The Nation Breaking Apart Events That Divided the United States

1793 – Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin This invention dramatically increases the amount of cotton grown AND the need for more slaves

Missouri Compromise 1820 Issue: Balance of power in Congress 11 free states vs. 11 slave states The next state would give the power to either the proslavery of antislavery interests

Missouri Compromise Missouri admitted into the US as a slave state Maine admitted as a free state Latitude line 36 30’ – everything above this line would have no slaves; everything below the line would allow slaves

Nat Turner’s Rebellion Virginia, 1831 Turner and 70 followers (other slaves) killed 55 white men, women, and children

Nat Turner’s Rebellion After running out of ammunition, Turner and his men were captured They were tried and hanged Whites killed more than 200 African Americans for revenge

Why was it important? The rebellion spread fear in the south because the number of slaves was so large that many were afraid of a large scale rebellion Strict laws were imposed that kept free African Americans from owning weapons Also, slaves could not gather without having whites in attendance

Kansas Nebraska Act “Bleeding Kansas” Issue: The territory of Kansas would allow voters to decide (popular sovereignty) whether or not to have slavery

Kansas Nebraska Act “Bleeding Kansas” Proslavery people did not want to lose the vote, so 5,000 people crossed the border into Kansas and illegally cast their vote in favor of slavery Antislavery forces boycotted the results John Brown and seven men murdered 5 proslavery people as an act of revenge Violence spread throughout Kansas One newspaper reporter claimed that there was so much killing in Kansas that the “streets were soaked with blood.”

California wants to join the US as a free state! Compromise of 1850 California wants to join the US as a free state!

Compromise of 1850 Henry Clay designed a compromise California admitted as a free state New Mexico and Utah will be open as slave territories No more slave trade (auctions, etc.) in Washington DC Adopt stronger fugitive slave laws

Compromise of 1850

Some slave catchers captured free African Americans Fugitive Slave Act It required all Northerners to help recapture runaway slaves or go to jail Some slave catchers captured free African Americans

Uncle Tom’s Cabin Book written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852 Very popular book in the North that told about the morals of slavery People in the South believed that it falsely portrayed the South and slavery

Republican Party As a result of the violence in Kansas, politicians who were against slavery formed the Republican Party. Their main belief was that “no man can own another man….”

Lincoln – Douglas Debates Stephen Douglass and Abraham Lincoln debated each other during the election for senator of Illinois. Abraham Lincoln said that African Americans had rights under The Declaration of Independence Lincoln lost the election, but became a national political figure as a result of the debates

Residents vote to decide an issue Popular Sovereignty Residents vote to decide an issue Stephen Douglass believed that each state should be able to decide if they wanted slavery

John Brown Planned an armed rebellion with slaves in Harpers Ferry, Virginia After raiding an arsenal, Brown’s plan was foiled by local militia, then US Marines He was captured, convicted of treason, and hanged.

Dred Scott Dred Scott was a slave who moved with his master to a free state, where he lived for four years. His master then moved them to Missouri (a slave state) His master died in Missouri, leaving Scott to his wife.

Dred Scott v. Sanford Scott believed he should be free because he once lived in a free state. He sued his owner for his freedom and won. She appealed the ruling and won. The case eventually makes its way to the US Supreme Court

Dred Scott v. Sanford Supreme Court Ruling Scott is a possession, not a person, and cannot sue in a court of law As a possession, he should remain a slave Missouri Compromise was illegal – people should be able to decide the issue of slavery in their state.