Legislation and Supreme Court Unable to Find Compromise (College Board AP® US History)

Study Guide

Barbara Keese

Written by: Barbara Keese

Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett

Updated on

Summary

Timeline

Timeline from 1852 to 1859 showing key events in the abolition movement: Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Bleeding Kansas, Dred Scott decision, and Harper’s Ferry raid.

The first half of the 19th century saw the rise of the abolition movement in the United States. This movement sought to put a permanent end to the slave system. What it lacked in size it countered with its members, who used their words and actions to draw attention to their cause.  The mid-19th century saw failed attempts to settle the conflict over slavery through legislation and judicial decisions, such as the Kansas–Nebraska Act and Dred Scott v. Sandford. Instead of resolving tensions, these events increased sectionalism, further dividing the North and South.

Abolitionism

  • The abolitionist movement was a small yet powerful force of resistance to slavery

  • Abolitionists: 

    • included both White and Black people, freemen, former and runaway slaves

    • argued that slavery was immoral 

    • used speeches, literature, and sometimes violence to draw attention to the cause

Key figures and contributions to the abolitionist movement

  • William Lloyd Garrison

    • Published The Liberator (a newspaper that argued for immediate emancipation)

    • Used his newspaper to define and spread the ideals of abolitionism 

  • Harriett Beecher Stowe

    • Published her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852, which criticized slavery and showed its brutality

    • The novel stirred anti-slavery thinking in the north

  • Fredrick Douglass

    • An escaped slave who became a leading speaker and writer 

    • Delivered speeches to spread abolition ideals and highlight the inhumanity of slavery

    • A major leader of the abolition movement

  • Harriet Tubman

    • An escaped slave who returned to the South multiple times to lead others to freedom along the Underground Railroad

    • Became known as the “conductor” of the Underground Railroad

  • John Brown 

    • Supported violent action to end slavery

    • Led a group of fugitive slaves in 1859 to steal arms from a federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry

    • His actions were seen as an act of aggression and enraged some Southerners, who saw it as a direct threat to their way of life

Kansas–Nebraska Act & Dred Scott v Sandford

Map of US Territories during Missouri Compromise. Key: free states (yellow), slave states (blue), territories (red), Kansas-Nebraska Act (green).
Map of free and slave states

Kansas–Nebraska Act (1854)

  • Kansas and Nebraska were new territories

  • The Kansas–Nebraska Act was proposed by Stephen Douglas, an American politician and lawyer 

    • The act addressed slavery in these new territories

    • It allowed for popular sovereignty, enabling settlers in those territories to vote on whether to allow slavery

    • Repealed the Missouri Compromise (1820), which did not allow slavery north of the 36° 30’ line

  • The Act was significant as it::

    • opened the northern territory to slavery

    • created abolitionist opposition in the north

    • sparked widespread violence in Kansas between pro- and anti-slavery settlers, with the confrontations being known as “Bleeding Kansas”

“Bleeding Kansas” (1854–59)

  • Pro- and anti-slavery settlers came to Kansas to try to influence the vote on slavery

  • Residents from Missouri crossed the border to cast illegal votes for slavery

    • This led to disputed election results

  • Kansas developed two new competing territorial capitals:

    • Compton: pro-slavery

    • Topeka: anti-slavery

  • President Franklin Pierce officially recognized the pro-slavery legislature in Compton, increasing tensions

  • Violence erupted between the two sides resulting in widespread destruction

Dred Scott v Sandford (1857)

  • Dred Scott was an enslaved man who sued for his freedom after his master took him out of slave territory to live in free Missouri

    • Scott argued that living in a free state and territory made him free

  • Chief Justice Roger Taney wrote the majority opinion. He ruled that:

    • as an enslaved person, Scott had no right to sue the federal court

    • the federal government had no authority to prohibit slavery in any territory, as doing so violated the constitutional rights of slaveholders

  • This decision invalidated attempts to restrict the expansion of slavery, such as the Missouri Compromise

    • This effectively legalized slavery in all territories

  • The outcome deepened divides, angering abolitionists and emboldening pro-slavery forces

Examiner Tips and Tricks

While there were many reasons for the Civil War, at the core of each was the issue of slavery. One issue was if states had the right to determine slavery within their borders (states’ rights). Furthermore, did the federal government have the right to mandate the issue of slavery? Whether slavery should be abolished completely in all the states. In addition, the northern states were growing in population and, therefore, were gaining influence in the Senate and House of Representatives. This increased power made Southerners uneasy as they saw their way of life threatened. Remember that it would take decades and numerous events to build up the tension between the North and the South. In the end, tensions would become so great that the South believed it could no longer live with the uncertainty of the future of the very means that was the foundation of their society: slavery.  Thus, the Civil War.

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Barbara Keese

Author: Barbara Keese

Expertise: History Content Creator

Barbara is an experienced educator with over 30 years teaching AP US History, AP Human Geography, and American History to grades 6–11 in Texas. She has developed teacher training, authored curricula, and reviewed textbooks to align with educational standards. Barbara has also served on Texas’ textbook adoption committee and the Round Rock History Preservation Commission, contributing to history education beyond the classroom. She holds a Master’s in Curriculum Development and certifications in History and Gifted/Talented Education. In her free time, she enjoys historical fiction and quilting blankets for veterans.

Bridgette Barrett

Author: Bridgette Barrett

Expertise: Geography Lead

After graduating with a degree in Geography, Bridgette completed a PGCE over 25 years ago. She later gained an MA Learning, Technology and Education from the University of Nottingham focussing on online learning. At a time when the study of geography has never been more important, Bridgette is passionate about creating content which supports students in achieving their potential in geography and builds their confidence.

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