The abolitionist movement, which lasted from approximately 1830 to 1870, sought to abolish slavery. The movement divided the nation and led to the Civil War, but abolitionists were also divided in their approaches. Some argued for stronger shows of force, justified by an urgency to help those who were being tortured and killed. Others advocated for slower, more democratic methods.

This Supreme Court case occurred in 1954. The ruling made it illegal for schools to be segregated along racial lines. The case was put forward by Oliver Brown, who tried to enroll his daughter in a Topeka, Kansas, school but was denied because of her skin color. Brown rallied other Black parents who had unsuccessfully enrolled their children in white-only schools and developed a case that argued that segregation of schools violates the 14th amendment of the Constitution. This case overturned the ruling of the 1896 Supreme Court hearing for Plessy v. Ferguson.

The Compromise of 1850 re-emphasized the Fugitive Slave Act and served as a catalyst for Robert Collins to pursue the recapture of William and Ellen Craft. Led by Senator Henry Clay, the compromise outlined an agreement between the northern and southern regions of the United States.