Crisis of the Union

This compromise allowed California to become a free state and let the remaining states gain from Mexico to choose how they want to treat slaves. The compromise made it free to choose for or against slavery in the United States. This freedom made the tensions rise between the north and south with the new ability to choose for more states.

The Fugitive Slave Act made where slaves had to be returned to their owners even if they were in a free state. This law made the north angry because they didn't believe in having slaves and this made it where they had to pay a fine if they didn't follow it. This caused many abolitionists to fight more against slavery.

Uncle Tom's Cabin was a book written by Harriet Beecher Stowe about the evil of slavery. The book was a bestseller which made northern states see the true lives of slaves. The north now had another reason on why slavery should be ended and to fight against the south.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed people in the territories to choose if Kansas and Nebraska would be a free or slave state. The act repealed the Missouri Compromise which made the line of slavery between the north and south. Kansas and Nebraska was above this line and made it where slavery could now happen in the north. The north became angry with the south who were taking over states and allowing slavery. This was a major event that sparked violence between the north and south.

After the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed Kansas became split between wanting to be a free or slave state. Towns started fighting with each other over what the state of Kansas would become. Kansas made a document called the Lecompton Constitution which made Kansas a proslavery state. Many cities in Kansas refused this and wanted to be a free state. Kansas cities went to violence and burned towns that disagreed with their views of slavery. The violence in Kansas started to lead to the Civil War.

Dred Scott was a slave in the state of Illinois. Illinois was a free state because of the Missouri Compromise and Dred Scott argued for his freedom at court. Scott said that because he was a resident of Illinois and it was a free state that he shouldn't be a slave. Scott's master said that he couldn't become free because his ancestors were slaves. Chief Justice Roger Taney said that no African Americans could become citizens of the United States. Seven of nine justices voted against Scott becoming free which raised tensions between the north and south. This event showed that the laws made by the north had little effect on what truly would happen with slaves in free states.

Abraham LIncoln decided to run for the U.S Senate taking Douglas's spot. Lincoln made points of how the Supreme Court would change the law of allowing any state to have slaves. He mentioned the Dred Scott case and how Congress could do the same thing in every state as they did in Illinois. Lincoln and Douglas debated with each other over what the U.S should do with slavery. Lincoln lost to Douglas but it later helped him win his race for Presidency over Douglas. Lincoln knew that the United States couldn't work if it was divided and knew a change was needed.

The Lecompton Constitution was made so that Kansas could become a slave state. The decision of enforcing the constitution was a long process because of the disagreement in Kansas. President James Buchanan was pro slavery and tried to get congress to accept the constitution but they sent it to be voted for back at Kansas. In Kansas it was rejected and it became a free state. Pro Slavery groups in Kansas became angry with this and started fighting against it.

John Brown was a abolitionist who tried to end slavery in the United States. He led a small group to Harpers Ferry in hopes to start an armed slave revolt. He wanted to start an uprising against slavery by fighting with the south. John Brown along with a small group went to Harpers Ferry to raid the arsenal. At the Harpers Ferry raid ten of John Brown's men died in the fight. Brown was then accused of treason by Virginia and sentenced to death. The raid failed but it did raise the tension of the Election of 1860. His ideas of fighting to end slavery later happened in the Civil War.

The election of 1860 was when Lincoln was elected the President of the United States. Abraham Lincoln wanted to stop slavery from expanding any further in the United States. The south knew about him wanting to end slavery and were angry he won the election. The election immediately sparked tensions for the tart of the Civil War.