Question

Established the Ohio River as the boundary. North of the Ohio River were free states. South of the Ohio River were slave states.

1. The Missouri Compromise (1820)



2. Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)



3. Northwest Ordinance of 1789



4. Dred Scott-Sandford (1857)

5. The Compromise of 1850

Answer 1

Here's how each of the listed events relates to the establishment of the Ohio River as a boundary between free and slave states:

Missouri Compromise (1820): While the Missouri Compromise primarily dealt with the admission of Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state to maintain the balance of power in Congress, it also established a line at 36°30' North latitude, with slavery prohibited north of this line (except for Missouri) and allowed south of it.
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): This act repealed the Missouri Compromise and allowed settlers in the Kansas and Nebraska territories to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery (popular sovereignty). This led to significant violence in Kansas as pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers clashed, known as "Bleeding Kansas."
Northwest Ordinance of 1789: While the Northwest Ordinance is not directly related to the Ohio River boundary, it is significant in the context of the expansion of the United States. It established a process for admitting new states to the Union from the Northwest Territory (territories north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River), with a provision that prohibited slavery in those territories.
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857): This Supreme Court decision ruled that enslaved people, including those in free states and territories, were not U.S. citizens and could not sue in federal court. Additionally, it declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, effectively meaning that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories, including those north of the Ohio River.
The Compromise of 1850: While this compromise mainly dealt with the status of territories gained from the Mexican-American War, such as California's admission as a free state and the organization of the rest of the Mexican Cession, it also included the Fugitive Slave Act, which required citizens to assist in the recovery of enslaved people who had escaped to free states. This aspect of the compromise affected the enforcement of slavery laws north of the Ohio River.

Answer 2

The Ohio River was established as the boundary between free states and slave states. This was a result of the Northwest Ordinance of 1789. Later, the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the Compromise of 1850 further dealt with the issue of slavery. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 and the Dred Scott-Sandford case of 1857 were also significant events in the lead up to the Civil War.