Existing comment:
1840 -- The Liberty Party. In 1840 and 1844 this antislavery political party posts candidates for President of the United States.
1845 -- Churches split over slavery. The Methodist and Baptist protestant churches divide into northern and southern organizations because members cannot agree over the legitimacy of slavery.
1848 -- Mexican War. With its victory over Mexico, the United States absorbs hundreds of thousands of acres in the Southwest, raising the question: will the new land be open to slavery?
1850 -- Compromise of 1850. Congress admits California as a free state, places no restriction on slavery in the Utah and New Mexico territories, prohibits slave trading in the District of Columbia, and strengthens the Fugitive Slave Act.
1850 -- "Black Moses" Harriet Tubman. Tubman begins her journeys into the South to lead slaves to freedom in the North. |