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Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions written
Written anonymously by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, these documents declared that states could nullify federal laws that the states considered unconstitutional. -
Hartford Convention meets during War of 1812
Meeting of Federalists near the end of the War of 1812 in which the party listed it's complaints against the ruling Republican Party. These actions were largley viewed as traitorous to the country and lost the Federalist much influence. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise were a series of laws enacted in 1820 to maintain the balance of power between slave states and free states. -
Tariff of Abomination
Tariff passed by Congress in 1828 that favored manufacturing in the North and was hated by the South. -
South Carolina tries to nullify
South Carolina tried to nullify the Tarrif of Abominations because it only benifited the north and its industries and economically hurt the south. South Carolina wanted to disolve the union but Vice President John C. Calhoun lead them to instead nullify the law. -
Abolition of Slavery Act
This act banned slavery throughout the British empire, although not much changed in the colonies, only slaves under the age of six were said to be free. -
James Polk elected
Polk's presidential campaign was centered around the anexation of Texas. He promised he'd fight for the anexation of Texas and for American control of the entire Oregon Territory. He was able to defeat Caly and Birney and win the election. He served one term as the 11th president of the United States. -
Wilmot Proviso
Law passed in 1846 that banned slavery in any territories won by the United States from Mexico. -
Mexican War
War declared in 1846 after Mexican troops crossed the Rio Grande into Texas. Was ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which gave the U.S. Texas, New Mexico, and California in exchange for $15 million to Mexico -
California enters the Union
California entered the Union as a free, nonslavery state under the Compromise of 1850. It entered the union as the 31st state. In January 1848, gold was discovered near Sacramento, and this gold rush fastened California’s admittance to the Union. -
Fugitive Slave Law enacted
This law said you had to return runaway slaves to their owners tension between North and South continued, and North opposed slavery and they refused to enforce the law, especially abolitionist -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
The novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and took a significant part in fighting against slavery. While visiting Kentucky, a slave state, she discovered evidence of the condition of slaves. Over 500,000 copies were sold in the first five years in the United States alone. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery within their borders. It also repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which prohibited slavery north of latitude 36°30´. It was strongly supported by pro-slavery southerners who were eager to vote for the territories to be slave states. -
Formation of Republican Party
This party was made by anti-slavery activists. -
Dred Scott decision announced
Dred Scott was a slave that sued for his freedom and for his wife and two kids freedom. After a long time the decision was made that he could not be free -
Border Ruffians attack
The open violence in Kansas spread ot the Free State of Lawrence and Border Ruffians destroyed two newspaper offices and burnded a hotel. They also destroyed and ransacked homes. -
Charles Sumner attacked
Charles Sumner was a senator from Massachusets and was against slavery. After he delivered a speech he was almost killed by being visiously beaten with a can by Senator Preston rooke of South Carolina. Senator Preston was proslavery. -
Pottawatomie Creek
In southeast Kansas, John Brown and some of his Free States volunteers killed 5 men that were along the Pottawatomie Creek. The men that were killed were involved in Pro Slavery but they didn't actually own any slaves. -
Lincoln-Douglas debates
The Lincoln Douglas debates was a series of seven debates between Abraham Lincoln Republican and returning senator Stephan Douglas as they campaigned for Senator of Illinois. They both agreed to speak at each of the nine congressional districts of the state. Lincoln ended up winning the presidency in the long run, against Douglas -
Lecompton Constitution
This Constitution was proposed by Kansas and protected to rights of slaveholders. -
Raid at Harpers Ferry
John Brown rented a farm in Maryland across from Harpers Ferry, where he assembled an army. He wanted to seize the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry and they went one morning cutting the wires and wer able to aquire the arsenal. The local militia capured Brown and ten of Browns men were killed. The captured men were tried then all were excecuted. -
Democrats Split in 1860
In 1860 the Democrats were unable to stop the election of Republican Abraham Lincoln for they feared his election would lead to a Civil War. During the Civil War the Democratic party split into the War democrats and the Copperhead democrats. The War democrats supported president Lincoln's war policies and the Copperheads-opposed them. -
Formation of Constitutional Party
This party was made up of former Whig, who wanted to disown the slavery problem throughout the divided Union -
Election of 1860
The presidental election was held on Novemebr 6, 1860. Abraham Lincoln, Republican, ran against Stephan Douglas and John C. Breckenridge, pro-slavery. Abraham Lincoln was elected to be the 16th president of the United States with 180 vs 132 electoral votes. -
Texas Declares independance from Mexico
Mexico started to let Americans move West into the Texas territory, until finally there were more Americans in the territory in Mexico, and this called for trouble. This caused war.
