- Missouri Compromise of 1820:
1. Admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state to maintain balance in the Senate.
2. Prohibited slavery north of the 36°30′ parallel in the Louisiana Territory, except for Missouri.
3. Temporarily eased sectional tensions between North and South over the expansion of slavery.
- Compromise of 1850:
1. Admitted California as a free state.
2. Allowed Utah and New Mexico territories to decide on slavery through popular sovereignty.
3. Abolished the slave trade (but not slavery itself) in Washington, D.C.
4. Enacted a stricter Fugitive Slave Law requiring citizens to assist in capturing runaway slaves.
- Dred Scott Decision (1857):
1. Ruled that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, were not U.S. citizens and could not sue in federal court.
2. Declared that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in the territories, invalidating the Missouri Compromise.
3. Strengthened Southern pro-slavery arguments and outraged Northern abolitionists, deepening national division.
- Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)/Bleeding Kansas (1856):
1. Created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, allowing settlers to decide on slavery via popular sovereignty.
2. Repealed the Missouri Compromise’s ban on slavery north of 36°30′.
3. Led to violent clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas, known as “Bleeding Kansas.”
- Illinois Election for Senator (1858) — Lincoln/Douglas Debates:
1. Abraham Lincoln challenged Stephen Douglas for the U.S. Senate seat in Illinois.
2. The debates focused heavily on slavery’s expansion, with Lincoln opposing it and Douglas supporting popular sovereignty.
3. Although Douglas won the election, the debates elevated Lincoln’s national profile and highlighted the moral and political divide over slavery.
- John Brown’s Raid (1859):
1. Abolitionist John Brown led a raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, intending to arm enslaved people for a rebellion.
2. The raid failed; Brown was captured, tried, and executed for treason.
3. Northerners viewed him as a martyr for the abolitionist cause, while Southerners saw him as proof of Northern aggression, increasing fears of slave insurrections.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of civil war worksheet.
