Kansas-Nebraska Act, Dred Scott Case, and the Election of 1860

The Kansas-Nebraska act started when two different territories, now Kansas, and Nebraska, were deciding weather to join the union as a either a pro-slave state or a non-slave state.  Kansas decided to join as a pro-slavery state, which broke the (36, 30) line.  The (36, 30) line is an act where any state north of that line must join the union as a non-slave state, and any state south of that line would join the union as a pro-slave state.  When Kansas chose to join the union as a slave state, the north became very upset because Kansas was north of the (36, 30) line.

(36, 30) Line

36 30 Parallel. N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 17 Jan 2014. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/37th_parallel_US.svg/220px-37th_parallel_US.svg.png>.

Dred Scott was a slave that traveled with his owner to a non-slave state.  He believed that since he lived there with his owner, in a state that slavery was illegal, he should be considered a free person.  He created a case that ultimately went to the supreme court, but the final decision was not in his favor but rather favored slave holders.  They ruled that since he was considered property, not a citizen,

 he could not sue anyone in court, and he should not have been able to bring that case to court.  Therefore opening the way for slave owners to take their slaves anywhere they wanted.  

Dred Scott
Dred Scott. N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 19 Jan 2014. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Dred_Scott_photograph_(circa_1857).jpg>.

The Election of 1860 was known as the breaking point for the secession of South Carolina, as well as the starting point of the Civil War.  When Abraham Lincoln was elected, the south was very upset; because he was not even on the ballot when they voted.  They were very mad because they felt that they would always be unheard by the country and that they weren't important.  This led to the secession of South Carolina, and the start of the Confederacy as its own country.

Election of 1860
Election of 1860. N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 21 Jan 2014. <http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/j/a/jal5056/Election 1860.gif>.