-
Uncle Tom's Cabin
The novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in order to spread publicly call out the evil of slavery, and how much it violates human rights. This novel was a best-seller all over the nation/world. It also played a huge role during the Kansas-Nebraska Act because it brought up tension between the North and South about slavery. This book strengthened the abolitionists' beliefs and angered the advocates because they were essentially identifying a human being as a property/tool. -
Republican Party
The Republican Party was initiated after the Kansas-Nebraska Act, in Ripon, WI. This party consisted of ex-Whig members, former black slaves (free blacks), professionals, prosperous farmers, factory workers, Northern Protestants, and businessmen. This party wanted the expansion of slavery to end, and slavery to become extinct within the nation for good. A very important figure of this party was Lincoln. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act `
The Kansas-Nebraska Act included the insertion of new territories, Nebraska and Kansas, and the revokement of the Missouri Compromise which would allow more popular sovereignty throughout these new territories. The authority given to citizens to vote on a free or slave state triggered antislavery and pro-slavery activists to get really violent with one another. A bad battle was fought, known as "Bloody Kansas", where advocates burned down offices, books, etc. (Kansas still became a free state) -
Bloody Kansas
After Kansas was sworn into the Union as a new state, there was a huge political "war" over whether the state should be a free or slave state. Men began to carry weapons everywhere they went, and this always ended in chaos and more death. The pro-slavery activists began attacking Lawrence (the most popular city) by burning down newspaper offices, an office is known as the Free State office, destroying books/documents relating to the freedom of slaves, etc. This made citizens nationwide worry. -
Brooks-Sumner Incident
Charles Sumner, a Northern Senator, gave a speech about how terrible slavery was to this nation, and every Senator or even politician who supported such a thing was fanatical. Sumner personally attacked Senator Butler for his desire for slavery and said, "the harlot, Slavery, for his mistress." Butler's nephew, Congressman Brooks, took action when he stepped into the Senate chamber and began to cane Sumner until it nearly killed him. Later on, he received over 1,000 canes to "hit him again." -
Election 1856
The Election of 1856 was very tense because of the controversial topic of Kansas becoming a free/slave state, which would only result in a matter of popular sovereignty. The candidates were James Buchanan (Democratic) and John C. Fermont (Republican); the antislavery advocates were on John C. Fermont's side, and most of the proslavery advocates were on Buchanans' side. In the end, Buchanans won because he was in no way connected with the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which gained him 5 free states. -
Lecompton Constitution
The Lecompton Constitution was a document for Kansas, made by advocates, that if signed/passed, slavery would become legal in the territory. Within this document, there was a "Bill of Rights" that protected free blacks in Kansas, and a set of Clauses that secured slaveholders and gave them the authorization to have slaves. The Constitution would only be passed, by popular vote of the people; the Constitution did not pass. This was the second time a document to legalize slavery was denied. -
Scott Dred
Scott Dred followed his master, Dr. Emerson, throughout all of her travels, several of these travels consisted of free territories, where slavery was prohibited. The Scott v. Sandford case was initially to question if Scott was a free man since he was a resident in free territory if the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional and if slaves were considered property. The ruling was 7-2 against Scott, the Missouri Compromise was said to be unconstitutional by Chief Taney, and slaves were property. -
House Divided Speech
Lincoln's House Divided Speech was represented the idea that the Union would never work if one half of the nation was constantly fighting with the other; there couldn't be both free and slaves, but instead all free or all slaves. The phrase "A house divided against itself cannot stand" was used a lot to get citizens to protest and fight for the side they wanted (results of popular sovereignty). Also, he mentions the Dred Scott case. This speech was of great significance to the Civil War. -
Lincoln Douglas Debates
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates lasted from August to October of 1858, this was one of the most famous debates since it circulated around the topic of slavery being expanded into new territories. Several reporters and spectators from all over the country, watch, heard, and recorded each and every speech they had for the crowd. Douglas was previously popular because was a bystander in the Kansas-Nebraska Act; however, with these debates, Lincoln's political career hit "national spotlight" everywhere. -
Harper's Ferry
The raid on Harper's Ferry was brought up by John Brown, and a free slave, Federick Douglas. The two men were strong abolitionists, and both wanted slavery to come to an extinct; Brown's plan was more "suicidal" and Douglas' more thought through. The purpose of this raid was to sneak into the Federal Warehouse and steal the armory in order to fight against slavery. Brown led 21 men to raid against slavery, 10 were shot down; he was captured and later convicted (his plan lived on to success). -
John Brown
John Brown was a strong abolitionist, he wanted to do everything in his power to end slavery. His initial thought was to form a rebellion against slavery; with slaves from all over the Southern states joining him. He's best known for the Raid on Harper's Ferry, which was of great significance to the Civil War later on. After Brown's conviction at the Harper's Ferry Raid, he was captured and convicted of treason and murder. His trial was set and he was to be hanged on December 2, 1859. -
Election 1860
The Election of 1860 was between Lincoln, Douglas, Breckenridge, and Bell. The concept of slavery, government power, and secession was taking a huge toll on the election. Douglas and Lincoln were by far the most popular since one was a big figure throughout the slave states and the other was the former president and a big supporter of both the free and slave states. Lincoln won this election with both popular vote and electoral vote; during his presidency, the Civil War began. -
Secession
South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union, after this, the rest of the Southern states followed, and then states like Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, etc. The purpose of secession was to protect their rights and their beliefs; these states didn't agree that Congress should decide whether slavery should be allowed or prohibited. By seceding from the Union they were now independent and on their own, free of making their own laws/decisions; however, this could also lead to war. -
Lincoln's 1st Inaugural Address
The main point of Lincoln's 1st Inaugural Address was to emphasize the importance of keeping the Union together. He promised to support both the Northern and Southern beliefs, as long as the Union wouldn't break apart. He mentioned how seceding would only break the government, also if slavery was what Southerners wanted then he agreed to not interfere with that, as long as the Union stayed together.