| 1619 | John Rolfe brings African slaves to Jamestown to harvest tobacco along with indentured whites |
| 1630s | African slaves in Maryland |
| 1649 | Virginia has 300 black bondsmen |
| 1654 | English take Portuguese slave
trade from Dutch (Cromwell’s Navigation Act) (Portuguese begin in 16 C; Dutch in early 17 C) |
| 1656 | Virginia prohibits Indian slavery |
| 1660s | MD and VA begin establishing legal distinctions between the races (lifetime slavery, inheritance of slaves, baptism irrelevant to status...) |
| 1669-80 | Barbadian connection in Carolina (Port Royal and Charleston) |
| 1676 | Bacon’s rebellion: Nathaniel Bacon’s gentry vs. VA Gov. William Berkley’s planters (Morgan) |
| 1750 | Georgia rescinds prohibition on slavery |
| 1776 | Passage denouncing slave trade omitted from Declaration of Independence |
| 1780s | Northern states gradually abolish slavery through the 1820s |
| 1787 | Northwest Ordinance prohibits
slavery north of Ohio River (Northwest Territories) Constitution: 3/5ths rule for representation and taxation(Article I, Section 2) [changed by 14th Amendment] permits end of slave trade in 1808 (Article I, Section 9) fugitive slave clause (Article IV, Section 2) [superseded by 13th Amendment] congressional control of new territories (Article IV, Section 3) document does not mention slavery |
| 1776-98 | Most southern states end slave trade to protect planters’ investment and due to concern over growing slave population (Stampp) |
| 1793 | Eli Whitney’s cotton gin (Carolinas, Georgia) |
| 1790s | Kentucky, Tennessee join Union (Mississippi, 1817; Alabama, 1819) |
| 1798 | VA and KY Resolutions (Jefferson and Madison) in opposition to Alien and Sedition Acts implicitly support concept of nullification |
| 1800 | Gabriel Slave Conspiracy (GA) |
| 1803 | Louisiana Purchase: Louisiana, 1812; Missouri, 1821; Arkansas, 1836 (Florida, 1845) |
| 1820 | Missouri Compromise: Applies
in 1817 as slave state. First from Louisiana Purchase Northern resentment of Southern control of presidency (and 3/5ths clause in House) Southern fear of senate balance and Northern population growth Rep. Tallmadge (NY) amendment to ban slavery in MO, supported by Sen. Rufus King (NY) Compromise: Missouri balance Maine, no slavery in Louisiana Terr. above 36° 30’ Rep. Henry Clay (KY) brokers approval in House |
| 1821 | Mexican Independence: Mexicans invite Anglos into Texas |
| 1822 | Vesey Slave Conspiracy (SC) |
| 1829 | Mexico abolishes slavery |
| 1830 | Mexico prohibits US immigration |
| 1831 | Nat Turner slave rebellion (VA):
70 slaves kill 60 whites in 2 days William Lloyd garrison founds The Liberator, abolitionist weekly in Boston |
| 1832 | VA legislature debates slavery Nullification Crisis: Calhoun and SC assert state’s right to declare law unconstitutional (in response to Tariff (of Abominations) of 1828. No other states support. Jackson responds with Force Act and Compromise Tariff. Break between Jackson and Calhoun. |
| 1830s | Slavery institutionalized and
defended as “positive good” despite fact that 3/4 of Southerners do
not own slaves. Typical planter has few slaves, but typical slave is on
big plantation. Yeoman and poor whites support to control competition, increase their mobility, join race caste. Slave codes made increasingly strict Deep South has most large plantations: SC, MS, GA, AL, LA, FL (1/2 to 1/3 are 10 or more) Upper South and new states have fewer: VA, NC, KY, TN, TX, AR, MD, MO, DE (1/4 to 1/30) Tobacco: MD, KY, MO, VA, NC/ Hemp: KY, MO/ Sugar, Rice, Cotton: AL, LA, MI, GA, SC |
