Breanna Knisely Autumn Wright Chae Eon Jang

1. Antebellum Period-
Reconstruction
Group A

2. The Question
• Analyze the moral arguments and political
actions of those opposed to the spread of
slavery in the context of THREE of the
following:
• Missouri Compromise
• Mexican War
• Compromiseof1850
• Kansas-Nebraska

3. The Thesis
• These four events slowly brought the
issue to slavery into the public’s eye and
increased the tension between pro and
antislavery groups.

4. Missouri Compromise 1820
• Missouri sat on the 36th parallel that separated
the free north and slave south
• Missouri became a slave state and after that all
slavery to the north would be outlawed
– Those in the North saw this as the South still trying to
expand slavery beyond its established borders
• Maine was admitted as a free state to keep the
balance of power in Congress between slave
and free states
• Later repealed by the Kansas Nebraska in 1854

5. Mexican War
• War over territory lines; Mexico
considered Texas theirs
• Whigs in NE saw war as expansion for
more slavery land
• Gained the land we now know Louisiana
and Texas
• Caused Compromise of 1850
• Polk was President; one of his goals was
to expand the country from coast to coast

6. Compromise of 1850
• Package of 5 bills which tried to placate the
tension between the free and slave states
• Fugitive Slave Act: required citizens to assist in
recovery of slaves; denied fugitives the right to a
jury trial
– Caused stir among public because it was
unconstitutional and not something the N wanted to
be a part of
• This continued to push off the issue of slavery
such as done by the Constitution initially
• CA became a free state
• Slave trade band in Washington D.C.

7. Kansas Nebraska 1854
• Initial purpose: create the transcontinental railroad
• Popular sovereignty: Allowed the people the choice of
slave or free state
• Repealed Missouri Compromise
• In the end Kansas was admitted as a free state (1861)
• Pierce was favor of pro and sent in troops to stop
violence and support
• Proslavery supporters kept winning but Congress said no
– Charged with election fraud
– Left a bad taste in the mouth of those who were proslavery that
slavery would eventually come to an end