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Uncle Tom's Cabin 1852
This was a novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe that depicted the unfortunate and harsh reality of the ways of slavery. The Northerners took this very well, while the Southerners took this as an extremely hostile attack and caused a strong divide. -
Formation of the Republican Party 1854
This was formed due to the Kansas-Nebraska Act such as which united the abolitionists, anti-slavery democrats, and those of the Free Soil and parts like that. -
Kansas Nebraska Act 1854
The Senator (Stephen Douglas) sponsored this act, allowing the citizens to vote whether slavery was allowed or not. This led to violent clashes between the southerners and northerners who moved to these states. -
Bloody Kansas 1854-1859
This was the name for the series of brutal and violent events in Kansas between pro-slavery and anti-slavery, showing the divide more. -
Brooks-Summer Incident 1856
This was when Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina, attacked Senator Charles Summer of Massachusetts, with his cane on the floor of Senators at Charles's desk. He did this after Charles gave his anti-slavery speech and this showed the true divide of the nation. -
Election of 1856
This was the first election between John C. Fremont the runner of the Republican party, and James Buchanan the democratic runner and he won. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates 1858
A series of debates between the runners for political positions, Abraham Lincoln and Scott Douglas focused on the issues of Slavery. Lincoln won Senator and Douglas President. -
Lecompton Constitution 1857
This was a Kansas state constitution that was proposed to allow slavery, which was supported by the president, but not by the public. -
John Brown 1859
He was an obsessive abolitionist who was using violent means to deal with the issues of slavery. He led a raid in Virginia and got captured and later executed, but he did it for the fight for freedom. -
Secession 1860-1861
Southern states now started to succeed from the union following the election of Lincoln and this started with South Carolina. This ultimately started the civil war which is what Lincoln was trying to avoid. -
Dred Scott decision 1857
This was a decision from the Supreme Court that ruled that African Americans could not sue for their rights, even if they were residents of a free state at one point, due to the Constitution stating Congress cannot make decisions involving ones property. -
House Divided Speech 1858
In his speech as his acceptance of the Senate, he announced that "A house divided by itself cannot stand." hence declaring his stance on slavery. -
Harpers Ferry Raid 1859
John Brown led the Raid on the federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia with armed slaves. This failed and he was executed but he was seen as a hero, making the South scared of the North. -
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln won the presidency without having a single southern state showing his popularity in the nation. The south perceived him as a direct threat to slavery. -
Lincoln's First inagural Address 1861
Lincoln addressed the state of the union and the topic of the now succeeded states stating he was not going to deal with the issue of slavery as is, but the protection and the unity of the union must remain. This was the last attempt to stop the war, but ultimately did nothing and the Civil War started.