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The cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney in 1794

It needed more slave labor to plant cultivate and harvest the crops

Growing dependence on slavery founded the South’s power and political influence, especially because cotton was a major export for the nation

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In March 1845 one month after Congress approved an annexation Mexico broke off diplomatic relations with the United States

The Mexican government had taken the first step toward war

The United States claimed that the Rio Grande was the official American- Mexican border

Mexico claimed that the Nueces River, located quite a few miles farther north, was the border

Expressing outrage at the loss of “American blood on American soil,” the president pushed for a declaration of war

Despite some of opposition, Congress gave it to him on May 13, 1846, and the Mexican war was declared

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What is it?

A law that ordered all citizens of the Unites States to assist in the capture and return of enslaved people who had escaped from their owners.

How did it contribute to the Civil War?

This law demanded for the North to capture and return slavery as well. This made northerners even angrier especially the ones against slavery.

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The novel that showed the evil of slavery and how damaging it actually was. People from the north loved this book, however people in the south hated it and it was banned. People from other countries read it and noticed how bad it was.

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Dred Scott was a slave whose owner died when he was still in slavery. He thought he was free from slavery but he has to go to the Supreme Court for a ruling. The court said that slaves were pieces of property so Dred Scott was handed down to the owners son or wife. This angered the North which led to the civil war

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John Brown’s Raid on Harper Ferry [1859]

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John Brown’s Raid on Harper Ferry [1859]

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October, 16, 1859 was the date when a raid led by abolitionist John Brown happened on Harper Ferry’s as an attempt at a slave revolt by capturing Harper Ferry’s armory. Although the raid was unsuccessful it increased the tensions between the north and south sections and additionally upping the stakes for the 1860 election.

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What it was: An election between Abraham Lincoln vs. Stephen A. Douglas vs. John C. Breckinridge vs. John Bell

How did it contribute to the war: By the time of Lincoln’s inauguration in March, 1861, seven states have already seceded from the union, causing them to be on the brink of the civil war

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In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union on December 20, 1860. The state's decision was motivated by the perceived threat to the institution of slavery posed by the new administration.