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Uncle Tom's Cabin
Stowe was inspired to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin because of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and because she was persuaded by her antislavery family to write about the life of a slave and what they go through, especially in the South. The story convinced several Northerners to go against slavery because of the horrors described in the book. However, several in the South were angered because they didn't agree with how she described slavery. Tensions increased in both sides that pushed for Civil War. -
Republican Party
The Republican Party was created after the Kansas-Nebraska Act because of their disagreements towards it. This was a combination of those who were in the Whigs Party and free-soil party who wanted to form the party that would help prevent Slavery expansion in the Western Territories. They fought to protect the rights of African Americans after the Civil War as well. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Proposed by Senator Stephen A. Douglas the Kansas-Nebraska Act included the creation of two new territories, allowing popular sovereignty on slavery, and repealing the Missouri Compromise of 1820. It also destroyed the Whig Party, caused a division in the Democratic Party, and created the Republican Party. The disagreements about the decisions of slavery for both territories created violence between both the North and South. -
Bloody Kansas (1855-1859)
The disagreements of the future of slavery caused the violence in Kansas because while some people wanted slavery others did not which caused several civil confrontations where some were violent and led to a lot of bloodshed. Due to the repeated outbreaks of violence, the fighting progressed and became more aggressive to where the Civil War broke out. -
John Brown
Known as a "radical abolitionist" who spent his life fighting slavery that was usually with violence and bloodshed. Him and his sons were involved in Bloody Kansas. Then after the attack at Lawrence, Kansas, he led the raid known as the Pottawatomie Massacre to attack pro slavery settlers on May 25, 1856. After his execution on December 2, 1859, he became a martyr and symbol of the antislavery movement. The raid in Harper Ferry made tensions rise leading to the Civil War. -
Election of 1856
The election of 1856 was the "most bitter" in American History since it was the first time that voting divided along rigid sectional lines. The democrats chose James Buchanan, a 65-year-old Pennsylvania bachelor as their "less controversial" candidate. At the first national convention in Philadelphia held by the Republican Party they chose the young explorer and soldier John C. Fremont. Buchana won 147 Electoral votes and 114 for Fremont. Freemont could have won if he had two more states. -
Brooks-semner Incident
Representative Preston Brooks was a pro-slavery Democrat from SC decided to attack Senator Charles Summer (Republican abolitionist) from Massachusetts with his walking cane. This happened in the United States Senate chamber leaving Sumner with serious injuries showing the aggression that the South and North had for each other and was one of the events that led to the Civil War. -
Dred Scott
He was born into slavery in Missouri and his owner Dr. Emerson who took Scott to Rock Island, Illinois which was a free state. The Missouri Compromise prohibited slavery in that territory and after the death of Emerson, Scott sued Emerson's wife in a Missouri court because he believed that since he lived in a free State, he should be free. The Court ruled against him which kept him as a slave and did not allow them to have rights until after the Civil War with the 13th and 14th Amendment. -
Le Compton Constitution
This Constitution was the second of four proposed constitutions that pro-slavery advocates wanted to pass in Kansas. It would protect slaveholding in Kansas and would keep people of color out of its bill of rights. It was rejected in a territorial election in January 1858 but then President James Buchanan recommended for Kansan to become a state, but Congress refused. It wasn't until after the civil war that Kansas was added to the Union as a free state in January. 29, 1861. -
Lincoln Douglas Debates
A lawyer from Springfield named Lincoln and Senator Douglas the issues of slavery v. free labor, popular sovereignty, and the rights of African Americans were discussed. Douglas thought that slavery was outdated and were no longer needed in their country. He also thought that it should be treated locally. Lincoln saw slavery as a dynamic, expansionistic institution that would be great for new territory. Lincoln was not able to win a Senate seat he became a Presidental Candidate. -
House Divided Speech
Lincoln's famous line in his campaign speech that says, "a house divided against itself cannot stand." Lincoln used this to describe the situation of slavery between the South and North because the disagreements between the two states were causing for a war to break out. Lincoln did not want this to happen and tried convincing the two sides that they should be united as one because only destruction will happen if they continue to divide from each other. -
Harper's Ferry
John Brown led 18 abolitionists to the U.S. military arsenal at Harpers Ferry. They hoped to steal guns and start a slave rebellion in order to free all slaves located in the mountains of Maryland and Virginia. He believed that what he did was right because he was doing it for God knowing that God would not want slavery and those who thought otherwise were wrong. His plan failed and was captured and taken to a room in the armory at Harpers Ferry. He was then convicted of treason and was hanged. -
Secession
The country had begun dividing between the North and South because of State rights, arguments over tariffs, and slavery. The Southern States created the Confederacy and led to the Civil War. The Confederacy included the time 11 slave states that left, the first seven States started a government at Montgomery, Alabama and later on after Fort Sumner VA, AR, TN, and NC joined. The slave states stayed in the Union and tensions heightened. -
The Election of 1860
Being one of the most crucial presidential elections for American History. Republican nominee Abraham Lincoln won against Democratic Party nominee Stephen Douglas, Southern Democratic nominee John Breckinridge, and Constitutional Union nominee John Bell. Lincoln was able to win people over because of his viewpoints on slavery and state' rights. This left him in charge of protecting and leading the United States during the Civil War -
Lincoln's 1st Inaugural Address
This address was used to help prevent tensions that would cause the Civil War. He wanted to keep the Union together and prevent secession from continuing. He made sure that his address was in a cautious approach and to not create any threats towards the South so that they would understand that he was not getting rid of slavery. He was able to keep some states in the Union located in the upper South such as NC, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware.