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Founding of America
America became a country in 1776. If this didn't happen, then there wouldn't have been a civil war. It seems rather important that this event would happen. This event, and the war introduced sectionalism in the United States. -
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Abolitionist Movements
Links to Abolitionist ResourcesIn 1816, the American Colonization Society was formed to free slaves and send them "back home to Liberia". The anti-slavery newspaper, "The Liberator" was published in 1831. There were many other black and white abolitionists in the North who were dedicated on freeing slaves. Fredrick Douglass wrote "The North Star". Harriet Tubman saved slaves by guiding them down the Underground Railroad. Slave rebellions began occuring in the early years of the morvements. Debates began occuring about slavery -
Virginia Slave Debates
The Virginia Slave Debates began as a response to Nat Turner's massacre. Nat Turner was a slave that murdered 57 whites in one night. Slavery becomes harsher and criticism became illegal. It becamse considered a "positive good" from a "neccessary evil." -
Compromise of 1850
Henry Clay's compromise prevented immediate war. However, it didn't really solve many of the problems that scoiety was facing at the moment. California ends up being a free state, while the slave trade ends in DC. Slavery in new territories is based upon popular soverignty. This Compromise, however, only increased sectionalism. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, showed the "human" side of slaves. Families were shown being ripped away and mothers separated from their children. This novel exploded and became extremely popular during this time period. It influenced many, many people and threw slavery into a completely different perspective. People began to openly criticize slavery and tarnish it. -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) was an act brought into place over a trans-west railroad. This would raise the 36' 30" line of slavery in turn, however, and nullify the Misourri Compromise. Later on, citizens would fight over Kansas and the popular soverignity of the state. People that fought for slavery would sit at the border and prevent those who were against slavery from coming in. -
The Underground Railroad
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The Election of Lincoln
With the election of Abraham Lincoln, the south began to secede. Lincoln had already established himself as an anti-slave personality. The south believes that seceding is part of their constitutional rights. The north, however, sees this as an act of treason. South Carolina was the first state to secede in 1861.
