United States History Student Edition

Slavery in 1860 By 1860, the issue of slavery had divided the country into free states and slave states.

Washington Territory

Maine

Vt.

Unorg. Terr.

Oregon

Minn.

N.H.

Nebraska Territory

Mass.

Wis.

N.Y.

Mich.

Conn. R.I.

Pa.

Iowa

Del. N.J.

Ohio

Utah Territory

Ind.

Ill.

Md.

Calif.

Virginia

Kansas Territory

Mo.

Tenn. Ky.

N.C.

Indian Terr.

New Mexico Territory

Ark.

S.C.

Ga.

Miss. Ala.

Texas

La.

Fla.

Free States Slave States Territories

GEOGRAPHY CONNECTION 1. Exploring Place Was Delaware a free state or a slave state? 2. Patterns and Movement Describe the general divisions of the country shown on this map. If the pattern continued, how might the territories be affected in the future?

welfare of its enslaved people, and allowed landowners to acquire wealth and develop a

Northerners feared that if a newly formed state voted to prevent or allow slavery, then it would reduce or boost representation in Congress for one side or the other and destroy any balance of power between the two regions. Leaders in the North and the South tried to find a compromise, but their efforts failed. In 1820, the Missouri Compromise admitted Maine to the United States as a free state and Missouri as a slave state, maintaining the balance of power between the North and the South in the Senate. In addition, slavery was prohibited north of the 36°30’ N latitude line, excluding Missouri. The compromise proved to be only temporary, however, as continued growth led to new disagreements over slavery and, eventually, to a devastating war.

refined, cultured way of life. Territorial Expansion

The issue of slavery exploded when settlers began to move west in large numbers, building new settlements and towns. As the United States acquired more lands, such as Texas, the Southwest territories, California, and the Oregon Country, the question of slavery continued to divide the nation. Would slavery be allowed in new territories and in new states? White settlers from the South wanted the economy in the territories to be based on slavery. Settlers from the North supported an economy based on free labor. Southerners and

Division and Civil War 413