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Fugitive Slave Act
Passed as a part of the Compromise of 1850 - increased Underground Railroad activity and abolitionist forces. It stated that any federal official who did not arrest runaway slaves would pay a fine. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and was meant to reveal the truth about slavery and how bad it is. Northern readers leaned, even more, anti-slavery and southerners thought it misinterpreted slavery. The president at the time, Abraham Lincoln saw this book as one of the reasons for the Civil War. -
Republican Party
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The Kansas Nebraska Act
Stated that the territories of Kansas and Nebraska would determine whether they would be a slave or free states based on popular sovereignty. Both anti-slavery forces and pro-slavery forces wanted to influence the state in their favor and it eventually led to violence. -
Brooks-Sumner Incident
Occurred during Bleeding Kansas, pro-slavery Congressman, Preston Brooks, attacked Charles Sumner with a gold-tipped cane. This was because a day before, Sumner had made a speech about attacking the pro-slavery forces for violence in Kansas. -
Election of 1856
James Buchanan was elected, mostly due to the Kansas-Nebraska act which had divided the Democrats. Buchanan warned that Republicans were extremists and if they won the election. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
A former slave who had residence a free state lost a case against the brother of his deceased owner. The court ruled in this way because they determined that because he was a slave, he was, therefore, property and even questioned his right to sue. This case was controversial because it declared an act of Congress, the Missuori Compromise, unconstitutional. -
LeCompton Constitution
Was a rejected constitution that would protect the slave owners rights and would have included a bill of rights excluding free black men. It allowed for Kansas to enter the Union as a free state but later the Constitution was voted on again and rejected. Kansas became a free state. -
House Divided Speech
In his speech, Lincoln states that a "house divided can not stand." He says there is no compromise when it comes to slavery and that if the U.S wants to be free, it has to do something now. The country had to be one thing or the other. -
John Brown
Brown was an abolitionist who wanted to start a rebellion among the slaves to start a revolt. He led the raid at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. -
Election of 1860
He won by a lot. He was a Republican, and his stance on slavery shocked the southerners because he was anti-slavery. South Carolina seceded from the Union about a month after his election. -
Harpers Ferry
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Bloody Kansas
A time of violence in Kansas as pro-slavery forces and anti-slavery forces clashed to try and turn the state their way. -
Lincoln's First Inaugural Address
He mentioned the Union 23 times and wanted to keep it together. He thought that there was no need for violence. -
Secesssion
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Lincoln Douglas Debates
