Unit 7 Timeline of Events Antebellum

The Cotton Gin 1793 Invented by Eli Whitney Patented in 1794 Revolutionized cotton production by removing the seeds from cotton much more quickly Made cotton profitable Led to increased production of cotton and increased usage of slaves Deepened the divide between North and South

Missouri Compromise Maine and Missouri enter the union Maine is admitted to the Union as a Free State Missouri is admitted as a slave state Slavery is prohibited in territories north of Missouri’s southern boarder (36  20’) The balance of power is kept in congress and secession is avoided.

Mexican-American War 1845-After the annexation of Texas Had many skirmishes-Polk sent to observer after the death of a few soldiers Polk ask Congress to declare war on Mexico. After American forces took Mexico City in 1947, the two countries signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The treaty gave the United States more than 500,000 square miles of territory, which today includes California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, most of New Mexico, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado. Mexico agreed to drop its claims on Texas lands at the Rio Grande. In turn, Polk agreed to pay Mexico $18.25 million, about 20 percent less than he had originally offered for the land. In 1853, through the Gadsden Purchase, the United States obtained the southern part of New Mexico for $10 million. With that purchase, the country’s continental boundaries ran from coast to coast.

Compromise of California, is admitted to the Union as a free state Slave trading is stopped in Washington D.C. Texas give up annexation of New Mexico New Mexico and Utah get popular sovereignty(decide free or slave state) slave owners in D.C. get to keep their slaves Fugitive Slave Act is passed Prevented secession of southern states.

GA Platform GA Platform– to support the Compromise of 1850 Occurred at a GA convention in Milledgeville Georgia would agree to follow the Compromise of 1850 as long as northern states would stop taking away rights from southern states

Kansas and Nebraska Act The Territories of Kansas and Nebraska Stephen A. Douglas a politician from IL helps pass the Kansas and Nebraska Act allowed those territories to vote on whether they should be a slave or free state. This angered Northerners as it altered the Missouri Compromise (36  20’) It helps to avoid secession of the Southern States for a few more years.

Dred Scott Decision (1834) Dred Scott, his owner, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, the Supreme Court. In 1834 Dred Scott, a slave was moved from Missouri to Illinois and then to Wisconsin upon returning to Missouri he filed a lawsuit claiming he was free because he had lived in a free state. The Supreme Court rendered its decision in The Supreme Court decided against Scott stating that 1. because he was a slave he was not a citizen and could not sue. 2. The court went on to state that congress had no right to stop slavery in the territories.

States’ Rights One of the major causes of the American Civil War Belief that the interests of a state take precedence over the national government. Northern states believed all states should follow national laws Southern states believed they had the right to govern themselves and do what they thought was best

Social Structure The North was generally based on wealth. That wealth allowed people to move upward from one social class to another. The South social structure was based more on class and, even though that included money, being “born into the right family” was equally as important. Southern class differences were quite rigid, and it was far more difficult to move upward from one group to another. Georgia’s social structure mirrored that of the other southern states.

Sectionalism Each section of the country considered their region to be more important than the rest of the country. By 1820, three issues were dividing the nation. The first issue was the use of tariffs. The north wanted high tariffs. Tariffs made products from Europe (especially Great Britain) cost more and gave revenue to the federal government. Similar products made in the north would be sold easier when the competition was expensive. The south did not like tariffs at all. The south traded much of their cotton to Great Britain. In return, the south would receive British goods.

A second issue was the issue of transportation. The people in the west wanted to have better transportation systems so that they could be better connected to the rest of the country. This would provide a better means to sell and receive products. People in the north wanted better transportation systems too because they had the majority of the factories and it would get their products to market quicker. The people of the south didn't want to spend money on new roads or canals. They already had rivers that were suitable for their transportation needs. A third issue was slavery. The slave trade with Africa ended in But slaves continued to be bought and sold in America. As the country grew westward, the people in the south wanted slavery to grow westward. The people in the north did not want slavery to grow in new territories.

Secession The action of withdrawing formally from the Union. “The Southerners want secession from the Union" The withdrawal of eleven southern states from the Union in 1860 with the election of President Lincoln, leading to the Civil War.

Slavery Forced labor – People bought and sold as property and forced to work for a master Provided most of the labor in the south during the Antebellum Era. Our political problem now is “Can we, as a nation, continue together permanently—forever—half slave, and half free?” The problem is too mighty for me. May God, in his mercy, superintend the solution. —Abraham Lincoln to George Robertson, August 15, 1855 Nullification Legal theory that states had the right to invalidate (not follow) any law they believed to be unconstitutional Southern states believed they had the right to nullify any federal law that took away their right to own slaves

John Brown’s Raid (October 16 – 18) In October of 1859 John Brown led followers in a raid of the Federal Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia) he took a number of prominent citizens prisoner and captured the building along with its weapons. Brown was captured within 24 hours by troops (Marines) led by Colonel Robert E. Lee. Brown is tried and hanged in December This event pushes the south closer to secession as they feared other abolitionists would try similar raids.