-
Secession
The act of leaving the union was often used as a threat from the South. Especially from 1840s to 1860s as tensions became more intense over the ongoing debate over slavery. Eventually after Abrahams Election, the south did finally succeed as an act of retaliation from the North. -
Republican Party
The Republican Party was founded in or 1850s, and its ideals were supporting the union, a strong central government, and opposing the spread of slavery. Though their intentions were to contain slavery, the south interpreted their actions as trying to abolish. After fractions were created, the north felt threated and tried to secede. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
"Uncle Tom's Cabin", is an anti-slavery novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that basically fueled the Civil War. The Book, the South claimed, was a misinterpretation of Slavery. As for the North it sparked antislavery actions. Drawn apart due to this novel, the south and North further broke into fractions. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
Stephan Douglass, a democratic senator, organized two new territories from what was left of the Louisiana purchase. The settlers of Kansas and Nebraska were allowed to decide whether slavery would be allowed within their state’s borders, by the principal of popular sovereignty. -
Bloody Kansas
refers to a period of violent civil confrontations in the Kansas Territory, and Missouri, between 1854 and 1859. This emerged from a political debate over the debate popular sovereignty over slavery in the state of Kansas. Bleeding Kansas served as a precursor to the American Civil War, and included guerilla warfare and claimed the life of about 55 individuals. -
Brooks Sumner incident
The Caning of Charles Sumner occurred in the United States Senate chamber. The attack was in retaliation for a speech, Crime against Kansas, by Sumner a couple days earlier in which he offended criticized slaveholders, including a relative of Brooks, South Carolina Senator Andrew Butler. -
Election of 1856
The election between, James Buchanan, John C. Fremont and Millard Fillmore, which was held over the issues such as, the Kansas Nebraska Act and Bleeding Kansas. Though in the end, Democrat James Buchanan won. This rise to the republican party, which opposed slavery, left the south feeling threatened. This election was particularly noticeable due to political realignment. -
Dred Scott
The situation: After Dred Scotts master died and he'd been state hopping, he should be a free citizen, right? The case persisted through several small courts eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court ruled that the U.S. Constitution did not extend American citizenship to people of African descent; therefore, they did not have the same rights. -
John Brown
John Brown was a Northern Abolitionist whose heart was in the right place, but his head was not. As in his tactics were overly aggressive, but he claimed he was doing god's work. After trying to arm slaves and get them to rebel against their masters he was tried for his crimes and sent to death on December 2nd, 1859. -
House divided speech
After accepting the Illinois republicans party nomination as the state's senator, he delivered his speech at the Illinois State capital in Springfield. Where his famous slogan "a house divided cannot stand" was coined as well as countered Dred Scotts decision of popular sovereignty. -
Lincoln Douglas Debates
The Lincoln-Douglas debates were a series of seven debates between Democratic senator Stephen A. Douglas and Republican Abraham Lincoln over the issue of slavery and its extensions into the territories. Though initially the issue was resolved by the Missouri compromise solved this problem, the annexation of the new territories made the issue flare up again. -
Lecompton constitution
The Lecompton Constitution was one of many proposed constitutions for the state of Kansas. Where it solidified Southern pro-slavery ideals within Kansas statehood. Which prohibited/ excluding free blacks from the bills of rights and protecting slaveholding. -
Harper's Ferry
Harper's ferry was assaulted by John Brown and one of his "elaborate" raids, that was one part of a larger idea. Which included arming free slaves and having them reside in the mountains of Maryland and Viriginia. When the plan failed and John Brown was eventually captured, it further led to dissent within the North and the south. -
Election 1860
One of the most pivotal elections in us history took place on November 6th, 1860, Where Abraham Lincoln ran against 3 other competitors including, Stephen Douglas, John Breckinridge and John Bell over the issue of slavery and states' rights. As a republican, Abraham won due to the turmoil within the Democratic Party and became the 16th president. -
Lincoln's 1st inaugural Address
Abraham's inaugural address was delivered on Monday March 4th, 1816. and aimed to address those as the 16th president of the United States and more specifically, the south. He tried to reassure them of their peace and their property would "not be endangered by his administration". As well as promising them their state rights, even while he was in office.