Sectional Conflict
I. Impact of the Mexican War Expansion of slavery came to the forefront. The Constitution has no clear authority on the issue. The status of slavery was not predetermined. Congressional power- Wilmot Proviso-
II. Compromise of 1850
III. Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) Senator Douglas Applied principle of popular sovereignty to Kansas/Nebraska Effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise The South was not even seeking such concessions. Destroyed sectional harmony, Whig Party
Dred Scott
IV. Dred Scott Decision (1857) African Americans are not citizens. Scott remained a slave. Congress can not ban slavery. Missouri Compromise ruled Unconstitutional
V. Election of 1860
What were the challenges of the war? What changes were brought by the war? How did the war impact the American people?