-
Uncle toms cabin
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" is a novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It is influential work of American literature that portravs the horrors of slavery in the pre-Civil War United States. The story follows the life of Uncle Tom, an enslaved man, as he faces the cruelty of slavery. The book had a large impact on the abolitionist movement, contributing to the anti-slavery sentiment in the North, and is often credited with helping to rally support for the abolition of slavery in the United States. -
Bloody kansas
the period of repeated outbreaks of violent guerrilla warfare between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces following the creation of the new territory of Kansas in 1854.The struggle intensified the ongoing debate over the future of slavery in the United States and served as a key precursor to the Civil War. -
Republican Party
The Republican Party, founded in the 1850s, was a major political force in the lead-up to the American Civil War, primarily known for its opposition to the expansion of slavery into new territories and states, their anti-slavery stance contributed to the growing divide between the North and the South, ultimately playing a significant role in the outbreak of the Civil War. -
Kansas Nebraska act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a U.S. legislation that allowed the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to determine their stance on slavery through popular sovereignty, effectively repealing the
Missouri Compromise's restriction on slavery in certain areas and intensifying tensions that led to the Civil War. -
Brooks sumner incident
The Brooks-Sumner incident of 1856 was a highly significant event in U.S. history. Representative Preston Brooks, a pro-slavery advocate from South Carolina, attacked Senator Charles Supner, an anti-slavery advocate from Massachusetts, on the floor of the Senate. Brooks used a cane to beat Sumner unconscious, leaving
him severely injured. This shocking act of violence is yet another primary cause of the Civil War. -
Election of 1856
The election of 1856 was crucial as it marked the first time a new political party, the Republican Party, emerged as a major contender, focusing on opposing the expansion of slavery into the Western territories, foreshadowing the escalating tensions. The election itself demonstrated the growing strength of anti-slavery sentiment in the North and the political power of the Republican Party. -
Lecompton constitution
The Lecompton Constitution was a constitution for the Kansas Territory. It aimed to legalize slavery in Kansas. The constitution was drafted by pro-slavery forces. Many anti-slavery Kansans boycotted the constitutional vote. leading to accusations of fraud and election irregularities. Ultimately, the Lecompton Constitution was rejected by Congress, but it remained a symbol of the bitter struggle over slavery in the lead-up to the Civil War and further strained North-South relations -
Dred Scott Court Case
The Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court decision of 1857 was critically important to the lead-up to the Civil War because it got
only denied Dred Scott, an enslaved man, his freedom, but it also declared that enslaved individuals, even when taken into free territories, remained enslaved property and were not entitled to the rights of citizenship. It also overturned the Missouri Compromise as well as justifying their discrimination as the unconstitutional seizure
of property. -
Lincoln Douglas debates
The Lincoln-Douglas debates were seven debates between two prominent politicians competing for a US. Senate seat in linois Abraham Lincoln, Republican, challenged the current Senator Stephen A. Douglas, Democrat. These debates were critical in American political history and focused primarily on the issue of slavery. While Douglas argued for popular sovereignty, which allowed territories to decide slavery themselves, Lincoln argued against the spread of slavery into territories and states. -
House divided speech
Abraham Lincoln's "House Divided" speech, focused on the growing crisis over slavery in the United States. He famously declared, "A house divided against itself cannot stand," asserting that the nation could not endure permanently half slave and half free. Lincoln argued that the nation would eventually fall on direction in slavery. This speech solidified his reputation as an anti-slavery politician and set the stage for his later election as
President in 1860 -
John Brown
John Brown was an abolitionist in the United States during the pre-Civil War era. He gained popularity for his violent approach to ending slavery and was involved in several violent confrontations, including the infamous 1856 "Bleeding Kansas" conflict. His actions and fervent anti-slavery stance made him a polarizing figure and contributed to the escalating tensions that eventually led to the Civil War. -
Harper's ferry
John Brown led a group of 21 men in an attempt to seize the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. His goal was to arm enslaved individuals and spark a widespread slave rebellion.However, Brown and his men were quickly surrounded by U.S. Marines under the command Robert E. Lee and J.E.B. Stuart. After a two-day standoff, Brown and his surviving followers were captured. Brown was put on trial, convicted of treason and murder,
and sentenced to death. This fueled the abolitionists. -
Election of 1860
The election of 1860 was of immense importance in American history because it would determine the future of the Union. It was a highly contentious, reflecting the deep divisions in the United States. Furthermore it also determined the President who would in the future serve the people during the grueling years during the civil war. The election had four major candidates representing several factions and positions. Abraham Lincoln the Republican candidate, won the presidency, alarming the south -
Secession
The secession of the Southern states in the 1860s was a pivotal event in American history that led to the Civil War. It began in late 1860 when South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union, followed by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. These states noted concerns over the preservation of slavery, states' rights, and economic differences with the Northern states as primary reasons for their secession. -
Lincoln's first inaugural address
Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural address aimed to slow the escalating tensions between the North and the South in the time before the Civil War. He expressed his want to preserve the Union and insisted that secession was illegal. Lincoln sought to assure the Southern states that he had no intention of interfering with slavery where it existed but was determined to prevent its
expansion into new territories. The address did not prevent the outbreak of was, as hostilities worsened