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John Brown
John Brown was the person who started the two-day raid on Harper's Ferry. He was not afraid of casualties. His men were outnumbered, but still managed to cause some serious damage. John Brown was AGAINST slavery. So much so, that he took to violence to push his view on others. But, in the end, he cared for the slaves. He felt they were equal to him and that they should be treated as such. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was a book published by Harriet Beecher Stowe. This novel was about a saint-like slave named Uncle Tom. He was, of course, the main protagonist. Tom went on a boat to go to an auction, and ends up saving a young girl's life. Her name was Eva. When they arrived to their destination, Eva's father was so grateful, that he bought Tom. -
The Creation of the Republican Party
The Republican Party was started by a group of anti-slavery activists. These people were from the Whig Party, which ceased to exist during this time. The Republican Party (NOT IN FAVOR of slavery) directly went against the Democratic Party (who were IN FAVOR of slavery). -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act got rid of the Missouri Compromise, making it completely irrelevant. Next, it gave the United States two brand new territories to settle into! This Act also made "popular sovereignty" possible. Unfortunately, this enabled the violent raid called "Bleeding Kansas." -
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Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was a huge uprising, where battles took place in Kansas. There were always many casualties. This was caused by an argument of whether or not Kansas should have slavery be legal, or illegal. This is where John Brown first makes a name for himself. He participated in the ANTI-slavery side of the battle. He always had, and he always would, until his very last days. -
Brooks-Sumner Incident
The Brooks-Sumner Incident (also called the Canning of Charles Sumner, and the Brooks-Sumner Affair) was when democratic representative Preston Brooks attacked Charles Sumner with a cane. -
House Divided Speech
This speech was given by Abraham Lincoln, four years before he was elected as President. He was running for Senate in Illinois at this time. He had just accepted the nomination by the Republican Party for office. Lincoln said this speech in the current Capital of Illinois at the time. The capital has since been moved. -
Election of 1856
The election of 1856 was a three-way election between James Buchanan (Democratic), John C Frémont (Republican), and Millard Fillmore (Know Nothing Party). Millard Fillmore was the previous President. -
Dred Scott Court Case
Dred Scott was a slave who felt that, since he was in a free state, he, too, should be free. He took this case all the way to the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, however, the Court ruled against Scott. They told him he was property, and to strip a man of their property was directly defying the Constitution. -
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Lincoln-Douglas Debates
The Lincoln-Douglas debates began as simple discussions between Douglas and Lincoln during the race for the presidency. There were seven of these debates. They both travelled about 4,000 miles around different state districts. Each person would start with a one-hour-long talk, to which the other replied with an hour-and-a-half-long response to what the previous person said. This attracted quite the crowds.. -
Lecompton Constitution
The Lecompton Constitution was the second Constitution that was drafted for Kansas. There would be two more after this one, making a total of four. In the Lecompton Constitution, it made slavery perfectly legal. In fact, slave owners were PROTECTED by it. It even made a "Bill of Rights" that completely disregarded free black men. -
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The Raid on Harper's Ferry
This raid was started by none other than John Brown, himself. This raid began as a scheme to make a base for freed slaves in Maryland and Virginia. This cause earned the support of many of those in the North, specifically in Boston. They chose Harper's Ferry because it was a large "gateway to the South" (said Britannica), and it was located in the perfect place for them. -
Election of 1860
The election of 1860 was when Abraham Lincoln was elected as President of the United States. He didn't get a single vote from a Southerner, but still won because he was popular in the North. This election also caused the secession to begin. Lincoln wanted to work to abolish slavery, but the Southerners didn't like that. Hence the reason they seceded from the U.S. -
Lincoln's First Inaugural Address
Lincoln's first inaugural address was said as a part of Lincoln taking the oath for presidency. In this address, Lincoln talks about how he is no one's enemy. He is everyone's friend. -
Secession
The Secession was a time when 11 states left the union. It started with South Carolina. These states decided to try and make their own, independent nation where they could have slaves and not live under the "rule" of the North.