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Uncle Tom's Cabin
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" was a book that played a significant role in the lead-up to the Civil War. Authored by Harriet Beecher Stowe and published in 1852, the novel vividly portrayed the brutality and inhumanity of slavery. It followed the experiences of Uncle Tom, a Black enslaved man, and other characters, illustrating the physical and emotional hardships endured by enslaved individuals. This further stoked the fires that would lead to the Civil War due to reactions from the North and The South. -
Republican Party
The Republican Party's emergence in the 1850s as an anti-slavery political force was a pivotal factor leading to the Civil War. The party's platform, which opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories, garnered significant support in the North. When Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, was elected as President in 1860, it signaled a shift in national power. Lincoln's election as president marked a breaking point, leading to the secession of Southern states and the Civil War. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 was a critical turning point in the lead-up to the Civil War. It effectively nullified the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which had prohibited slavery in the northern territories acquired from the Louisiana Purchase. Instead, the act allowed settlers in the Kansas and Nebraska territories to decide through popular sovereignty whether to permit or prohibit slavery. -
Bloody Kansas
This was a violent conflict in the Kansas Territory over the issue of slavery's expansion. It foreshadowed the war by showing the USA's divisions and the failure of popular sovereignty. Acts including the attack on Lawrence and John Brown's actions, heightened tensions. The events in Kansas contributed to the breakdown of the fragile compromises that had temporarily kept the nation united and set the stage for the more extensive conflict that would erupt in the Civil War just a few years later. -
Brooks-Sumner Incident
The Brooks-Sumner incident took place in the U.S. Senate in 1856 when South Carolina Representative Preston Brooks brutally attacked Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner with a cane. Brooks was pro-slavery, and Sumner had delivered a speech condemning slavery and its expansion. The incident heightened tensions and deepened the North-South divide, contributing to the volatile atmosphere that would eventually erupt into the Civil War. The situation proved even Congress was involved in the struggle -
Election of 1856
The Election of 1856 showcased the deepening North-South divide over slavery. James Buchanan's victory as a pro-slavery Democrat and the emergence of the anti-slavery Republican Party marked a shift in political dynamics, foreshadowing the polarization that led to the Civil War. -
Dred Scott
Dred Scott v. Sandford was a Supreme Court case where the Court ruled that enslaved individuals were not citizens and couldn't sue in federal courts. This decision infuriated anti-slavery forces, deepening the North-South divide, and further intensifying the path to the Civil War. This decision also called for the questioning and further declaration of the Missouri Compromise's unconstitutionality. -
Lecompton Constitution
The Lecompton Constitution was a pivotal episode in the lead-up to the Civil War. It was a proposed constitution for the Kansas Territory that, if accepted, would have allowed slavery to continue there. However, the Constitution was deeply flawed and undemocratic, as it was created by a pro-slavery minority. This led to the constitution being denied several times. -
House Divided Speech
Abraham Lincoln's "House Divided" speech, delivered in Springfield, Illinois, was a pivotal moment in the lead-up to the Civil War. In this speech, Lincoln quoted the Bible, stating, "A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free." His speech marked a critical moment in the nation's history, encapsulating the tensions and divisions that would soon erupt into a full-blown war. -
Lincoln-Douglass Debate
The Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 were a series of political debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas during the Illinois Senate race. These debates highlighted their opposing views on slavery, with Lincoln arguing against its expansion. While Lincoln lost the election, the debates elevated his national profile and set the stage for his later election as President. They also deepened the North-South divide, contributing to the buildup to the Civil War. -
John Brown
John Brown was a pivotal figure in the lead-up to the Civil War. A fervent abolitionist, he believed that the only way to end slavery was through armed insurrection. Brown's most notable act was the raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia), in 1859. He and a small group of followers seized a federal arsenal in an attempt to spark a slave rebellion. His actions also galvanized abolitionists, who increasingly saw peaceful means as inadequate to end slavery. -
Harper's Ferry
John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859 was a pivotal event in the lead-up to the Civil War. Brown, a fervent abolitionist, believed that by seizing a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia), he could inspire enslaved individuals to rebel against their oppressors. While his raid failed it served as a symbol of the dissonance between the North and the South inciting further violence and defamation on both sides. -
Election of 1860
The Election of 1860 was a critical turning point that directly contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate, won the election, becoming the 16th President of the United States. However, his victory was deeply unsettling to the Southern states, as they viewed the Republican Party as a threat to their institution of slavery. The Election of 1860 marked a clear signal of the intensifying tensions nd It directly led to the secession crisis. -
Secession
The South's secession from the Union was the immediate cause of the Civil War. Southern states' withdrawal, prompted by fears of losing slavery, triggered armed conflict between the secessionists (Confederacy) and the Union, shaping the war's course and outcome. The Seceding States were South Carolina followed by other states like Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. These states formed the Confederate States of America, stating their independence from the United States. -
Lincoln's 1st Inaugural Adress
Lincoln's 1st Inaugural Address, was a pivotal moment in the lead-up to the Civil War. In this speech, he emphasized his commitment to preserving the Union and upholding the Constitution. Lincoln asserted that secession was unconstitutional and illegal, arguing that no state had the right to unilaterally leave the Union. He also appealed for calm and reconciliation, expressing a willingness to work with the Southern states to find a peaceful resolution to their differences.