to politics because it prompted many to defy the Fugitive Slave Act and also provided abolitionist movement with millions of supporeters -
Bleeding Kansas
Fighting between free-soilers and proslavery Misssourians in response to the Kansas popular soverienty elections. First armed conflict over slavery based issues in the West, further soured relations between proslavery and antislavery politicians. Connects to Migration because caused thousands of proslavery and anitslavery citizens to flock to Kansas to provide supports for fighting militias. -
Dredd Scott v. Sandford
Supreme Court decision ruling that African Americans, whether free or enslaved, were not United States citizens therefore could not sue in federal courts. Chief Justice Roger B. Taney wrote that slave owners also had the right to move into free territories and still retain onership of their slves and that territories did not have the power to prohibit slavery. This connects to Peopling because it gave slave owaners the ability to freely move to western territories and still retain their slaves. -
Lincoln's Election
Abraham Lincoln, the republican nominee, won the 1860 presidential election, becoming the 16th president of the United States. Democrats in the South feared that a republican president would push for emancipation, and suceeded from the Union. Connects to beliefs because the popular belief of the plantation elite in the South regarding the new administration pushed them to suceed.
