Conflict and Compromise in the Capitol
What was the main goal of the Missouri Compromise?
To maintain the balance between free and slave states in Congress.
What event led to the term "Bleeding Kansas"?
Violent conflicts between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas.
Who was Dred Scott?
An enslaved man who sued for his freedom in the Supreme Court.
What is the Mason-Dixon Line?
A boundary line that separated free states from slave states.
What does "A House Divided" refer to?
A quote from Abraham Lincoln meaning that the nation cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.
How did the Compromise of 1850 attempt to address tensions between North and South?
It included both admitting California as a free state and enforcing a stricter Fugitive Slave Law.
What did the violence in Kansas reveal about the nation?
It showed how divided the country was over the issue of slavery.
What was the outcome of the Dred Scott decision?
The Supreme Court ruled that Scott was still a slave and had no right to sue.
Why was the Mason-Dixon Line significant?
It represented the cultural and political divide between the North and South.
How did Lincoln's view on slavery contribute to the conflict?
He believed slavery was morally wrong and that it should not expand into the territories.
What was the significance of the Kansas-Nebraska Act?
It allowed people in those territories to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery, leading to conflict.
How did the events in Kansas foreshadow the Civil War?
The violence and conflict demonstrated the growing sectional tensions that would lead to war.
How did the Dred Scott decision affect the status of slavery in the territories?
It declared that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories, increasing tensions.
How did the Mason-Dixon Line affect people's views on slavery?
It made the differences in attitudes toward slavery more visible and pronounced.
What were the effects of sectionalism on American society?
It created loyalty to regional interests over national unity, leading to conflict.
Why was the Wilmot Proviso important?
It aimed to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico, highlighting the divisions over slavery.
What impact did Bleeding Kansas have on national politics?
It intensified the debate over slavery and led to the rise of the Republican Party.
Why was the Dred Scott decision controversial?
It angered abolitionists and many in the North who believed it undermined their fight against slavery.
Describe how the Mason-Dixon Line influenced migration patterns in the 19th century.
It affected where people chose to settle based on their views on slavery.
How did the concept of states' rights lead to conflict between North and South?
Southern states believed they had the right to make their own laws regarding slavery, which clashed with federal authority.