Political Realignment in the 1850s

An agreement that settled disputes over the expansion of slavery into new territories.

A series of resolutions proposed by Henry Clay in 1850 to address various issues surrounding slavery.

A 1793 law that offered a framework for the recovery of runaway slaves, but needed improvement by 1850.

The concept that the citizens of a territory should decide the issue of slavery by voting.

California was admitted to the Union as a free state under the Compromise of 1850.

Withdrawal of a state from the union.

A prominent Whig political figure who helped devise the Compromise of 1850.

Southern statesman who opposed the Compromise of 1850.

A series of legislative acts aimed at resolving the issue of slavery in newly acquired territories, including California's admission as a free state and measures concerning slavery in other territories.

A law that required all states to return escaped slaves to their owners.

Individuals appointed to hear cases about runaway slaves and decide if they should be returned to their owners.

Laws enacted in some Northern states that prevented officials from assisting in the capture of fugitive slaves.

A novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that portrayed the injustices of slavery and the hardship of enslaved people.

Senator who helped pass the Compromise of 1850 by breaking it into separate bills.

Author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, a powerful anti-slavery novel.

People who wanted to end slavery.

Runaway slaves did not have the right to testify in their own defense or have a jury trial.

People held strong and opposing views on slavery.

Settled the boundary between Texas and New Mexico, with the US paying Texas for its territory.

People who actively worked to end slavery.

Established the Utah territory using popular sovereignty to decide on slavery.

The novel significantly increased public awareness and opposition to slavery.

Ban on slave trade in the District of Columbia.

Violence sometimes erupted when abolitionist groups tried to help runaway slaves.

Slavery tore families apart because slaves were frequently sold.

Supreme Court ruling that declared enslaved people were not citizens and had no right to sue in federal court. Also declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional.

A law that attempted to regulate the spread of slavery in the United States by establishing dividing lines. It was considered by the Supreme Court to be unconstitutional

The Supreme Court of the United States during the time of the Dred Scott decision, led by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney.

A document asserting that the United States should acquire Cuba, even by force if necessary.

A pro-slavery constitution that was written and voted upon in Kansas territory. It was subsequently rejected in a second vote.

A bill that allowed for popular sovereignty to determine if slavery would be allowed in new territories, leading to violence and conflict.

Buchanan's presidency was marked by controversy, particularly regarding the Dred Scott decision, the Ostend Manifesto and the ongoing issue of slavery in Kansas

Organize a territorial convention to decide on whether slavery would be allowed in Kansas and make a recommendation to Congress.

Instances of fraudulent voting that affected the outcome of the Kansas territorial conventions, resulting in a pro-slavery outcome.

Part of the U.S. Constitution protecting the right to private property.

An economic downturn that hit the North harder than the South, fueled by overspeculation and inflation, leading to unemployment and lower grain prices.

A law that lowered tariffs, blamed by Northern businesses for the economic downturn of 1857.

A series of debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas during Douglas's 1858 Senate reelection campaign, focusing on the issue of slavery.

Abraham Lincoln believed in limiting slavery to the states where it already existed, and acknowledged that racial equality was impossible.

Stephen Douglas portrayed Lincoln as an abolitionist, even though Lincoln favored limiting slavery, to appeal to southern voters and downplay his own stance on slavery.

The South weathered the Panic of 1857 better than the North, due to its reliance on a stable cotton economy, further strengthening the beliefs of those considering secession.