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Ashlyn Carter
Professor Sadovsky
Ashlyn Carter
Professor Sadovsky
1848
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When this war ended and the United States got the land, many of our issues were resolved. However, a major issue rose up soon after. All of these new territories brought about the debate of whether they would become free territories or slave territories. This created disagreements between the pro-slavery citizens and the abolitionists. Each group wanted the land to be used in their favor. This caused a lot of problems and was one of the first things that created problems that led to the Civil War.
1850
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This act, passed by Congress on September 18, 1850 as a part of the Compromise of 1850, gave southern slaveholders the right to capture runaway slaves that had escaped to the North. This was deemed unfair by many citizens, as these slaves had gone through extreme hardships to escape to the free states. It angered many Northerners and caused disagreements that played a role in leading to the tension that caused the Civil War.
1852
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A law was passed in 1852 that no man could assist a runaway slave or in any way prevent their owner from taking them. This meant that the slaves attempting to escape to the North could not get help from abolitionists along the way, or said abolitionist could be punished. This upset a lot of slaves and Northerners because they wished to help free slaves and take them to the free territories. It assisted the Southerners in keeping their "rightful ownership" of the slaves even if they managed to escape. It upset a lot of people and caused a lot of problems that later led to the Civil War.
1852
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On March 20, 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, was published. Within the first week, thousands of copies were sold. This novel showed the true horrors of slavery and provoked many Northerners to realize how truly awful slavery was. Many people began to fight for the abolition of slavery after reading Uncle Tom's Cabin, while the Southerners defended their right to own slaves even more fiercely. The tension between the states grew immensely after the publishing of this novel. The problems that it brought about had a huge role in leading to the Civil War.
1854
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Bleeding Kansas was a time when the residents of Kansas were given the decision of whether Kansas would be a free state or a slave state. Both abolitionists and supporters of slavery swarmed the area, resulting in violent fights between the two groups, both of whom wanted the area to be turned to their beliefs. The fighting continued until 1861, when Kansas became a free state. This horrible fighting lasted a very long time, up until the Civil War. It was one of the major factors that resulted in the war, after creating years of tension and hate between the groups.
1856
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This election, between James Buchanan, Millard Fillmore, and John C. Fremont, caused a lot of division and problems within parties and the states. When Buchanan won, it became his job to hold the Democratic party together. He was a supporter of states' rights, rather than being anti or pro-slavery. His presidential term was full of things that resulted in the Civil War. James Buchanan being elected created a lot of distress in some states and created some of the problems that led to the Civil War.
1857
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After previously fighting for his freedom and winning, then being placed in slavery again a couple years later, Dred Scott lost his final court case on March 6, 1857. It was ruled that he and his family would remain in slavery. However, his current owners sold them to the son of their previous owner and they were freed. During these trials, Scott became very well-known and got a lot of support from churches and abolitionists. This helped encourage the Northerners to fight for what they believed in, whether it be the freedom of one family or, later, the freedom of all American slaves. This newfound encouragement helped push them to fight in the Civil War just four years later.
1858
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These seven debates regarding the issue of slavery moving into different territories were between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. They made Lincoln into a more important figure and helped him gain the popularity that resulted in him becoming president, which led to the northerners having more political power, which led to the Civil War. This chain of events was one of the biggest things that led to the war.
1859
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An abolitionist named John Brown led a raid on a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, but the men were defeated. They had hoped to get the weapons and arm the slaves around the area in order to help them escape. Many were killed or injured during the fight. Eight of the involved men were captured and Brown was convicted of treason. He was hung on December 2, 1859. If these men had succeeded in their ambush, they could have helped free many slaves. However, they did succeed in creating fear in the southern states; many southerners were worried there would be another raid and feared for their lives. This helped weaken the south and encourage the abolitionists, which is part of what gave them the courage to start the war a couple of years later.
1860
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When Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860, the Northerners and abolitionists knew they had elected a president that was on their side. This helped the North make the decision to secede and begin preparing to fight for the freedom of slaves. This election is one of the main reasons the Civil War was able to happen. If Lincoln were not in a leadership position, the North would not have had the assistance they needed to enter into a war.