Section #1 - Causal Factors
Territorial Constitutions
The battle over Free vs. Slave State designations in the western territories fuels North-South antagonism.
| Year | Event | Description | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1787 | Northwest Ordinance Article VI. | Defines a geographical boundary along the Ohio River prohibiting slavery in the said territory. | Chapter 9 |
| 1804 | Ohio Black Codes. | Legislature passes statutes to harness Free Black populations, repeated in states to the west. | Chapter 37 |
| 1819 | Tallmadge Amendments. | Freshman James Tallmadge proposes prohibiting the further introduction of slavery in Missouri. | Chapter 42 |
| 1820 | Missouri Compromise. | Henry Clay gains passage of a bill admitting Missouri as Slave and Maine as Free to resolve the crisis. | Chapter 42 |
| 1854 | Kansas-Nebraska Act. | Douglas discards precedent for “popular sovereignty” to determine Free vs. Slave state outcomes. | Chapter 179 |
| 1855 | Topeka Constitution. | Free State forces approve a constitution that also includes a ban on Black residency in Kansas. | Chapter 192 |
| 1858 | Kansas rejects Lecompton. | Voters sound the death knell for the pro-slavery constitution by a margin of 10,266 to 162. | Chapter 221 |
| 1859 | Oregon admitted as Free State. | Constitutional Article I, Section 35 specifically excludes free negroes from residing in the state. | Chapter 237 |