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A compromise to move a deeply divided and heated Congress (balanced in southern and northern representation - 30 free states and 30 slave states) but polarized in beliefs around slavery. Northern (anti-slavery, industrial economy, wants new states to be Free States) vs. Southern (Pro-slavery, economically dependent upon slavery) agendas.
Henry Clay, later named  "the great compromiser", proposed:
1. Missouri be admitted to the union as a slave state and  Maine would be admitted as a free state to balance free/slave state count.
2. Move the current boundary line* dividing Free states from Slave states to extend through Louisiana to the 36 30. Slavery would be illegal north of the  36th parallel (except in Missouri). Any future states admitted to the union from those northern territories would be designated FREE.

*The previous boundary line: The Mason Dixon Line divided slave states from free states was located between Pennsylvania and Maryland.

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2. The Missouri Compromise Unravels 1820's, 1830's 1840's 

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2. The Missouri Compromise Unravels 1820's, 1830's 1840's 

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2nd New Awakening 1830's - Prompted by religious belief and hopes for the Lord's blessings promised by religious leaders of the 1820's and 1830's Northerners resume anti-slavery push, and call for abolition more intensely.
Congress is flooded by petitions for the abolition of slavery...
Anti-Slavery Petitions place increased burden on congress.
1836 "Gag Rule" Congress votes to immediately stop all anti-slave petitions and table the topic for "awhile".
The GAG RULE stopped all state and local congressional debate or movement on the subject of slavery for 10 years! 10 years Congress Ignores the issue of Slavery
1846 the topic of slavery is reintroduced due to Mexican American war, talks of newly acquired land, would it be free or slave state/territory?

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Slaves revolt against their owners - running away or even violent revolt.
1831 Nat Turner led many slaves in a violent and bloody revolt which lasted for 2 days; 50-60 white persons were killed - made the south fearful. Turner was caught and hung publicly.
the south made stricter rules to manage slaves comings and goings to try to regain control.
The revolts and runaways  exposed Southern fears, losing slavery, their dependency upon slaves, their lack of control and and desperation to keep slavery going no matter what.
South feels Northerners won't help, insist they are barbaric because they will not help them recover their "property" (fugitive slaves).
The South demands Congress pass legislation to force Northerners to help to catch and return fugitive slaves.

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Henry Clay proposes another compromise to try to balance a the needs of the North and the South and to keep the union from dissolving.
The Compromise of 1850
1. CA will admit to the Union as a FREE State.
2. Utah and New Mexico territories granted the right to choose - vote for Slave State or a Free State if admitted to the Union
3. The sale of slaves outlawed in Washington DC.
4. Create a Stronger Fugitive Slave Law forcing Northerners to participate in slave recovery and return to the South.

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Created as part of the compromise of 1850.
The Fugitive slave act
made it illegal to aid a fugitive slave in escape or hiding. Any person who became aware of a fugitive slave now living in the northern free states had to report that fugitive or had to assist in their capture and return to their owner. If asked by slave catcher to assist, you were not allowed to refuse, you could be arrested if you refused to help.

Northerners resented the Fugitive Slave Act as its goal was to force them to return free men, former slaves back to slavery, something they felt was morally wrong.
The Fugitive Slave Act prompted Harriet Beecher Stowe to write a compelling slave story. Her novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, became a best seller. Politically, the novel increased support for abolition, sympathy for slaves,  and pushed the anti-slavery movement forward.

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In 1853 Stephen A. Douglas proposed a Bill in Congress (which later passed in 1854 as The Kansas-Nebraska Act) in service of convincing the government build railroad out to California. He believed organizing the Great Plains into US territories and opening them to settlers would push government to later build his railroad. He proposed to establish and open the territory of Nebraska.
His original bill never mentioned free/slave sates or slavery but was later added in by southerner congressmen in exchange for their support for the bill. .

The Kansas Nebraska Act 1854
(the final version)
2 territories were established: Kansas and Nebraska and opened for settlement. The territory settlers would be allowed to decide for themselves if they wished for their territory to allow slavery. Douglas called this "Popular Sovereignty: which means "Rule by the People" the people of each territory will rule on slavery.

