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Uncle Tom's Cabin
This novel was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It described the life and death of a slave known as Uncle Tom. Both the North and the South thought that the book misrepresented slavery, but the North grew sympathetic towards the slaves. This caused tension between the North and South because the North gained more antislavery support while the South remained proslavery. -
Republican Party
The Republican Party was an antislavery political party trying to stop slavery from entering western territories. Their slogan was, "Free labor, free soil, free men." This caused tensions between the North and South because it led to conflict between the Republican and Democratic Parties. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act, proposed by Stephen Douglas, created two territories - the Kansas Territory and the Nebraska Territory. The people in these areas were to decide whether or not slavery was permitted using the principle "popular sovereignty." The Act replaced the Missouri Compromise. It led to tensions because antislavery and proslavery groups rushed to these areas so that they could vote their way, which led to a lot of conflict and fighting. -
Brooks-Summer Incident
Senator Charles Summers made a speech attacking the South, which angered Senator Preston Brooks. Brooks walked into the Senate and attacked Summers, beating him with his cane until it broke into two pieces. This led to tensions because a southerner committed an act of violence against a northerner, which would have led to anger. -
Election of 1856
This election was between James Buchanan (Democrat), John Fremont (Republican), and Millard Fillmore (Know-Nothing). John Buchanan won the election. This election was one of the most bitter elections in American History. The Democrats pictures the Republicans as radical and a party of disunion. The Republicans responded by calling for a slave uprising. -
Dred Scott
Dred Scott was a slave, owned by John Emerson. Scott, Emerson, and Emerson's family moved to Minnesota, a free state, and later moved back to Virginia. Scott sued the family, saying that he was a free man because he lived in a free territory, and the case was brought to the Supreme Court. The court ruled that Scott could not be a citizen, and therefore was not a free man. -
Lecompton Constitution
The Lecompton Constitution was a proposed constitution in the Kansas Nebraska Act. It made Kansas a slave state, but it was rejected by both Congress and the President. -
House Divided Speech
The House Divided Speech was a speech given by Abraham Lincoln. In this speech, he addressed the division within the government. He believed that the conflict would not stop until a crisis came and passed. He did not think that the government could have come to a compromise on their own He used this quote from the Bible: "A house divided against itself cannot stand." -
Lincoln Douglas Debates
The Lincoln Douglas debates were a series of seven debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas over the issues of slavery and states' rights. Douglas believed the issue of slavery should be left to popular sovereignty, and Lincoln opposed the expansion of slavery. Because of this debate, Lincoln was made a national figure and was a major factor in his becoming president. Another effect is the division of the Democratic Party because Northern democrats and southern democrats disagreed. -
Harper's Ferry
Abolitionist John Brown led a raid on a federal arsenal in Haper's Ferry in an attempt to gain weapons for a slave revolt. The raid resulted in the death of some of Brown's men as well us U.S. soldiers. -
John Brown
After the raid at Harper's Ferry, Brown was tried for treason for attacking a federal institution. However, Brown claimed that he did not intend for the raid to turn out the way it did. He also said that he was on a mission from God because the Bible says slavery is a sin. -
Election of 1860
The Election of 1860 had four candidates: Abraham Lincoln (Republican), Stephen Douglas (Democrat), John Bell (Republican), and John Breckenridge (Democrat). Lincoln won with the majority of both popular and electoral votes. The election contributed to North and South tensions and the Civil War. -
South Carolina Secession
South Carolina decided to secede after Lincoln was elected because he was stopping the spread of slavery to more states. The state passed an ordinance declaring its secession,making it the first southern state to secede. The secession established the Confederacy and led to more states seceding, which ultimately led to the Civil War. -
"Bloody Kansas"
"Bloody Kansas" occurred after the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed. Because the territories were able to decide whether slavery was allowed or not, both antislavery and proslavery groups rushed to the territory. This led to conflicts between the two groups and ultimately a mini civil war. -
Lincoln's 1st Inaugural Address
In Lincoln's First Inaugural Address, he addressed topics like secession, slavery, and popular sovereignty. He assured the South that he would not take their slaves, and discussed the importance of maintaining the Union.
