Compromise of 1850:

Consisting of five separate bills, the Compromise of 1850 would attempt to dispute the tension between slave and free states. This legislation would lead to further sectional tension over time that would continuously lead to different causation to Civil War. Henry Clay, a Whig senator, would sign the compromise in hopes of establishing peace.

So, What About California?

California would be admitted as a Free State. California applied for statehood after the California Gold Rush. In 1848, gold would be found at Sutter’s Mill, where a great influx of people would soon follow. Such news brought around 300,000 people to California in only several years. In 1850, California’s application for statehood would be agreed upon, and therefore, California would be admitted as a free state.

Utah and New Mexico would be admitted to legalizing slavery.

Wait…It’s the Fugitive Slave Act:

The Fugitive Slave Act had already been established early on in the 19th century, however, it would rise back into power as tensions raised from Pro-Slave and Anti-Slave factions. The Fugitive Slave Act established that if a slave escaped from the South, fleeing to the North in search of freedom, they would, if caught, would be returned to the South where they were yet again a slave.

Short Man: Stephen Douglas

Stephen Douglas would propose the building of a railroad from Illinois to the Pacific Coast(Near California). However, Southerners would not support such a plan, as they feared that it would lead to ideological shifts towards anti-slavery. Southerners supported the idea that the railroad should travel from New Orleans territory to southern California.

So, What is Douglas Going To Do…Nebraska and Kansas:

Douglas would ask Southern senators to support his plan by introducing the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which would allow the settlers in those territories to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery, under the ruling of popular sovereignty. This divide would lead to even more sectional tension as the act would override the Missouri Compromise that had defined the 36’30 line.

Bleeding Kansas…Spooky.

Kansas would support two very different groups of people: Pro-Slaves and Anti-Slaves. Both sides, both which are self-explanatory, would debate in regards to the divide(Even more sectional tension). In May of 1856, Pro-Slavery jurors would charge leaders of Anti-Slavery with treason. 800 men would ride to Lawrence, Kansas, however, by the time they would arrive, Anti-Slavery forces would flee. To express their anger, they lit afire to buildings and businesses. This event would become known as The Sack of Lawrence.

Brooks-Sumner Affair:

In 1856, Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner would engage in a fight against the Senate floor where Brooks, a southern man from South Carolina, would attack Sumner with a walking cane. Such anger was fueled by Sumner’s ideals against slavery. Sumner, a Northern man, was known for his passionate speeches advocating for abolition and civil rights, making him a prominent figure in the anti-slavery movement.

Mr. John Brown

An abolitionist from New England, John Brown would move to Kansas with his sons where they would fight for the rights of slaves. In May of 1865, angered greatly by the Sack of Lawrence, John Brown would gather groups of men, and would kill 5 people a part of the Pro-Slave aspect of Kansas.

Kansas would continually collapse as more than 200 people would be killed throughout the term of Bleeding Kansas.

Donkeys, Elephants, and Slaves(Thank Mrs. Nikitas for that one):

The Republican party was formed in 1854 made up of free-soilers, abolitionists, and Whigs. However, regardless of the establishment of the Republican party, tensions continued to escalate between the North and South, as issues surrounding slavery, states' rights, and economic differences further divided the nation. James Buchanan would become president, however, he took a stance of being unsure of slavery, and prevented the federal government from taking a decisive action to address the growing conflict, which only intensified the divisions between the North and South.

Mr. Dred Scott:

Dred Scott and his wife would sue the United States in regards to their freedom, as they had traveled alongside their slave owners throughout Illinois. However, Judge Roger Taney would declare that African Americans were never meant to be citizens, especially under the Constitution.

Republicans would be particularly upset in regards to such a ruling, and therefore, a platform for the 1860 election would argue that Congress held the right to ban slavery in federal territory. The Supreme Court, in essence, took away the rights of slaves further, regardless of where they were. If they had escaped to the North, they were still property of their owners.

CONNECTION ACROSS TIME: The Dred Scott case would even have lasting implications beyond the Civil War, influencing future civil rights movements and legal interpretations regarding citizenship and equality in America. A connection that can be made is the case with Roe V. Wade. Basically, regardless of where you are in the United States, the right to have an abortion is dependent upon the state.

LINCOLN(Favorite President So Far):

In 1858, Lincoln would be dominated to the United States’ senate. Stephen Douglas, a democrat, would go into a debate against Lincoln that would become known as the Lincoln-Douglas debates, where they discussed key issues such as slavery, popular sovereignty, and the future of the Union.

Lincoln: Democrats are trying to spread slavery across the nation.

Douglas: Half free and half slave doesn’t make sense.

Douglas: Anyways…Here’s the Freeport Doctrine.

Freeport Doctrine:

The Freeport Doctrine was proposed by Stephen Douglas during the Lincoln-Douglas debates. It asserted that, despite the Supreme Court's ruling in the Dred Scott case, the people of a territory had the right to reject slavery by not passing laws to protect it. Douglas argued that the settlers of a territory could effectively make it free even if slavery was legally allowed by avoiding legislation that would facilitate the enforcement of slave ownership.

He’s Back(Mr. John Brown):

John Brown wanted to start the 2nd slave uprising. He wanted to attack the federal arsenal in Virginia and seize weapons there. His goal was to arm enslaved people and lead them in a revolt against their oppressors, believing that such an uprising would ignite a larger movement for abolition across the South.

John Brown would collect 20 men to battle in the fight of Harper’s Ferry. This bold plan, however, faced significant challenges, as Brown underestimated the strength of the opposing forces and the lack of support from the enslaved population. Robert E. Lee would kill multiple of Brown’s men after they has escaped to a firehouse. Ultimately, Brown was captured, tried for treason, and executed, becoming a martyr for the abolitionist cause and further polarizing the nation in the lead-up to the Civil War.

Election of 1860:

Three canidates es emerged as key figures: Abraham Lincoln representing the Republican Party, Stephen A. Douglas from the Northern Democrats, and John C. Breckinridge of the Southern Democrats, each with differing views on slavery that contributed to the growing sectional divide.

Democrats would be incredibly divided as Lincoln had a unified Republican party.