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Northerners held a slim voting majority in the House, while southerners maintained an equal vote in the Senate; neither side willing to entertain any compromise between slavery and abolition. While northerners allowed the admission of Missouri as a slave state, they were determined to push the abolition of slavery through a political solution.

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Skip to Main Content web-magazine integrating news with a touch of insight, perspective and wit. More More PBS's new TV and web newsmagazine gives you what you need to know -- along with a healthy dose of insight, perspective and wit.

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For Southerners, Lincoln's election had a clear message. They would no longer have power in Congress and soon, slavery would be abolished. The South would be a minority and this would mean "the loss in liberty, property, and home..." In the weeks following, talk of Secession filled the air. When Lincoln was questioned if he would reach a compromise, he said that he would not interfere with the South's business with slaves. However, they could not expand  slavery to new territory. In the end, Lincoln said, "Let there be no compromise." Meanwhile, South Carolina voted to leave the union. Six more states soon followed.

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In the 1860 election, the Republicans were united with Lincoln. However, the Democrats were had split into North and South factions. With his opponents divided in three, Lincoln sailed to victory.

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In a series of fiery debates, Lincoln forced Douglas to publicly explain his stance on the issue of slavery. Though Douglas defeated Lincoln at the ballot box, Lincoln left a lasting impression on the north, where support for abolition was gaining momentum.

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In 1858, the contentious battle over slavery spread to the Supreme Court. A slave from Missouri (Dred Scott), who’s owner had brought him for a time to Wisconsin, a free state, sued for his freedom, arguing that his stay in  Wisconsin had made him a free man.

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Massachusetts Senator, Charles Sumner was convinced that Stephen Douglas had worked secretly to ensure that the Kansas would become a pro-slavery territory. He stood on the floor of the Senate, and hurled insults on southern senators. Copies of his speech were circulated and celebrated in the north. Two days later, the nephew of Andrew Butler (a senator he insulted by name), attacked Sumner in the Senate, beating him with a metal tipped cane.

Southerners celebrated the attack, while northerners viewed it as another example of the brutality of pro-slavery southerners.

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The Kansas territory settled into a time of extreme violence known as, “Bleeding Kansas.” Pro-slavery “border ruffians” targeted and attacked abolitionists in Kansas. Meanwhile, Jayhawking abolitionists attempted to terrorize pro-slavery families.

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In 1853, Stephen A. Douglas proposed a bill to organize the territories of Kansas and Nebraska into states. He believed it would be easier to get government support for the rail if Kansas and Nebraska were states and not simply unorganized territories. Like Utah and New Mexico, Douglas argued, Kansas and Nebraska should be allowed to vote for themselves over the issue of slavery.

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The Fugitive Slave Act required Northerners to help aid Southerners into capturing and returning slaves. Northerners were outraged by this law. Southerners were equally disappointed because they knew Northerners would not return their slaves.

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The four compromises made were:

1.  California would be admitted as a free state.

2.  New Mexico and Utah would be allowed to vote for themselves.

3.  Slave markets would be banned in Washington, D.C.

4. The Fugitive Slave Act would be implemented

This was a compromise that would attempt to balance the demands of both sides.

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Individual slaves rebelled by running away to freedom in the North. These fugitives were often assisted by sympathetic Northerners. Slaveholders saw these Northerners as no better than bank robbers. Every time a slave escaped, it was like seeing their land disappear. So, they demanded Congress to enforce a law helping them recapture their property.

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The Missouri Compromise of 1820 included two key provisions. (1) Missouri would be admitted as a slave state; but, (2) a new boundary would be established across the remainder of the Louisiana Territory, preventing the spread of slavery to any other states north of the 36th parallel. A deal was struck, and in 1821, Missouri became a slave state.