Road to Secession Digital Timeline (By Pranav Kumaran and Dhanush Chidipothu)

Summary: These were heavy sectional tensions on what to do with the Louisiana territory that was bought from France. Congress passed a law by which Maine would join the Union as a free state while Missouri will join the Union as a Slave state. They also further stated that the rest of the Louisiana territory would either be slave or free state based on the 36° 30’ parallel. States below the 36° 30’ parallel will be considered slave states and states above the parallel will be considered as free states. This was done as a temporary solution by the union to calm down the tensions on what to do with the Louisiana territory.

Northern Perspective: The north were probably most happy with this compromise, because they will be able to restrict the amount of slave states they will be in the union. This would help the north limit the south's power and their control in congress.

Southern Perspective: The south was probably upset because these boundaries restrict where they could make slave states. Their power is reduced and they could only claim slave states only in a specific region. There power is also reduced in congress because of the limited slave states they could make

Summary: Nat Turner’s Rebellion was a Rebellion in Virginia that happened in August 1831. It was led by Nat Turner, who was an enslaved man. He believes in signs and hearing voices, and that god has asked him to do this. He recruited 6 men, killed one slave-owning white family, and recruited 75 people enslaved people and ended up massacring 51 white men, women, and children. This incident put fear into Southerners

Northern Perspective: Some people might have been disgusted at the actions taken for an anti-slavery cost, but others might think of Nat Turner as a hero who struck fear to people in the south

Southern Perspective: Many people in the south were shaken by these events. Many white slave owners had the fear that their slaves would rebel and kill them and their families, like Nat Turner killed the 51 white men, women and children in Virginia

Summary: Texas was Annexed into the U.S in 1845 and became the 28th state. Beforehand, it was originally part of Mexico, but then American settlers in the Mexican Texas soon declared independence in 1836. Texas was its own country for a while, and it was called The Republic of Texas. It eventually was annexed to the United states. The Democrats and Republicans argued whether Texas should be a free state or a slave state. In the end, Texas became a slave state.

Northern Perspective: The Citizens of the north were angry that Texas was going to become a slave state and end up being part of the south. They realized that now the south is getting a massive piece of land that is a slave state.

Southern Perspective: The Citizens of the south were joyous that they had another state in their back pocket. They have also gained a massive amount of land. This also gives the south more power by giving them extra seats in congress.

Summary: The Compromise of 1850 was basically a temporary truce between the north and south regarding the new land acquired from the mexican-american war. The land they earned from the war was present-day Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. They made this “truce” because the north and south were arguing whether the new land should be slave states or free states. Since they could not come with an agreement, they decided to create a temporary solution by making the Compromise of 1850. The Compromise stated that there will be a stricter fugitive slave law, California will become a free state, The New Mexico and Utah Territories will be decided to be a free or slave state by popular sovereignty, and that slave trading in Washington, DC, will be banned.

Northern Perspective: The Northerners were probably happy that they were able to make California a free state because they will acquire more power and more land. They probably came with a mutual agreement for the territories, which they might not have been too happy about. They also probably would have not approved of the increased fugitive slave laws, but in the end they needed to come with an agreement with the south

Southern Perspective: The Southerners were probably happy that they were able to get stricter fugitive slave laws, but were probably furious about California becoming a free state because now the north has more power. They probably had a neutral feeling towards the fact that the territories are going to be slave or free based on popular sovereignty, though.

Summary: It was a book written by Harriet Beecher Stowe before the civil war, and this book has influenced many abolitionists about the horrors of slavery in the south. It made more Northerners furious about the things that were happening in the south and made them more committed into making a free and anti-slavery America. This book helped America push towards a civil war and made more northerners work in the underground railroad

Northern Perspective: Many people in the north where furious by realizing the horrors of slavery in the south. This caused many northerners to work even harder into making a anti-slavery America.

Southern Perspective: Many people in the south probably did not like how the book was affecting many abolitionists in the north. They probably where worried that it would be just the one thing that will push this country into civil war, not letting them to secede while being a country that is runned by slavery.

