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Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a series of laws passed by Congress to resolve disputes over slavery. It included the admission of California as a free state, the establishment of new territories, and a more stringent Fugitive Slave Act. The compromise helped ease tensions between the North and South, but it ultimately failed to resolve the issue of slavery and contributed to the growing sectionalism that would lead to the Civil War. -
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was a novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852 that portrayed the harsh reality of slavery. The novel helped to raise awareness of the cruelty of slavery and contributed to the growing abolitionist movement. Overall, Uncle Tom's Cabin helped to galvanize public opinion against slavery and contributed to the growing tensions between the North and South. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a law passed in 1854 that allowed settlers in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide whether to allow slavery. It was controversial and contributed to the growing tensions between the North and South over slavery. The act helped to galvanize the anti-slavery movement and contributed to the formation of the Republican Party. It also led to violent clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas, which became known as "Bleeding Kansas". -
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Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was a period of violence in the Kansas territory from 1854 to 1859, sparked by the Kansas-Nebraska Act. It helped to further divide the country over slavery and contributed to the growing likelihood of a Civil War. The violence also galvanized the anti-slavery movement and contributed to the formation of the Republican Party. -
Dred Scott Decision
The Dred Scott decision was a Supreme Court case in 1857 that ruled that African Americans could not be considered American citizens and therefore could not sue in federal court. The decision was widely criticized and helped to further polarize the nation over slavery, emboldening Southern states to push for more pro-slavery legislation. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
The Lincoln-Douglas debates were a series of seven debates during the 1858 Illinois senatorial campaign that focused on the issue of slavery. They helped to establish Lincoln as a leading voice in the anti-slavery movement and contributed to the growing likelihood of a Civil War. -
John Brown’s Raid
John Brown's raid was an attempt to start an armed slave revolt in 1859 that was unsuccessful. It helped to further polarize the nation over slavery and contributed to the growing likelihood of a Civil War. Brown's actions were widely condemned in the south but celebrated as a martyr by many in the North, and it helped to galvanize the anti-slavery movement. -
Abraham Lincoln’s Election
Lincoln's election in 1860 on an anti-slavery platform led to the secession of the Southern states and the Civil War. His Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 helped to shift the focus of the war to the issue of slavery and a major factor in the eventual abolition of slavery in the United States. -
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Secession Winter
The secession winter was a period of political crisis in the United States following Lincoln's election in 1860. Seven Southern states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America, driven in large part by the issue of slavery. The secession helped to polarize the nation over slavery and contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War. -
Fort Sumter
The attack on Fort Sumter by Confederate forces in April 1861 marked the beginning of the Civil War, which was fought over the same issue of slavery. The Union victory helped to bring about the eventual abolition of slavery in the United States.