-
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote this novel. It is considered one of the causes of the Civil War because it produced a lot of controversial feelings among anti-slavery and pro-slavery activists. Strengthen northern abolitionists and weakened the support for the southern and pro-slavery activists. This book was denounced and banned in the South. It divided southerners and northerners because it encouraged people to speak out on their opinion on slavery and it led to more encouragement in anti-slavery. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
This act was set fourth in order to even out slavery, in the new territory that was gotten by the Louisiana Purchase. It was proposed by Stephen Douglas. It allowed each territory to decide of their issue of slavery, it allowed popular soveignty. It also reapeled the Missouri compromise of 1820, which prohibited slavory north of latitude 36'30 and this act also created 2 new territores, Kansas and Nebraska. It also led to the "Bleeding Kansas". -
Election 1856
This election took place in the middle of Kansas's civil war. The candidates were James Buchana, a democratic candidate, and John C. Fremont a Republican candidate. This election was bitter and was the first in which voting was divided along rigid sectional lines. Democrats made the republican party be pictured as a hotbed of radicalism, calling them drunkards, bastards, and black abolitionistquot. Republicans called for slave insurrection. Buchanan won with a 174 to 114 electoral votes. -
Republican Party
This Party emerged because of the Kansas and Nebraska Acts. The Whig party was split, the nation was divided and the opposition to this act inspired the creation of the republican party. Abolitionist from all parties left their parties and came together to form the Republican Party. This party opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act and was pro-slavery. On June 17, 1856, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the Republican Party was announced as a unified political force. -
Bloody Kansas
This event was caused due to the imposition of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Pro and anti-slavery activist went to the Kansas territory in order to use popular sovereignty to their advantage, which then led to the outburst of violence between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces. This contributed to the Civil War because it increased the tensions between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery, dividing them more. -
Brooks-Sumner Incident
This incident was between a pro-slavorist and an anti-slavorist. Brook, an anti-slavorist, beats Sumner with his cane on the senate floor because Sumner was attaching his postal frank to copies of his "Crime Against Kansas" speech. Which was a speech were Sumner insulted Brooks home state and hurled personal slurs to brooks second cousin. This incident northerners showed them how aggressive and violent the Southeners were. But for the Southeners this was seen as a celabration and a honor. -
Dred Scott
An African American who sued his owner wife, and brother. Brought forward the case Dred Scott v. Stanford. Which dealt with "was a resident in a free territory were they turned automatically free? did he have the right to sue? This increased tensions to the Civil War because African Americans did not receive rights granted in the Constitution, until after the Civil War when the 13 and 14 Amendments were established, which abolished slavery and granted African Americans citizenship. -
LeCompton Constitution
This is a pro-Slavory document, if this document was approved it would allow slavery in Kansas. It had clauses for protecting slave owners, allowing only male citizens of the U.S. to vote, and had a bill of rights that excluded free blacks, which caused increasing tensions towards the Civil War. But this document was heavily rejected 11,300 to 1,788. -
House Divided Speech
Lincoln gave this speech due to the Dred Scoot decision because it had opened doors for slavery to be legal in the north and newly expanded territories. He stated that if the U.S. wanted to be a free country they needed to act now before it was too late. In this speech, Lincoln wanted to show how slavery was dividing the U.S. So the tensions between pro-slavory and anti-slavory activist grew due to this speech. Which led to Southern states seceding and wage war on the union. -
Lincoln Douglas Debate
This debate was when Lincoln and Douglas were running for senate and was mainly about slavery extension into the territories. In these debates, Douglas tried to paint Lincoln as a dangerous radical who advocated for racial equality and disruption of the union. Whose goal was to incite civil war, emancipate slaves, and make blacks socially and politically equal to whites. Lincoln emphasized the injustices of slavery and attacked popular sovereignty because of the "Bloody Kansas" incident. -
Harper's Ferry
John Brown and a group of abolitionist supporters went to Harper Ferry captured important citizens and seized the federal armory and arsenal. Brown did this because he believed that slaves would join him on the raid and would lead them to freedom. But this did not happen and when brown was captured he was placed on trial and charged with treason, murder, and slave insurrection. He was sentenced to death and Hanged on Dec. 2nd, 1859. -
John Brown
He was a radical abolitionist. He was considered a hero but also a madman. He had extreme anti-slavery views and he established the League of Gileadites which was an organization to help runaway slaves escape Canada. Brown had big beliefs that armed slaves would join his army and would help free more slaves. But this belief never came true and slaves did not join his raid. His men were either killed or captured and eventually, he was found guilty of treason and was hanged. -
Election 1860
In this election there were two seperate sectional campaigns. One in the North, Abraham Lincoln against Stephen Douglas. One in the South, John C. Breckinridge against John Bell. This election reveled how divided the country really was. Douglas did a nation campaign. But Republicans did not campaign and Lincoln's name did not appear on the ballot in 10 states. Lincoln won with 39.9% of the popular vote and 180 electoral votes, which was 57 more than the total of his opponents vote. -
Secession
South Carolina seceded from the union and Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas followed right behind them. An average of 80% agreed with immediate secession. But those who opposed it were not unconditional Unionists. There was greater opposition to secession in the upper south. When Texas voted to leave the Union, 3 weeks later it was ratified by a decision of 3 to 1 margin. The governor at the time rejected succession and was forced from office. -
Lincoln's 1st Inaugural Address
The main goal was to hold the union together and to prevent civil war. He addresses that maintaining the union is important and that everyone is friends rather than enemies. He pledges to not interfere with problems dealing with slavery and he discourages the ongoing fighting between anti and pro-slaveryists. He warned the South that he would not allow seceding. But 6 weeks after this speech the civil war began, federal troops fired on the U.S. military forces at Fort Sumter in South Carolina.