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In Springfield, Illinois President Lincoln said that he would not interfere with slavery in the South, nor would he allow slavery to extend to the territories. He would not compromise with the South. On the same day, South Carolina voted to leave the Union, later with six states following. In February 1861, the seceded states joined together to create the Confederate States of America.

Source: PBS "The Confederate States of America"

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#14 Abraham Lincoln is Elected as President

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#14 Abraham Lincoln is Elected as President

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The election of 1860 was chaotic, for Republicans supported Lincoln, Democrats split into Northern and Southern factions, and a small party, the Constitutional Union Party, elected John Bell. The Northern faction was behind Stephen Douglas and the Southern faction supported John C. Breckinridge. In the end, Abraham Lincoln surprisingly won with 40% of the votes, all from the North. His victory scared the South, for they realized that they were now the minority.

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica "United States Presidential Election of 1860"

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John Brown, an abolitionist, seized a the federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia to arm slaves with weapons for a rebellion. Ultimately, Brown's men were all killed or captured and he was sentenced to die. However, his raid left Southerners nervous because Northerners praised Brown as a hero and if a slave rebellion were to occur, Southern lives would be taken.

Source: Civil War Trust "John Brown's Harpers Ferry Raid"

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Abraham Lincoln challenged Senator Stephen Douglas to a debate about the issue of slavery. Douglas thought the Dred-Scott Decision put an end to the issue, however Lincoln argued that slavery was a moral, not a legal issue. The debate later made Lincoln a national figure and shifted more eyes to focus on the topic of slavery.

Source: National Park Service "Lincoln-Douglas Debates"

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The Dred-Scott decision (in 1857) stated that an African American, both slave or free, could not become a United States citizen, and deemed that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional. It was named after Dred-Scott, a slave, who argued for his freedom in a federal court case. The Dred-Scott decision angered Northerners and pleased Southerners, who thought the dispute of slavery in territories resulted in their favor.

Source: ushistory.org "The Dred Scott Decision"

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In 1856, Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts spoke out against the violence in Kansas, accusing Douglas (created the Nebraska-Kansas Act) of creating Kansas to be a slave state. Preston Brooks, a South Carolina representative, was enraged by Sumner's words and attacked him with his metal tipped cane. Southerners praised Brooks for defending his family and the South's honor. In contrast, Northerners  saw the attack as more Southern brutality.

Source: Smithsonian.com "In the Congressional Fight Over Slavery, Decorum Went Out the Door"

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Most settlers that moved to Kansas came in support or opposition of slavery. The differences put between people sparked violent actions. On May 21, 1856 some pro-slavery men attacked and looted Lawrence, Kansas, an anti-slavery home. In retaliation, John Brown, an abolitionist, attacked Pottawatomie, Kansas, a slavery town, and killed 5 suspected pro-slavery men.

Source: National Park Service "John Brown"

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Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois introduced a bill to Congress to allow a railroad to be built to California, but the Great Plains would have to be opened up in the Nebraska Territory to settlers. Douglas's final bill created the territories Kansas and Nebraska, also allowing the settlers to vote to permit slavery or not. When the act passed in 1854, Northerners grew worried about the prospect of slavery marching through the Great Plains.

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The Fugitive Slave Act made both Northerners and Southerners unhappy. Northerners did not want to enforce the act, and Southerners felt the act did not ensure the return of their lost property (slaves). The act stated that if anyone aides the escape of slaved or refuses to aide slave catchers, they could be jailed. The North's refusal to obey the act made the enforcement of it almost impossible.

Source: History.com "Fugitive Slave Acts"

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Henry Clay, a senator from Kentucky, proposed a plan to end Congress' deadlock over California. He proposed a compromise of admitting California as a free state, however the New Mexico and Utah territories could decide to allow slavery. In addition, Clay's proposal ended the slave trade in Washington D.C., but a strong fugitive slave act would be put into action. This compromise pleased Northerners, Southerns, Abolitionists, and Slaveholders. In September 1850, Clay's compromise was accepted by Congress.

Source: Youtube "Sound Smart: Compromise of 1850 | History"

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Sound Smart: Compromise of 1850 | History

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In late 1849, California requested to enter the Union as a free state. Northerners welcomed the request, however Southerners denied the application because they claimed it would disrupt the balance between free and slave states. Northerners argued that slavery was an inhumane crime, and Southerners threatened to secede from the Union.

Source: California Department of Parks and Recreation "California Admission Day September 9, 1850"

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The Gag Rule kept slavery out of Congress for 10 years, until President James Polk asked Congress for funds for the Mexican-American War. During this time, David Wilmot added an amendment to Polk's bill, named the Wilmot Proviso, which prohibited slavery in any of the newly added states won from the Mexican-American War. Southerners disapproved of the Wilmot Proviso because they thought Congress had no right deciding where slavery could take place.

Source: America's Library "From the Wilmot Proviso to the Compromise of 1850"

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Individual slaves ran to the North seeking freedom from their cruel masters. Meanwhile, slaveholders saw the loss of "property" and demanded Congress make a fugitive slave law to help them reclaim their runaway slaves.

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica "Fugitive Slave"

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In the 1830's, abolitionists gave Congress antislavery petitions, however the government claimed they could not interfere with slavery in the states. In 1836, Congress voted to table (set aside indefinitely) all antislavery petitions. Abolitionists later referred to this action as the "Gag rule".

Source: History.com "Slave Life"

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In 1820, Congress was debating over the state hood of Missouri (should it be a free state or a slave state). In the meantime, Maine was asking to enter the Union as a free state. To maintain the free and slave state balance in the Union, the Missouri Compromise of 1820 was written up. The compromise admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.

Source:  Heritage Society "1820 Missouri Compromise"