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The Cotton Gin
The Cotton Gin was an invention that separated seeds from the cotton fibers. The invention made cotton more profitable causing more demand for cotton. Because the cotton gin had increased profits, the amount for slavery had expanded in the South. -
The Missouri Compromise
The state of Missouri wanted to be admitted into the Union of the U.S. The problem was that the state was undecided about admitting as a slave or free state, creating an imbalance of free/slave states. Henry Clay had made the compromise to admit Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, and declared the North of the U.S. to have free states and the South to have Slave states. -
The Abolition Movement
The Abolition Movement had occurred during the 1830's-1860's to support abolishing slavery. The North had completely ended slavery but was fighting the South to end slavery. William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, Harriet Beecher Stowe were all abolitionists who had participated in the Abolition movement. -
The Compromise of 1850
The U.S. had gained new land from the Mexican-American War causing California, Utah, and New Mexico to consider joining the Union. California was admitted as a free-state and Congress had lost power to Popular Sovereignty in Utah and New Mexico. Washington D.C. had abolished slave trade. The fugitive slave law was developed for slave owners from the South to capture escaped slaves back which had created a conflict with the North. -
Formation of Republican Party
After the election of 1848, a new political party was formed. The Republican Party was created because people who were once part of the Whig party, Free-soil party, and were anti-slavery Democrats had separated into the North and South. Causing a Republican Party to form. -
The Kansas Nebraska Act
The west coast of the U.S. and the rest of the U.S. had to build the Transcontinental Railroad but the railroad was undetermined as to where to be built, (either in the North or the South). The Compromise was that the state of Nebraska was divided into Kansas and Nebraska, and also had enforce the new law of Popular Sovereignty. But Popular Sovereignty had created conflict in Kansas between the Pro-slave and Anti-Slave groups. -
The Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slave who had been moved to free territory with his slave owner. The slave owner had passed away and Scott was asking for freedom since he no longer had a master and is in free territory. This case took trial in the Supreme Court and the court had decided that Dred Scott would remain a slave because he was considered "property" and not a citizen. -
Debate Between Douglas and Lincoln
Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln were both running for President of the U.S. in 1858. Both candidates had different perspectives of slavery; Lincoln (republican) opposed the expansion of slavery and Douglas (democrat) supported Popular Sovereignty. Douglas had won the senate election and Lincoln had won the debates. -
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln had won the Presidential Election of 1860 without many votes from the South and causing the Abolitionists success. Lincoln had a goal to stop the expansion of slavery causing Southern states to withdraw from the Union. Congress had made an attempt to protect slaves within the South but had failed. -
Fort Sumter
Near the sea in South Carolina, the first battle between the North and South took place. The Confederates had started the battle first. Which had lead to the Civil War.
