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Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and described life as a slave. It highlighted the horrors and struggles of life as a slave and helped to further divide the pro slavery south and anti slavery north. -
Republican Party Founded
In light of the Fugitive Slave act the Republican Party was founded by Whigs and others who were against slavery. This party would eventually elect Abraham Lincoln as their representative and he would win the election in 1860. -
Kansas- Nebraska act
The Kansas Nebraska act was brought about by Stephen Douglass and repealed the Missouri Compromise, it split that area into Kansas and Nebraska, and had popular sovereignty (meaning the people decided) put in place to decide whether or not they would become slave or free states. Many pro slave and anti slave alike rushed into the area to sway the vote one way or another. This mixing of opposite ideals would lead to the incredible brutality in Kansas otherwise known as "Bloody Kansas". -
Bloody Kansas
Bloody Kansas refers to a time when violence ran rampant in Kansas, as pro slavery and anti slavery activist fought against one another in hopes of turning Kansas into a slave/free state. One of the most brutal events was the Pottawatomie Massacre where John Brown and about 8 other men brutally mutilated five pro slavery men. Kansas would eventually become a free state. -
John Brown
John Brown was an abolitionist who would play a major role in many key events leading up to the civil war. -
Brooks Sumner Incident
Senator Charles Sumner gave a speech known as "Crime against Kansas" where he talked about the issues going on in Kansas. In this speech he mocked Senator Andrew Butler. Representative Preston Brooks was related to the senator and did not appreciate this, so after the Senate had adjourned Brooks went into the chamber and beat Sumner with a cane to the point of unconsciousness. Brooks was seen as a champion for slavery by the south and Sumner was seen as a martyr by the north. -
Election 1856
The election of 1856 was a bitter election that would set the stage for the election of 1860. The new republic party had nominated John Fremont as their candidate while democrats had James Buchanan run as their candidate. John Fremont promised to end slavery in the south and get rid of the Kansas Nebraska act, Buchanan wanted to keep things as they were. It was a close election but James Buchanan and the democrats would go on to win. -
Dred Scott
The Dred Scott V Sanford case was a case in which Scott a slave argued his case that since he was in free territory he should be considered free. The Court decided that since Scott was of African descent and a slave, he was property and not a citizen. He could not use the courts since he was not a citizen and he could not be freed, since the constitution says people cannot have their property stripped from them. They also decided that Congress did not have the power to regulate slavery. -
House Divided Speech
Abraham Lincoln gave his House Divided Speech when running for Senate in Illinois. In this speech he gave the famous lines "A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.". This speech was seen as incredibly radical at the time. Abraham Lincoln would go on to lose the race, but he would propel himself as a fighter against slavery helping him win presidency in 1860. -
Lincoln Douglas Debates
The Lincoln Douglass debates were a series of 7 debates where Lincoln was running against Douglass for senate. The most prominent of the debates occurred in Freeport and brought about the Freeport Doctrine. Lincoln asked Douglass how people can combat slavery in light of the recent Dred Scott case? Douglass responded that if you did not elect officials who supported slavery then slavery could not stand. This upset the south and was the main reason he lost the presidency a couple years later. -
Lecompton Constitution
The Lecompton Constitution was the most controversial of four constitutions made in Kansas. This constitution would heavily favor slave owners. It was repealed twice and Kansas would be admitted as a free state. -
Harpers Ferry
John Brown led a small group to a federal armory. He did this in hopes of taking the weapons from the armory and arming slaves to bring about a slave rebellion. Soldiers at the armory eventually overpowered his men and he would be taken into custody. He was tried for treason, found guilty and hung. John Brown would be seen as a martyr for the abolitionist cause. -
Election 1860
The election of 1860 had four candidates Lincoln, Breckinridge, Bell, and Douglass. Lincoln would win the election without a single vote in the south. Lincoln winning presidency caused many southern states to fear that slavery would soon be abolished, this led to their secession from the Union. -
Secession
South Carolina was the first state to secede the Union in fear that the new Republican administration would diminish slavery. After South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas would all follow soon after. -
Lincolns 1st Inaugural Address
Lincolns 1st Inaugural Address mainly focused on appeasing southern states and attempting to relieve them of any fear that the republicans would attempt to end slavery, This did nothing though, to stop the Civil War from happening.