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It compromised most disputes between free and slave states.

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The Fugitive Slave Act made it illegal to help runaway slaves and allowed officials to arrest slaves in free areas.

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A series of violent confrontations in Kansas.

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Democrat Franklin Pierce defeated Whig Winfield Scott in the 1852 presidential election.

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The American Presidential Election of 1852

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Even though he lived in a free state and territory he was not free.

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Abolitionists in the North used the stories of fugitive slaves like James Hamlet and Anthony Burns to gain sympathy for their cause.

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Ever since entering Congress, Steven Douglas had supported the idea of building a rail road to the Pacific Ocean.

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See how American abolitionists, such as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Thomas Garrett, helped enslaved persons escape to freedom Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

NARRATOR: Before the American Civil War, slavery was legal in the Southern part of the United States but illegal in the North. People opposed to slavery were called abolitionists, because they wanted to abolish the practice throughout the entire country. Abolitionists used a variety of methods to try to end slavery: abolitionist editors published antislavery newspapers; politicians, clergymen, and other community leaders gave speeches and sermons; poets and authors denounced slavery in their literary works.

Abolitionists also outright defied the institution by helping black slaves in the South escape to freedom in the North. The journey for an escaping slave was long and dangerous. Many fugitives had to travel hundreds of miles across unknown terrain and rivers, with little or no resources. They all ran the risk of being caught and sent back south.

The Underground Railroad was a secret organized system established in the early 1800s to help these individuals reach safe havens in the North and Canada. The network extended through 14 Northern states. The system used railway terms as code words: safe houses were called stations and people who aided fugitives were called conductors.

Conductors included former slaves, such as Frederick Douglass, a prominent abolitionist who directed activities in Rochester, New York, and Harriet Tubman, a fugitive who made 19 journeys back south to lead others north. Tubman risked her own freedom each time she helped others escape and became known as the "Moses of her people."

Conductors also included white abolitionists, such as Thomas Garrett, who may have helped about 2,700 fugitive slaves, and Congressman Owen Lovejoy, who spoke openly of his involvement in the Underground Railroad before Congress.

The unofficial "president of the Underground Railroad" was Levi Coffin, whose home was known as the Grand Central Station. More than 3,000 runaways passed through Coffin's care. One mother and child made the perilous journey during winter, forcing them to flee across the frozen ice of the Ohio River. The woman's story served as the inspiration for the character of Eliza in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin."

Stowe-a friend of the Coffins-used her familiarity with the Underground Railroad to fill her novel with vivid depictions of the suffering endured by black slaves. Her words helped inflame many white Northerners against slavery.

Participating in the Underground Railroad could have dire consequences. The Fugitive Slave Acts provided for the capture and return of escaped slaves, even from free states and U.S. territories. Upon return, runaways faced harsh and potentially violent punishments. Anyone caught helping a fugitive could be sentenced to a fine or jail time. One abolitionist, Jonathan Walker, had his hand branded with "SS"-for slave stealer-for his efforts to help escaping slaves.

Because of the danger involved, few people kept records of the activities of the Underground Railroad, but it is estimated that 40,000 to 100,000 escaped slaves journeyed to freedom along its routes.

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See how American abolitionists, such as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Thomas Garrett, helped enslaved persons escape to freedom

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NARRATOR: Before the American Civil War, slavery was legal in the Southern part of the United States but illegal in the North. People opposed to slavery were called abolitionists, because they wanted to abolish the practice throughout the entire country.

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Antislavery and pro-slavery groups rushed their supporters to Kansas.

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This attack killed over 150 unarmed men and boys.

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The California gold rush causes such a rapid population growth the California applied to join the Union as a state instead of as a territory.

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The Sack of Lawrence made John Brown determined to "fight fire with fire" and to "strike terror in the hearts of the pro-slavery people."

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Brooks used a walking cane to to beat Sumner unconscious.

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Lincoln won the election against Douglas, Breckinridge, and Bell.