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Is territory that Mexico ceded to the United States after the conclusion of the Mexican American war. U.S. gained lots of territories, including present-day California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oregon. This transfer of land came as part of the peace agreement, where the U.S. paid Mexico $15 million.

Cause: The Mexican Cession happened after the U.S. won the Mexican-American War

Effects:The U.S. gained a lot of new land, but it created the question of whether slavery should be allowed in the new territories.

The Mexican Cession made the fight over slavery even worse, leading to events like Bleeding Kansas, where violence broke out over whether Kansas would be a free or slave state.

The Mexican Cession was controversial because it brought up the debate over slavery.

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This law made people in free states to help capture and return runaway slaves to their owners in the South.

Cause: To help Southern slaveowners get their runaway slaves back.

Effects: It angered many people, especially in the North, because it forced them to help capture runaway slaves and send them back to the South, even if they didn’t want to.

The law made Northerners angry and helped start make the book, which showed how inhuman slavery was and spread anti slavery thought. The Fugitive Slave Law was controversial because it forced Northerners to help catch runaway slaves, even if they were against slavery, Southerners supported the law because it helped protect their property rights, ensuring they could get their slaves back no matter where they escaped.

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Uncle Tom's Cabin is a book that reveals the harsh realities of slavery and helped inspire anti slavery sentiment in the North.

Cause: The book was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852 as a response to the Fugitive Slave Law and the brutal realities of slavery. She wanted to show how cruel slavery was.

Effect:The book became very popular and helped spread anti slavery feelings in the North, making more people oppose slavery.

The book was controversial because it portrayed slavery as cruel and evil, which upset Southerners who defended it. Northerners loved the book because it made them more determined to end slavery. Southerners hated it because they felt it spread lies and unfairly attacked their way of life.

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law that allowed the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether to permit slavery

Cause: Created to organize the land gained from the Louisiana Purchase and decide whether it would allow slavery, letting settlers vote.

Effects: led to violent conflicts in Kansas between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers, known as Bleeding Kansas, and it divided the country even more over slavery later on leading to the civil war

The act was controversial because it allowed slavery to spread into areas where it had been banned, angering many Northerners. Northerners were upset because they felt it was a betrayal of the Missouri Compromise, which had kept slavery out of certain areas. Southerners supported it because it gave them a chance to expand slavery into new territories.

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Bleeding Kansas was a small civil war between pro slavery and anti slavery advocates in the new territory. It was agreed that Kansas would decide what to do about slavery based off the doctrine of popular sovereignty, both sides were fighting on what the slavery laws would be in Kansas. It was important because it emerged a political debate over slavery and contributed to the start of the civil war since it shows how neither side can come to an agreement peacefully.

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Description: On May 22, 1856 Senator Charles Sumner was attacked and caned (almost to death) by Rep. Preston Brooks after Sumner delivered an anti-slavery speech, which criticized the view points of Brooks and others like him.

Context: This took place during the height of tensions between Pro-slavery democrats and abolitionist republican, symbolizing the breakdown of civil debate in the government.

Analysis: Abolitionists and Republicans around America saw Charles Sumner as a martyr for their cause, but overall deepened sectional divisions.

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Description: A Supreme Court decision (Dred Scott v. Stanford) that ruled that African Americans are not American citizens, therefore they receive 0 constitutional protections.

Context: The case was brought to the Supreme Court to discuss if there was any way to restrict slavery into new territory. With the past decade of debate about slavery, the conversation of restriction was so important to the north.

Analysis: This decision further supported the Kansas-Nebraska act by deeming the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional. This was met by fury from the north, making further compromises virtually impossible.

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Description: An attempt by abolitionist John Brown to seize weapons at Harper’s Ferry to start a slave rebellion, however he was caught and executed.

Context: Similar to violent revolts like that of Nat Turner, Brown wanted to show the south that slavery would not stand and it will be taken away by force if necessary.

Analysis: The north saw Brown as a hero to abolition, while the south saw him and others like him as a threat. Tensions were already high and this display of violence only pushed further toward war.

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The Republican Party was founded by Anti-Slavery activists who were not in favor of the Kansas-Nebraska act. It was founded because the Kansas-Nebraska act allowed the extension of slavery in western territories. It’s purpose was to oppose the spread slavery in the territories. Their first platform called for the repeal of the Kansas Nebraska act and the fugitive slave law. More people began to join and soon it was the second to largest party. It’s success threatened the south

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The bleeding Kansas event was the turning point because it intensified the divide between the north and the south. It was a period of violence that showed how neither side would come to an agreement peacefully. At this point its clear the civil war is going to be inevitable since the states have resorted to violence instead of coming to an agreement. It further divides the north and south and sets an example of what the later on actual civil war would be like.