Final Exam Outline: Compromises and Abolition Movement

Final Exam Outline

Compromises Related to Slavery

Northwest Ordinance of 1787
  • Established the governance of the Northwest Territory.
  • Significant Point: States formed out of this territory were prohibited from permitting slavery.
Southwest Territory Compromise
  • A compromise that allowed slavery in the territory south of the Ohio River.
Three-Fifths Compromise
  • Purpose: Addressed representation in Congress at the Constitutional Convention.
  • Details: Only three-fifths of the enslaved population would be counted for determining representation in Congress.
    • Formula: For every 5 enslaved individuals, 3 would count towards representation.
    • Implication: States with higher populations of enslaved individuals would receive correspondingly higher representation in Congress.
Commerce Compromise
  • A negotiated agreement between Northern and Southern states regarding commerce regulations.
  • Southern Stance: Wanted a two-thirds majority in Congress for any laws regulating trade.
    • They sought protections for the international slave trade until 1808.
  • Northern Stance: Opposed such requirements, leading to compromises including a temporary agreement to not touch the slave trade for 20 years.
Missouri Compromise (1820)
  • Triggered by Missouri’s application for statehood as a slave state in 1819.
  • Key Terms:
    • Missouri was admitted as a slave state while Maine was admitted as a free state.
    • The compromise prohibited slavery in the Louisiana Purchase territory north of the 36°30' parallel.
  • Philosophical Context: This compromise was intertwined with notions of Manifest Destiny and American expansionism.
Annexation of Texas
  • The 1844 presidential election under James Polk focused on the annexation of Texas as a slave state.
  • Expansion further included taking Pacific Northwest territories from Britain (Oregon and Washington), which forbade slavery.

Compromise of 1860

  • Resulted from the Mexican-American War, leading to the acquisition of the Southwest territory.
  • California's Admission: California entered the Union as a free state.
  • Popular Sovereignty: Territories like Utah and New Mexico were allowed to decide on slavery status through popular sovereignty.
  • D.C. Provisions: The slave trade was abolished in Washington, D.C.
  • Fugitive Slave Act: Required Northerners to return escaped slaves to Southern states, deeply straining North-South relations.

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

  • Proposed by Stephen A. Douglas, aimed at establishing popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska.
  • Consequences: This initiative led to violent conflicts known as “Bleeding Kansas,” marking a precursor to the Civil War.
  • Overturned: The act effectively nullified the Missouri Compromise by allowing the possibility of slavery north of the 36°30' line.

Four Key Figures in the Abolition Movement

  • William Lloyd Garrison

    • Founded "The Liberator," a weekly newspaper dedicated to opposing slavery.
    • Goal: To provide firsthand accounts about the realities of slavery, written by freed or escaped slaves.

  • Harriet Beecher Stowe

    • Authored "Uncle Tom's Cabin," a novel that highlighted the emotional and social impacts of slavery.
    • Portrayed the harsh realities, including the separation of slave families.

  • Frederick Douglass

    • Authored "The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave," exposing the brutalities of slavery.
    • His writings played a significant role in revealing the deep injustices within the institution of slavery.

  • Harriet Tubman

    • Founded and led the Underground Railroad, a secret network that provided safe passages and homes for fugitive slaves.
    • Instrumental in helping numerous slaves escape to free states in the North.