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1854-1856 Genuine Settlers rush to Kansas 1854-1856, most in genuine pursuit of farming. Other Settlers rush to Kansas to ensure Popular Sovereignty or the Peoples Rule is pro-slavery or anti-slavery.
By 1856 2 governments were established in Kansas, one for Slavery and the other anti-slavery.
Bloodshed in Kansas: 1856
1. The first Violent attack occurred on May 21, 1856, at the anti-slavery government in Lawrence, Kansas, by an armed pro-slavery group, a hotel was burned down, homes were looted and two abolitionist newspaper printing presses were destroyed in a river.
The north is outraged and many Free Soilers prepare to go to Kansas.

2. JOHN BROWN: an intensely religious and extreme abolitionist leads a group of his followers, including 4 of his own sons and his son-in-law, only 2 days after attacks in Lawrence to Pottawatomie, Kansas. They attack and murder 5 pro-slavery men, pulling them out of their homes in the night and "hacking them up with swords".

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"The Crime Against Kansas" speech Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner gave Congress
a fiery and even abusive speech condemning the recent Lawrence, Kansas violence perpetrated by Pro-Slavery people onto anti-slavery people.
Sumner identified Stephen A. Douglas by name, accused and  condemned him for intentionally plotting with southern senators to make making Kansas into a slave state. Sumner also named and attacked pro-slavery supporter Andrew P. Butler of South Carolina in his speech, who was not present.
2 days after Sumner's speech, Representative Preston Brooks, the nephew of Senator Andrew P. Butler enters the Senate and violently attacks Sumner on the Senate floor, beating him with his cane, breaking his cane in the attack - some say striking him 30 plus times for attacking his family member. Sumner is badly beaten, bloodied, not moving, takes him 3 years to recover from injuries.

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Dred Scott petitioned for his freedom. He stated that his owner had visited/taken Scott to a  Free state (Wisconsin which had been freed by Missouri Compromise) and thus Scott petitioned that he was "freed" by virtue of having been on free soil.

On March 6, 1857 The supreme court ruled in 5/4 decision that

#1. Scott wasn't free because as an African American slave he was not, nor could be a US citizen.

#2 Scott's stay in Wisconsin could not make him a free man because the Missouri Compromise itself was unconstitutional

The supreme court decision makes slavery legal throughout the union

Slave owners may take their "property" to any part of the United States they choose.

"Black men have no rights which a white man was bound to respect"

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In 1858 a new anti-slavery party was on the rise, The Republican Party - they believed slavery had to to be stopped in all states, "all states must be free states" and that "no man can own another man"
The Republican Party nominated Lincoln in Illinois  to run for Stephen A Douglas's Senate Seat.
Douglas defeats Lincoln at the polls. Although Lincoln doesn't win the Senate Seat, the debates put him on a National Stage. Lincoln becomes a national figure through the widely publicized debates.
Lincoln clearly communicates the moral issue of slavery. Helping Americans understand that that to compromise on continued slavery is not compatible with morals. Quoting the bible, Lincoln states "A house divided against itself itself cannot stand" He states we cannot continue as half slave half free nation. Lincoln states that he does not expect us to dissolve, that one should not leave the other, but instead that we that we must become all one thing or all the other.
Abraham Lincoln although not the winner, leaves stellar impression, becomes national figure.

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11. Abraham Lincoln is elected as President 1860

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11. Abraham Lincoln is elected as President 1860

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Lincoln's opponents in the election divided up the votes by 3 so Lincoln easily won the majority of cast votes.

The Republican (anti-slavery party) Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860 with only 40% of the vote, and all of Lincoln's votes were from the northern states, in fact 10 southern states left his name 100% off their ballots!!

The southern states were beside themselves with fears for their future when Lincoln was announced the winner. They immediately went into panic mode and began talk of secession.

March 4, 1861 Lincoln would officially be sworn in as the 16th President of the United States - but it would be a very different Un-United States.

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12. The South Secedes from the Union 1860

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12. The South Secedes from the Union 1860

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The Southern states were terrified and outraged by the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860

They feared that a Republican President would certainly and soon move to abolish slavery and their way of living, property, affluence would be destroyed "all that life's worth living for would be gone" printed one SC newspaper.

On December 20, 1860, South Carolina secedes from the Union!  6 other states (Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi) follow suit

In February 1861 The Confederate States of America is formed from these 7 states.

April 12th 1861 The south incites the civil war by firing shots at Fort Sumter, bombing the American Flag. The civil was begins.