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The Compromise of 1850
Henry Clay proposed the Compromise of 1850 on January 29th to try to settle the controversy between the free and the slave states. The terms of this compromise were California be admitted as a free state, a stricter fugitive slave law, Utah and New Mexico vote on wether to be free or a slave state and trading of slaves is banned in the District of Columbia but slavery was not abolished there. -
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Antebellum
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Fugitive Slave Act was Passed
The Fugitive Slave Act was a law passed that allowed all slaves that escaped to be captured and brought back to their masters. If a white man was helping a slave they would be charged with a fine. -
Harriet Beecher Stowe Publishes Uncle Tom's Cabin
On March 20th Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom's Cabin. By the first day 3,000 copies of the book were already sold. The book's message was that slavery was a moral struggle not just a political contest. This book caused the Northern abolitionists to protest more against the Fugitive Slave Act and the Southerners thought the book was an attack on the South. -
Stephan Douglas Introduces the Kansas-Nebraska Act
This act would divide the territory into two sections. Nebraska in the north and Kansas in the south. Douglas introduced the idea of popular sovereignty which meant that the territories got to vote on whether or not they would be a free or slave state. -
Bleeding Kansas
After the Kansas-Nebraska Act many people rushed to these territories to win the vote for it to be a free or slave state. Bleeding Kansas is the name for the violence that occured between the people who were proslavery and the people that were antislavery. -
The Dred Scott Decision
The Dred Scott vs Sanford case was when Dred Scott who was a slave sued for his freedom because he was living in illinois which was a free state. He was not considered a citizen so he was not allowed to sue. Also it made the missouri compromise unconstitutional. -
Lincoln Douglas Debates
Lincoln and Douglas debated for four months when they were running for senater. Lincoln thought that popular soverignty was letting slavery grow into new territories and duoglas thought that it was the right way to decide whether the land should be a free or slave state. -
John Brown raids Harpers Ferry
John Brown was an abolitionist who led a group of armed slaves to Harpers Ferry to try to seiz a United States Arsenal. His plan was stopped by the marines and Robert E Lee. After that he was hanged. -
Abraham Lincoln is Elected President
Abraham Lincoln is elected president and will prohibit slavery in new states and territories. As a result the southern states start to succeed from the union. -
South Carolina Succeeds From the Union
South Carolina was the frist state to officialy succeed from the union. South Carolina succeeded because Abraham Lincoln was elected president. Once Lincoln was elected president the south knew that they would have less control over the federal government and that slavery would be abolished.
