1. The Missouri Compromise of 1820: This compromise allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state, while Maine entered as a free state, maintaining a balance between slave and free states. It also established the 36°30' parallel as the dividing line between future slave and free states.
2. The Compromise of 1850: This compromise sought to resolve issues related to slavery in newly acquired territories from the Mexican-American War. It allowed California to enter as a free state, abolished the slave trade in Washington, D.C., and introduced the Fugitive Slave Act, which required the return of escaped slaves to their owners.
3. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854: This act repealed the Missouri Compromise and allowed settlers in the Kansas and Nebraska territories to decide whether to allow slavery through popular sovereignty. This led to intense conflicts between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the region, resulting in violence and bloodshed.
4. The Dred Scott Decision of 1857: In this landmark Supreme Court case, the court ruled that Dred Scott, a slave who had lived in a free state, did not have the right to sue for his freedom as slaves were considered property. The decision essentially invalidated the idea that enslaved individuals could be free once they resided in a state where slavery was illegal.
5. John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry in 1859: Abolitionist John Brown led a failed armed insurrection against a federal arsenal in Virginia, with the intention of arming enslaved individuals and sparking a slave revolt. While the raid was quickly suppressed, it heightened tensions between the North and South regarding the issue of slavery.
6. The Election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860: Lincoln, the first Republican president, was elected with a platform opposing the expansion of slavery. His election triggered the secession of several Southern states, as they saw his presidency as a threat to their way of life and the institution of slavery.
7. The Confederate States of America is formed in 1861: Following the secession of Southern states, the Confederate States of America was established, with its constitution explicitly protecting and preserving the institution of slavery. This further solidified the divide between the North and South and set the stage for the Civil War.
8. The Attack on Fort Sumter in 1861: The Confederate forces initiated the Civil War by attacking Fort Sumter, a federal fort in South Carolina, which resulted in its surrender. This act of aggression marked the beginning of the armed conflict between the Union and the Confederacy, which was primarily fought over the issue of slavery.
What are eight events in slavery that led up to the Civil War?
1 answer