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The Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso was proposed by David Wilmot to ban slavery in the newly acquired territory from Mexico. This idea was supported in the North, but hated by the South. The debates that occurred between the North and South led to the use of attacking gender within arguments. Men were accused of not being manly enough if they supported the Proviso. Proviso supporters were not anti-slavery for moral reasons, but from a more "realistic" stance. This was the start of a division. (Varon 180-97) -
The Mexican-American War
Texas was brought in as a state by John Tyler. Texas had heightened tension with Mexico that they just broke away from. There was a dispute over a border between Mexico and the United States on the Nueces Strip. It is unclear whether soldiers went against orders or were given bad ones, but there was an exchange of warfare that leads to the Mexican War. As a result of the U.S. victory, this war was a training ground for future officers in the Civil War. (McPherson 2-4) -
The Underground Railroad
This was a system for runaway slaves heroically lead by Harriet Tubman. She helped slaves travel to Philadelphia in secrecy and took care of them along the way while using her faith in God as motivation. The lookout for slaves was heightened during this time due to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Slaves were deceived and tricked to get the job done. The fear in the South that grew from the antics was a foreshadow to the Civil War as well as the freedom of many slaves. (Varon 241-43) -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
This was a book published by Harriet Beecher Stowe. She gave a brutal and realistic assessment of slavery. This set off controversy throughout America like nothing else before. Lincoln called Stowe "the little women who wrote the book that made this great war." It was impactful mostly in the South, where the majority was pro slavery. Southerners claimed Stowe's depictions were untrue and denied her truth. This set the tone for more controversy on slavery in the future (McPherson 88-90) -
Emergence of the Republican Party
In the year of 1854, the antislavery movement began to pick up speed. As a result of those that supported anti-slavery, the Republican party emerged. It consisted of a lot of anti-slavery Whigs and the Free-Soil party. This new opposing party to Democrats caused a rise of even more disagreement. This was the political party that Abraham Lincoln eventually represented while in the running for President. This was an aid to the beginning of a new cohort of leaders in the Civil War (American Yawp) -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
When the question of where the first continental railroad should go was out on the table, Stephen Douglas proposed that it should go through Kansas and Nebraska. This allowed for popular sovereignty which let the people decide if a state should be a free or slave state. As a result of the tension that arose, a civil war broke out, which consisted of large scale battles between "free staters" and "slave staters" known as Bleeding Kansas. Kansas was brought in as a slave state in the end. -
The Caning of Sumner
Charles Sumner was a Senator from Massachusetts who was a part of the new Republican party. He gave an address titled "The Crime Against Kansas", defending the idea that Kansas should be a free state. Within the speech he attacked Andrew Butler and claimed he is a hypocrite and rapist. In response to this, Butlers cousin; Preston Brooks went up to Sumner's desk and greeted him with about thirty blows with his cane. As a result Sumner was left unconscious, and Brooks was arrested. (Varon 268-69) -
Pattowatomie Massacre
In response to the caning of sumner, John Brown felt that he needed to become even with the proslavery people for using violence against his side. Therefore, Brown massacred people of Pottawatomie, who had nothing to do with the barbarity he was returning. Brown ended up not being punished for the murders, and there were even rumors that he acted in self defense. This was symbolic of a new era of ruthlessness occurring in Kansas which increased tension among America. (McPherson 152-53) -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
The Lincoln-Douglas debates were between Abraham Lincoln and Stephan Douglas who were in the running to become the senate of Illinois. Lincoln was a part of the Republican party while Douglas was a Democrat. They spoke about the topic of disunion in America. Lincoln claimed that slavery would eventually end because God believed that we are all meant to be free one day. Douglas accused Lincoln of being an abolitionist. It from a discussion of unity to slavery like the Civil War. (Varon 315-17) -
Election of 1860
The four way race centered around slavery was between Douglas, Breckenridge, Lincoln and Bell. The tension between the North and the South was on a rapid rise, and secession was nearing. When Lincoln won the election, he claimed he didn't want to touch slavery where it was, but didn't want to increase slave states. It was apparent that Lincoln wanted to keep the peace. After Lincoln was elected, the Confederated seceded, and this was the tipping point to cause the Civil War. (Varon 234-35)