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Uncle Tom's Cabin
A novel, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, about slavery and the effects of slavery on the south and the effects of slavery on African Americans. It was anti slavery based which infuriated the southerners and the postal carriers refused to deliver it. The novel was very popular overseas ad it came in many different versions and languages. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
Allowed people in Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery or not. It repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820 (which prohibited slavery north 36’30) Anti-slavery: opposed because they thought it was a plan to turn the land into slave states (it would violate the Missouri compromise) Pro-slavery: For it because it gave them the chance to have another state be a slave state because the Missouri compromise (1820) would be repealed -
Brooks Sumner Incident
The affair between Representative Preston Brooks used a walking cane to attack Senator Charles Sumner, an abolitionist, to retaliate for a speech given by Sumner two days prior, where he strongly criticized slaveholders, including a relative of Brooks. This incident drew a sharp response from the American republic on the subject of the expansion of slavery in the United States. It was said to be the “breakdown of reasoned discourse”, and eventually led to the American Civil War. -
Election of 1856
A three people election with James Buchanan (democrat) who supported the free/slave compromises and believed that if the republicans win, it would cause a civil war. John C. Fremont (republican) was against the spread of slavery and slavery general, Millard Fillmore (American party/Know-nothings anti-immigrant). James Buchanan won the election -
LeCompton Constitution
Protected slaveholding and a bill of rights excluding free blacks (Kansas is going to be a slave state). However it wasn’t passed which allowed anti-slave forces to make a constitution and that goes through. Making Kansas a free state and stating that the Kansas Nebraska Act doesn’t work -
Dred Scott
A supreme court case where Dred Scott, who was living in a free state wasn’t thereby entitled to his freedom; “that African Americans were not and could never be citizens of the United States,”. The court case had declared that Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional and it helped lead up to the civil war. It also said that neither congress, nor the territorial legislature could exclude slavery from a territory. -
Lincoln Douglas Debate
A series of 7 debates between Stephen A. Douglas (Democratic) and Abraham Lincoln (republican) concerning the issue of slavery extension into the territories. It was also printed as a book and used as an important campaign document in the presidential election that year.Douglas advocated Popular sovereignty and Lincoln pointed out that Douglas's position directly challenged the Dred Scott decision, which decreed that the citizens of a territory had no such power. -
House Divided Speech
A campaign speech made by Abraham Lincoln to the Illinois republican convention in 1858. It was spoken in fear that a civil war would break out. A famous quote from the speech was “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” meaning that we can’t be divided half slave half free, we’re either one or the other, because we cannot stand when we’re divided -
Harpers Ferry
A raid organized by John Brown,an abolitionist,to initiate a slave revolt by raiding an arsenal in VA.Brown had a party of 22 slaves, who were defeated by a company of U.S. Marines,by Israel Greene.After this the southerners were in fear,about slave uprisings and armed abolitionists invasions.The northerners felt that the raid was part of a widespread abolitionist plot,supported by the black Republican party to incite slave rebellion throughout the South -
John Brown
John Brown was an abolitionist who led a group of people on a raid against a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, virginia. He did this is an attempt to start a slave revolt and destroy the institution of slavery -
Republican Party
the Kansas-Nebraska Act started the creation of the republican party, it was formed to keep slavery out of the western territories. It was also known as the “Grand Old Party” -
Election of 1860
Election where Abraham Lincoln(republic.)defeated southern John C. Breckinridge(democat.),Stephen A. Douglas,and Constitutional Union candidate John Bell.The Republican Party opposed the expansion of slavery, Lincoln was seen as a moderate person towards slavery (argued against expanding slavery into any of the new territories).The southerners feared that his election would lead to its demise and would leave the Union if he was elected. Lincoln won the election,7 states left the union -
Bloody Kansas
A series of violent civil confrontations in the United States between 1854 and 1861 which came up from a political and ideological debate over the legality of slavery in the proposed state of Kansas. Kansas was seen as important because it is known as the battlefield where the forces of slavery and anti-slavery met. Also seen as a major cause leading to the Civil War because it led to the establishment of the Republican Party. -
Secession
The withdrawal of eleven slave states (states in which slaveholding was legal) from the Union during 1860-61 following the election of Abraham Lincoln as president. Known to precipitate (influence) the American Civil War. These states formed the Confederate States of America. -
Lincoln's 1st Inagural Speech
His speech spoken when he was sworn into presidency. He appealed for the preservation of the Union. Lincoln wanted to keep his ties and support with the North without further alienation the South, so he issued a call for compromise. He promised to not initiate force to maintain the Union or interfere with slavery in the states in which it already was.