Fugitive slave act
Many northerners opposed the expansion of slavery, and abolitionists despised the law. There were often riots when Southerners would try to bring back a runaway slave.
Battle of Vicksburg
Granted the Union control of the entire Mississippi River. Cut the confederacy in half
A slave in Missouri was taken to live in free Wisconsin, for two years, and he sued for his freedom. The Supreme Court ruled that slaves aren't citizens, and they are property so nobody can be deprived of their property without due process.
John Brown
Led a small raid on a federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry. His goal was to arm the southern slave population and incite a slave rebellion
Plan to completely cut off the south by blockading southern ports and eventually the Mississippi river
Established the southern border of the United States and granted a huge portion of land known as the Mexican cession which included California and new Mexico
Disputes over the Texas border sparked the conflict. American troops made it all the way to Mexico city.
Compromise of 1850
Johnson impeached
Pres. Johnson violated the tenure of office act, and impeachment failed by one vote
Lincoln campaigned on halting the expansion of slavery. He won without a single Southern electoral vote, prompting the south to realize they no longer any voice in the future of slavery in america
Civil rights act of 1866
All African Americans were citizens of the United States
Bleeding Kansas
Fighting broke out between the pro and anti-slavery factions
Wilmot Proviso
Positions on expansion of slavery
White supremacy
Gold rush
Gold was discovered in California, population skyrocketed
Texan independence
Americans had been settling in Texas since the 1820s. The southerners outnumbered actual Mexicans and had brought their slaves. The Mexican government outlawed slavery and mandated catholicism.
Tenure of Office Act
Stopped the president from removing a member of their cabinet without congressional approval (Johnson had tried to remove his secretary of war, who was a radical Republican)
Black codes
Restricted the civil rights of african americans in the south. Made it harder to vote, own property, even banned them from testifying against white people
15th amendment
Protected voting rights of former slaves (in theory)
The contested election was decided by a Republican-leaning committee the obv chose the Republican candidate. Democrats threatened to filibuster
Free Soil Party
Formed by abolitionists who wanted to ban slavery everywhere
Kansas-Nebraska act
divided Nebraska territory into 2 sections, Kansas and Nebraska. Put slavery to a vote in each new state. Effectively overturned the Missouri compromise!
Republican party formed
A coalition of free soilers and whigs and northern democrats who's goal was to stop the spread of slavery.
Reconstruction acts
Radical Republicans
Manifest destiny
Americans believed they had a God-given right to have a nation from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
Election of 1844
