The Missouri Compromise aimed to balance the number of slave and free states in the Union by allowing Missouri to enter as a slave state while Maine entered as a free state.

Vesey's rebellion, inspired by the 1791 Haitian slave revolution, aimed to execute white enslavers, liberate Charleston, and sail to Haiti before white power could retaliate.

The South Carolina nullification crisis occurred in 1832-33 when South Carolina clashed with the federal government over declaring the 1828 and 1832 Tariffs null and void within the state.

Turner and his followers killed his master's family and marched throughout Southampton County, Virginia, killing at least 55 people until white authorities crushed the revolt.

The Texas Revolution, also known as the War of Texas Independence, occurred between Mexico and Texas colonists leading to Texas's independence and the establishment of the Republic of Texas.

The Mexican-American War emerged due to a disputed boundary between the United States and Texas on the Nueces Strip, where Mexico did not recognize Texas as American territory.

Wilmot Proviso, a significant congressional proposal to prevent slavery expansion into territories, laid the foundation for the Republican Party and later President Roosevelt.

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, part of the Compromise of 1850, mandated the federal government to find, return, and try escaped slaves, even in free states.

The Abolitionist movement in the US aimed to abolish slavery, but increased demands from slave owners exacerbated regional tensions, ultimately leading to the American Civil War.

The Ostend Manifesto, outlined the US's rationale for purchasing Cuba from Spain, suggesting war if Spain refused, aiming to annex Cuba.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act abolished the Missouri Compromise, established new territories, and granted popular sovereignty, leading to the violent "Bleeding Kansas" uprising.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that enslaved individuals were not US citizens and could not expect federal government or court protection, and Congress had no authority to ban slavery.

John Brown, an abolitionist, and his supporters left their farmhouse hide-out to go to Harpers Ferry, WV. They attacked the town, captured prominent citizens, and seized the federal armory and arsenal.

Lincoln won the 1860 presidential election, despite receiving less than 40% of the popular vote, easily winning the Electoral College vote over Stephen Douglas, John Breckenridge, and John Bell.