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Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a story created by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe and quickly became popular. The book is about a slave named Uncle Tom who suffers through slavery. This novel was favored by the North but opposed by the South, who thought that it was a wrong view of slavery. This contributed to tension between the two. -
Bloody Kansas
Bloody Kansas took place in Kansas Territory and western Missouri and consisted of battles due to the issue of slavery in Kansas. Printing presses, stores, and homes were destroyed as an act of control by the pro-slavery people. This just added to all the tension and violence, which eventually led to the civil war. -
Republican Party
The Republican party was made up of ex-whigs and ex-free soldiers. Their main beliefs were about getting rid of slavery. Abraham Lincoln was the first president to be a Republican. This party formation only increased the division between those who liked slavery and those who opposed it. This became one of the democrat's main opponents. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act established the Kansas and Nebraska states, which also got rid of the Missouri Compromise and allowed popular sovereignty over slavery. The act was very controversial and angered the North because it could extend slavery to more states instead of just abolishing it. This had made them more determined to get rid of it, and the anger towards the South had increased. -
John Brown
John Brown was a militant American abolitionist who became a martyr because of his actions. Brown had led his sons to Kansas, where they helped antislavery forces during the “Bleeding Kansas.” he had also led abolitionists and black people to contribute to a raid on Harper Ferry to create a slave rebellion. He represented the North's anger toward the South's justification for slavery. -
Brooks-Sumner lncident
The Brooks-Sumner incident took place in the US Senate Chamber, where Charles Sumner was attacked by Preston Brooks with a cane. Sumner had just given a speech that criticized a senator who was cousins with Brooks. This just symbolized the violence and anger between the southern and northern states. -
Election 1856
The election of 1856 was won by James Buchanan over John Frémont and Millard Fillmore. This had given the democrats a victory and their beliefs, which had upset abolitionists and northern and would set the stage for the civil war. -
Dred Scott
Dred Scott was an enslaved black person who wanted his freedom from his owners, which he would sue for high rights to citizenship. His wish was denied by the court, and he was declared a slave who was property and had no legal rights to sue or to become free. This decision stood by slavery, which was opposed by northern states and would give more reason to start a war. -
LeCompton Constitution
The Lecompton Constitution was a document that supported slavery, which wanted to secure the rights of slaveholders, and didn't allow African Americans to be considered under the Bill of Rights. It was denied, but still, the division between the two regions. -
House Divided Speech
The House-divided speech was presented in the Illinois Republican State Convention, which was a part of Abraham Lincoln's campaign for the Senate. Lincoln had set out a warning comparing us to a house that was divided. He said how slavery was a political issue that threatened the US unity. He set an understanding of the outcome of the controversy, which was the civil war. -
Lincoln Douglas Debates
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates were seven debates fighting for a spot to be a senator between Lincoln and Douglas. They talked about slavery. Douglas advocated for popular sovereignty, while Lincoln wanted to get rid of slavery as a whole. This ended with Douglas becoming senate. Although Douglas won, Lincoln became more known and later nominated to be president, which would cause tension to rise. -
Harper's Ferry
In 1859, there was a raid on Harper Ferry, which an abolitionist John Brown led where he tried to gather people to get into the armory and have a slave rebellion. This had raised the fear in the South over a slave rebellion and had the South and North hate each other more. -
Election 1860
The election of 1860 resulted in Lincoln winning the presidency and benefited the Republicans. Southerners saw this as a threat to their property, in which they wanted to take action and fight for their ideas. -
Secession
South Carolina was the first state that had secession from the union in December. They believed that Lincoln getting elected would threaten their beliefs and safety. This secession had established the division and then would soon start the civil war. -
Lincoln's 1" Inaugural Address
In Lincoln's inaugural Address, he said that he would not deal with the union being threatened by secession and that it was not possible. He states how he doesn't want to insert himself in the states that allow slavery. He wanted to prevent the South from going against the nation, but a month later, the civil war started.