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Uncle Tom's Cabin
A novel, handwritten by Harriet Beecher Stowe, about slavery, the everyday life of a slave, and the effects of slavery on the African Americans. It was anti-slavery based, which infuriated Southerners and the postal carriers refused to deliver it amongst states. It was a bestseller, printed in many different forms and languages, and was said to "help lay the groundwork for the Civil War". -
Republican Party
The Kansas-Nebraska Act started the creation of the Republican party, it was formed to keep slavery out of the western territories. It was also known as the “Grand Old Party”. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
Allowed people in Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery or not. It repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820 (which prohibited slavery north 36’30)
Anti-slavery: Opposed, because they thought it was a plan to turn the land into slave states (it would violate the Missouri Compromise).
Pro-slavery: Supported, because it gave them the chance to have another state be a slave state because the Missouri compromise (1820) would be repealed. -
Brooks/Sumner Affair ("The Caning of Charles Sumner")
The affair between Representative Preston Brooks; where he used a walking cane to attack Senator Charles Sumner, an abolitionist, to retaliate for a speech given by Sumner two days prior, where he strongly criticized slaveholders, including a relative of Brooks. This incident drew a sharp response from the American republic on the subject of the expansion of slavery in the United States. It was said to be the “breakdown of reasoned discourse”, and eventually led to the American Civil War. -
Election of 1856
A three people election with James Buchanan (democrat) who supported the free/slave compromises and believed that if the republicans win, it would cause a civil war. John C. Fremont (republican) was against the spread of slavery and slavery general, Millard Fillmore (American party/Know-nothings). Also known as the anti-immigrant party. -
Dred Scott
A supreme court case where Dred Scott, who was living in a free state wasn’t thereby entitled to his freedom; “that African Americans were not and could never be citizens of the United States,”. The court case had declared that Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional and it helped lead up to the civil war. It also said that neither congress, nor the territorial legislature could exclude slavery from a territory. -
Lecompton Constitution
This constitution protected slaveholding and included a bill of rights excluding free blacks (Kansas is going to be a slave state). However, it wasn’t passed which allowed anti-slave forces to make a constitution and that goes through. This made Kansas a free state and stated that the Kansas Nebraska Act doesn’t work -
House Divided Speech
A campaign speech made by Abraham Lincoln to the Illinois republican convention in 1858. It was spoken in fear that a civil war would break out. A famous quote from the speech was “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” meaning that we can’t be divided half slave half free, we’re either one or the other, because we cannot stand when we’re divided -
Lincoln/Douglas Debate
A series of 7 debates between Stephen A. Douglas (Democratic) and Abraham Lincoln (Republican) concerning the issue of slavery extension into the territories. It was also printed as a book and used as an important campaign document. In the speech Lincoln accuses his opponent Stephen Douglas of having a "care not" policy on slavery. Douglas advocated Popular sovereignty and Lincoln also pointed out that Douglas's position directly challenged the Dred Scott decision. -
Harper's Ferry
A raid organized and held by John Brown, an abolitionist, to initiate an armed slave revolt in 1859 by taking over a United States arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Brown had a party of 22 slaves, whom were defeated by a company of U.S. Marines, led by First Lieutenant Israel Greene. After this raid, the southerners lived in constant fear, worrying about slave uprisings and armed abolitionists invasions, but connected this incident with party politics in the North. -
John Brown
John Brown was an abolitionist who led a group of people on a raid against a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. He did this is an attempt to start a slave revolt and destroy the institution of slavery. -
Election of 1860
The American election where Republican Abraham Lincoln defeated southern Democrat John C. Breckinridge, Stephen A. Douglas, and Constitutional Union candidate John Bell. The Republican Party opposed the expansion of slavery, and Abraham Lincoln (the party’s nominee) was seen as a moderate person towards slavery. The southerners feared that his election would lead to its demise (downfall), and they vowed to leave the Union if he was elected. -
Bloody Kansas
A series of violent civil confrontations in the United States between 1854 and 1861 which came up from a political and ideological debate over the legality of slavery in the proposed state of Kansas. Kansas was seen as important because it is known as the battlefield where the forces of slavery and anti-slavery met. Also seen as a major cause leading to the Civil War because it led to the establishment of the Republican Party. -
Secession
The withdrawal of eleven slave states (states in which slaveholding was legal) from the Union during 1860-61 following the election of Abraham Lincoln as president. Known to precipitate (influence) the American Civil War. These states formed the Confederate States of America. -
Lincoln's First Inaugural Address
His speech spoken when he was sworn into his presidency. He appealed for the preservation of the Union. Lincoln wanted to keep his ties and support with the North without further alienation the South, so he issued a call for compromise. He promised to not initiate force to maintain the Union or interfere with slavery in the states in which it already was.
