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Invention of the cotton gin
Invented by Eli Whitney, the cotton gin rvolutionized the output of southern cotton farms. While the output of southern farms increased, a huge growth in slavery was seen, as well as an increase in the brutality of slaveowners. With the cotton gin, slaves could produce 50lbs of cotton per day,increasing their output by a factor of at least two. Due to the increase in salvery, and brutality of slaves, it fueled sectionalism. -
Cumberland National road
Authorized in 1806, the construction of the National road continued until the panic of 1837, where sufficient funds were no longer accessible. This road provided a connection to the west, and in turn favored the north incredibly. This connection profited the north, and left the south hanging, fueling sectionalism. -
End of the importation of slaves
This act was passed in 1807 and took into effect on January 1st, 1808. It ended the transatlantic slave trade, and in turn slavery became much more brutal. This act inadvertantly created a slave trade within U.S borders. Slave owners would forcefully breed their slaves, so as to sell their children and make a profit. In making slavery extremely brutal, outsiders from the north, would see themselves differently from those from the south, feeding sectionalism. -
Uncle Toms Cabin
Also known as Life Among the Lowly, Uncle Toms Cabin is an anti-slavery novel published in 1852. Uncle Toms Cabin was the second best selling book of the 19th century, following the bible. The book outraged a large majority of those in the south, those supporting slavery. They called the book criminal, and slanderous. This fueled the sectionalism within the country at this time, due to the north defending the book, and the south outlawing the book, -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was a bloody debate over whether Kannsas would be a free state. or a slave state. The Kansas Nebraska act of 1854, called for popular soverneignty within Kansas. This directly led to the Bleeding Kansas confrontations. Anti-slavery supporters were fighting with the idealogy of the north, while slavery supporters were fighting with the idealogy of the south. This showed these two groups further, that they had a completely different mindset, and this added to the sectionalism. -
Harpers Ferry raid
John brown staged a raid on a U.S. weapons supply, with the intent of starting a slave rebellion. While he miserably failed, he pointed out that a civil was was the only way to end slavery once and for all. His raid revealed to Americans the deep division between the North and the South. This in turned further fueled the hatred for the other, and affected the southern states willingness to go to war with the north. -
Election of Abraham Lincoln
This event was the last significant event leading to the civil war. Since Lincoln won the election without a single electoral vote from the south, the south began to feel as if they did not have a voice of their own. This led to many states seceeding, and later forming the confederacy.