Summary: The Kansas-Nebraska Act was an act suggested by Stephen Douglas to promote party unity and appease southern citizens who opposed the Missouri Compromise line. The act created 2 territories: Kansas and Nebraska. Since the territory is above the Missouri Compromise line, it will nullify the Missouri Compromise of 1820. This act also introduced the concept of popular sovereignty, which is when the citizens vote for if they want the territory to be a slave or free state. The concept of popular sovereignty made people from outside states to flood into Kansas to vote for if the state would be a free or slave state. The people who flooded into the state were called border ruffians. This caused pro-slavery and anti-slavery people to clash, the term “Bleeding Kansas” came from the clashing of pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in Kansas. In the end, Kansas became a free state.

Northern Perspective: They probably would be smart if they got into Kansas to illegally vote for the state to become free. The northerns probably did not want the south to get the upper hand and potentially get more states than the north.

Southern Perspective: Southerners also probably thought they could try beating the north by illegally voting in Kansas. Like the Northerners, they did not want the other side to get even more states than them.

Summary: Dred Scott was a slave that tried to take a legal standpoint to try to earn his freedom.
Dred Scott was originally a slave, but gained his freedom when his master took him up north, to a place where the outlawed slavery in the region. This helped him gain his freedom. When he returned to Missouri, he was not considered a free citizen, but a slave. He sued his way up until the supreme court. The supreme court ruled that since black people can never be citizens of the United States, he could not sue them and that he is not a free man. Even though Dred Scott did not get his happy ending, his court case created even more tension between the north and the south.

Northern Perspective: They probably were angry that they adjourned the case like because that means that black people living in the north are not free citizens of the United States. This also means that black people living in the north are also questioning whether they are even citizens of the united states and are they even safe living in the states.

Southern Perspective: They were probably pleased by how they ended the case because they knew that means that black citizens from the north where now technically not citizens of the United States, based on how they closed the case.

Summary: John Brown was an abolitionist who, unlike many other abolitionists, thought that violence was the only answer to help slaves get their freedom. He led an attack at Harpers Ferry, and he hoped that would spark more slave revolt around the nation. He recruited 22 men, which included his sons and freed slaves. When he led the attack, he tried to seize weapons and pro-slavery leaders in the town. In the end, he killed 4 people, wounded 9, and 10 of his men were killed, which includes 2 of his sons. He eventually got captured.

Northern Perspective: Many people who live in the north probably thought that John Brown was a hero for standing up for the cause. Other people would have probably thought he was a terrorist and his methods were unjust. In the end, people in the north are happy to see people standing up against pro-slavery leaders.

South Perspective: People in the south, on the other hand, hated the fact that pro-slavery leaders were being attacked and targeted. The don’t want people rising up and countering there pro-slavery culture.

Summary: The election of 1860 was pretty controversial, and for many reasons. At the time, there were 4 parties. The parties were the Republican party (Abraham Lincoln), Constitutional Union Party (John Bell), Southern Democratic Party (John Breckinridge), and the Northern Democratic Party (Stephan Douglas). This election took place during a pretty controversial time. Just in the previous year, John Brown had attempted a raid and an attack to free slaves. Events like this caused tensions between the north and the south. When the ballot results came in, The north and the west was won by Abraham Lincoln, the south by John Breckinridge, the border states by John Bell, and Douglas just won Missouri. In the end, Abraham Lincoln won the election of 1860 with less than 40% of the popular vote.

Northern Perspective: The Northerners were pretty happy Lincoln got elected, because he was a republican who supported anti-slavery. This will benefit the north if they had a war with the south (which they did) because they have a president who will support their cause.

Southern Perspective: The Southerners, on the other hand, were furious that Lincoln won the election of 1860. They did not want a republican president who was not even on their ballot in the south. Now they have a president who will want to end slavery and essentially ruin their current way of life in the south

Summary: After Lincoln was elected, the south realized that the north would keep on outvoting them for any decision, since the north has a greater population. This was one of the reasons South Carolina wanted to secede from the Union. Their lifestyle was completely different to the north and they were heavily reliant on slaves. This caused major tensions between the two groups. South Carolina was the first to secede they wanted to maintain slavery and did not be overruled by the north by most issues because of their low population.

Northern Perspective: Some people thought it was fine for the south to leave the Union because they thought they are respecting the south's beliefs. Others were furious and wanted them to stay because they have already said they have joined the Union, and these people claim they cannot nullify it.

Southern Perspective: They probably saw South Carolina Secede from the Union and saw it with pride and wanted to follow their example. They probably felt the same way and had an urge to do the same thing and with them, become their own nation