| 1835-6 | Texas settlers dislike Mexican dictator Santa Anna (1834) and declare Texan independence (Alamo) |
| 1840 | Harrison/ Tyler elected: “Tippecanoe and Tyler too” |
| 1841 | Creole rebellion (ship) Harrison dies. Tyler is a states rights, pro-slavery Whig. Declares annex. of Texas as slave state |
| 1843 | President Tyler (proslavery Whig, VA) pushes for TX annexation, supported by Sec. of State, Sen. John Calhoun (SC), as means of protecting slavery from North and Brit. supported abolitionists |
| 1844 | Polk elected: pro-slavery, pro-annexation
Democrat - “54'' 40’ or fight” W. L. Garrison burns the Constitution for its “support” of slavery |
| 1845 | Pres. Polk (Dem) annexes all
of TX, but settles for half of Oregon (49? not “54? 40’”) Journalist John O’ Sullivan coins “manifest destiny:” 1) God is on our side (city on a hill); 2) expand freedom (Amer. Revolution); population expansion and opportunity (Jefferson) |
| 1846-7 | Mexican War (claim Texas
from Nueces to Rio Grande) brings new territory. Rep. David Wilmot proposes Wilmot Proviso to ban slavery (and African Amer.) in Mexican terr. Free Soilers see “slave power” in choice of Polk over Van Buren, Oregon/Texas, lowered tariff in ‘46 Wilmot proviso blocked by Southerners and loyal Dems. Local responses expose sectional split |
| 1847 | Van Buren runs as Free Soil candidate/ Cass and Dems support “squatter sovereignty” |
| 1848 | Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo; NM and CA for $15 million; Rio Grande border; US assumes claims against Mexico. Adds 500,000 sq. mile to US (incl. Gadsen Purchase, 1853) |
| 1850 | Compromise of 1850 (Clay, Fillmore, Douglas [IL]): NM and UT popular sovereignty (Dems), CA as free state, new Fugitive Slave Law (denied jury trial and right to testify) |
| 1852 | Party system breaks down. Dems
win by default as Whigs lose cross-sectional appeal Uncle Tom’s Cabin |
| 1854 | Kansas-Nebraska Act: opens terr. north of compromise line to popular sovereignty (Douglas [Dem]) repeals Missouri Compromise line; Whigs, North. Dems and Free Soilers win in congressional elections; Know-Nothings emerge as Whigs decline; Republicans emerge |
| 1856 | Bleeding Kansas: Free Soilers
vs. slavery supporters. Pres. Pierce [Dem] sides with pro-slave. Buchanan (Dem) elected: Buch. v. Fré mont (Rep) in North; Buch. v. Fillmore (Know Not.) in South |
| 1857 | Dred Scott v. Sandford : MO slave
travelled to WI (free by Miss. Compromise). Chief Justice Taney
not on grounds of citizenship, but denies Congress’ power to prohibit slavery
in territories (MO Comp and Republican platform unconstitutional) Lecompton Controversy: Kansas pro slavery const. under false pretenses. Buchanan tries to accept |
| 1858 | Lincoln-Douglas debates for Senate
in IL Kansas enters as free state |
| 1859 | South’s fear of slave and white
rebellions increase: John Brown raids Harper’s Ferry, VA, tried for treason. Increase in slave prices forces a growing class split in ownership. Rep. Sherman (supporter of “Helperism”) tries to become Speaker of House |
| 1860 | Lincoln (IL) beats Seward
(NY) for Rep. nomination: free soil, tariff, homestead, int. improv. platf. combines Whig, North. Dem, Know-Nothing, Free Soil and Liberty (Abolition) appeal Douglas (Northern Dem): popular sovereignty vs. Breckinridge (Southern Dem): slavery in terr. Lincoln carries North, Northwest (WI, MN, IA) and West (CA, OR): Sectional split complete |