1. The Whigs party split in 1854 and many northern Whigs formed a new political party called the republican party. Their main goal was to stop the spread of slavery into the western territories. Their antislavery stand attracted many northern democrats and free soil members.
2. The economy of the north and south
3. Missouri compromise
3.1. 1820
3.2. Missouri Compromise
3.3. As American began moving west the issue of whether or not Mexico should be allowed in the new states forming out west became an issue. The first state in which this became an issue was Missouri. It's addition to the United States threatened to up set the balance between free states and slave states. In 1820 senator Henry clay persuaded congress to approve the Missouri compromise. The Missouri was admitted as a slave state Louisiana territory north of Missouri's north border was free. Southerns slave owner gained the right to pursue escaped fugitives into free regions.
4. Free soil party
4.1. 1848
4.2. Free soil party
4.2.1. In election of 1848 both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party hoped to win by not taking a stand on the issue of slavery . Antislavery Whigs and democrats joined forces to create a new political party.
5. The compromise of 1850
5.1. 1850
5.1.1. Gold was found in California and thousands moved to the area. Soon the territory had enough people to be admitted as a state.
6. The fugitive slave act
6.1. 1850
6.1.1. Allowed special government official to capture any person accused of being a runaway slave fugitive. Suspect had no right to trial to prove that they had been falsely accused. All it took was a slave holder or any white witness to swear that the suspect was a slaveholders property.
7. Uncle toms cabin
7.1. 1852
7.1.1. Written by stawp in 1852 it was a novel about kindly uncle tom an enslaved man who is abused by the the cruel simon legree. The book a best seller in the north. It shocked thousands of people who had been unconcerned with slavery before reading this book. The book cause people to view slavery as a human mural problem and not just a political issue.
8. The Kansas Nebraska act
8.1. 1854
8.1.1. Senator stephen douglas pushed through the act in 1854 which led the nation closer to free state. He wanted to see a railroad built from Illinois through the nebraska territory to the pacific coast.
9. Bleeding Kansas
9.1. 1855
9.1.1. Both pro slavery and anti slavery settlers flooded to Kansas to try and win the majority. Thousands of people from Missouri entered Kansas in march of 1855 to vote illegally in the election of a territory legislature. Kansas had 3,000 voters but almost 8,000 people voted. Of the 39 people legislature elected all but 3 supported slavery.
10. Bloodshed in the senate senator Charles sumner Attacked
10.1. 1856
10.1.1. Charels sumner of Massachusetts was the leading aboitionict senator and made fiery speeches denouncing the proslavery legislature in Kansas. In one of his speeches he singled out andrew butler who was an elderly senator from south Carolina who was not present when he gave his speech.
11. Republican Party
11.1. 1854
12. Dred Scott vs Sanford case
12.1. 1857
12.1.1. Dred scott was an enslaved person who had once been owned by a U.S Army doctor. They had lived in Illinois and Wisconsin territory for a short time where slavery was illegal. they settled in Missouri.
13. The Lincoln and Douglas debate
13.1. 1858
13.1.1. Lincoln was Chosen as the politics candidate for senate against senator Douglas in 1858. Lincoln and Douglas were political and personal rivals both had Mary Todd and she married Lincoln. Lincoln challenged Douglas to a series of public debate.
14. John brown attack harpers ferry
14.1. 1859
14.1.1. John brown as driven out of Kansas after the Potawatomi creek massacre and returned to New England. He began a plot to free people in the south that were enslaved. In 1859 brown and a small group of supporters attacked the town of harpers ferry Virginia.
15. Political parties divided
15.1. 1860
15.1.1. The election of 1860 party split into two parties during the election of 1860 because northern democrats refused to support slavery in the territories. Some southerns wanted to fix the problems between the north and the south and formed the constitutional union party. They wanted to protect slavery and keep the nation together.
16. Election of 1860
16.1. 1860
16.1.1. Republicans chose Abraham Lincoln to run for president in 1860. Northern democrats nominated Stephen Douglas as their candidates. Southern democrats chose Vice President John Breckinridge of Kentucky. The constitutional union nominated John bell of Tennessee.
17. Southern states secede
17.1. 1860
17.1.1. Lincoln election made the south feel that they no longer had a voice in the national government. They believed that the president and the congress were against their interest especially slavery. South Carolina seceded left the united states first when news on Lincoln's election reached the state.
18. The confederate states of America
18.1. 1861
18.1.1. In February of 1861 the leaders of the seven states that left the union met in Montgomery Alabama to form a new nation that they called the confederate states of America. By the time Lincoln took office in march they had written a constitution and named former senator Jefferson Davis as president.
19. The Crittended plan
19.1. 1861
19.1.1. A plan developed by senator John j. Crittenden of Kentucky to compromise with the south was forming its new government but it did not pass