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Uncle Tom Cabin
Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, this novel retold the firsthand account of a slave named Uncle Tom. The book revealed the horrific and grizzly truths regaurding the practice of slavery, naturally it became a bestseller. The publics reaction to the novel was rather split. The Northern readers were appalled, immediately this increased abolishionists efforts and sentiment. The Southern reader, however, quickly cried out that this book was a gross misrepresentation of Slavery. Tention increases. -
Republican Party
With the increasing animosity between slave and antislave forces, the Republican Party. This party was made up of antislave forces, and arose to combat the spread of slavery into new states. It soon became the direct combatant of the Democrat party as well. The party was mostly prompted by the Kansas and Nebraska act, which increased anti and pro slave tentions. Mostly Northern citizens were the support for the Republican Platform. -
Kansas/Nebraska Act
The Kansas/Nebraska Act effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise, as well as instated the idea of popular sovereignty in the two new states it created. These states were of course, Kansas and Nebraska. However, since popular sovereignty was the deciding factor on wether or not the states became free, antislavery and proslavery forces flooded into the states in an attempt to change the vote and ensure that their ideas created an either free or slave state. This increased tentions greatly. -
Bleeding Kanas
Bleeding Kansas refers to the period of time in which pro and anti slave forces flooded Kanas, and the discourse grew violent. There were many aggressive confrontations between the two groups, some odd 55 people were killed during these conflicts. Pro and anti slave forces wished to secure Kansas as either a slave or free state respectively, but ultimately Kansas entered the union as a free state after the pro slave constitutions were denied. This served as another rift between the US states. -
Brooks-Sumner Incident
In the Senate chamber, Preston Brooks, the pro-slavery Democrat, took his cane and beat the anti-slavery abolishonist Charles Sumner within an inch of his life. Sumner was at his desk when the attack occurred, apparently it was repercussion for a speech he had a little while prior. The senate reaction was, interesting. The North representatives were shocked while the South representatives were laughing and amused. This was a sort of culmination of the ever growing tentions in the Union. -
Election 1856
This election featured the fledgling Republican party, and this election was NASTY. The Republican party, however, was not successful in winning this election. The platform conflict here was abolishing slavery, the main point of the Republican party. However, Democrats brought up the point of the Union breaking with the abolishment of slavery. Bleeding Kansas was also a contributing factor to the debates of this election. -
Dred Scott Case
The case of Dred Scott ended up deciding that people of African Americas could not be citizens. Dred Scott was a slave who had been living in a free state for a good while, after escaping to a free state. He brought it to court, and it ended up deciding that even runaway slaves could not be free. The court case also decided that the Missouri Compromise was never constitutional. The Southerners were pleased with the outcome, but the Northerns were not. Tentions continued to rise after this. -
LeCompton Constitution
Kansas had tried to apply for statehood as a slave state but was repeatedly denied. Multiple constitutions were denied and eventually Kansas became a free state after another constitution was created. The South of course was angered by this as it was the fourth time the apply for a slave state was denied. Of course, the North was glad that they had another free state. Kansas couldn't be a slave state because of the delicate balance in the Union. -
House Divided Speech
When Lincoln made his speech the main point was the fact that there was no way the Union could keep together is the issues kept growing. He declared that they needed to be either all free or all slave if they wanted to keep the Union. Lincoln also attacked the morals of Slavery as well as the political terrors it ravaged the country. Lincoln was entirely trying to preserve the Union at all costs. The southerners however, needed to keep slavery and were opposed to his anti slave sentiment. -
Lincoln Douglass Debate
Lincoln and Stephen Douglass had a series of debates in which the argued over the point of Slavery. Lincoln argued against slavery while Douglass argued for slavery. Specifically, the argument was on wether new territories should have slavery expand into them. The nation at this point was severely divided over the concept of slavery. It of course, brought about even more issues between the North and South. -
Harpers Ferry Raid
The Harpers Ferry raid was orchestrated by John Brown, it was an attempt to create a slave revolt by giving slaves weapons to revolt. However, the armory that was attacked for the raids purposes was filled with soldiers and he was quickly captured and tried for treason, which he was found guilty of and he was executed. 16 people were killed in the raid. The execution of John Brown appeased Southerners, but Northerners were outraged because Brown was an abolishionist such as many Northerners. -
John Brown
John Brown was a "crazed" abolishionist by some, and a kind soul by others. Northern opinion on him was positive as he was a very active and influential abolishionist. This was a very feared figure in the South because he was a white man who was willing to DIE for the freedom of slaves. He was somewhat of a fanatic for his cause, which eventually led to his execution on the second of December, 1859. Northerners were outraged and the division between North and South grew ever wider. -
1860 Election
In this election, the Republican party solidified itself as a legit party as Lincoln won the election. Lincoln was a influential figure in getting rid of slavery, though his goal was just to preserve the Union by any means, any means. These means ended up culminating in the Civil War. Of course the main issue present in this election was SLAVERY, as had been a hot topic in the nation forever. Lincoln won the popular and electoral votes easily. -
Secession
Guess what guys, South Carolina is throwing another temper tantrum. After Lincoln had been elected, South Carolina was shaking in their boots and rapidly decided to secede and they were justified by the constitution. This was the first of many states that tried to dissolve after the domino effect of SC. Eventually all these states that had left formed the Confederacy, the opposing force in the impending Civil War. The culmination of all the North/South tentions was this secession. -
Lincoln's 1st Inaugural Adress
Lincoln didnt want Civil War, and thus that was one of the topics in his address. Civil War was dangerous, and Lincoln firmly believed in preserving the Union. Civil war would leave the country weak, making it a target. Lincoln vouched for a more peaceful or diplomatic solution to the conflict between the North and the South over slavery, but we all know that didnt work. Lincoln wanted to ease the Souths anger, he had no interest in banning slavery, he wanted to prevent the spread.
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