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Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American War was a conflict between the United States and Mexico, driven by U.S. expansionism and the desire for territory, particularly California and New Mexico. The war began when Mexican forces attacked U.S. troops along the Rio Grande. The U.S. won significant victories, culminating in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which expanded U.S. territory and deepened sectional divisions over slavery. (Zeidan) -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a set of laws to ease North-South tensions after the Mexican-American War. It admitted California as a free state, allowed popular sovereignty in Utah and New Mexico, ended the slave trade in Washington, D.C., and strengthened the Fugitive Slave Act, forcing Northerners to return escaped enslaved people. While it temporarily preserved the Union, it deepened sectional divides, as both sides felt betrayed, fueling tensions that led to the Civil War. (McPherson, 71) -
Publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin
The 1852 publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin was a turning point in the abolitionist movement. The novel depicted the brutal realities of slavery, evoking widespread sympathy in the North outrage in the South. It became a bestseller, influencing public opinion and fueling anti-slavery sentiment. Southerners condemned it as propaganda, while Northerners praised its moral message. The book heightened sectional tensions, solidifying the cultural divide that contributed to the Civil War. (Britannica) -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 repealed the Missouri Compromise, allowing popular sovereignty to decide slavery in Kansas and Nebraska. Proposed by Stephen Douglas, it sparked violent clashes in "Bleeding Kansas" as pro- and anti-slavery forces fought for control. The act deepened North-South tensions, weakened compromise efforts, and spurred the rise of the Republican Party, pushing the nation closer to civil war. (McPherson, 109) -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was a violent conflict over slavery in the Kansas Territory after the Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed settlers to decide the issue by popular sovereignty. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions clashed, leading to events like the Sack of Lawrence and John Brown’s Pottawatomie Massacre. The violence symbolized the failure of compromise and heightened national tensions over slavery. It deepened the sectional divide, making civil war increasingly inevitable. (144, McPherson) -
The Caning of Charles Sumner
The Caning of Charles Sumner symbolized the rising sectional tensions over slavery. After Senator Sumner delivered a fiery anti-slavery speech attacking pro-slavery legislators, Congressman Preston Brooks brutally beat him with a cane on the Senate floor. The attack shocked the North, where Sumner became a martyr for abolition, while many Southerners praised Brooks. The incident highlighted the deepening divide and the breakdown of civil discourse that would lead to the Civil War. (Britannica) -
Dred Scott Decision
The Dred Scott decision of 1857 by the Supreme Court declared that African Americans were not U.S. citizens and had no legal rights, and it ruled that Congress could not ban slavery in the territories. This effectively nullified the Missouri Compromise and heightened sectional tensions. The ruling emboldened pro-slavery forces, outraged Northerners, and strengthened the abolitionist movement, further polarizing the nation and pushing it closer to civil war. (174, McPherson) -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates were a series of seven debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas during the Illinois Senate race. Focused on slavery’s expansion, Lincoln opposed its spread, while Douglas championed popular sovereignty. The debates highlighted the moral and political divisions over slavery. Though Lincoln lost the Senate race, his eloquence gained national attention, strengthening the anti-slavery cause and setting the stage for his 1860 presidential victory. (Britannica) -
Election of Abraham Lincoln
The election of Abraham Lincoln marked a turning point in U.S. history. Lincoln, the Republican candidate, opposed the expansion of slavery, winning the presidency without any Southern electoral votes. His victory deeply alarmed the South, which viewed it as a threat to slavery and their way of life. In response, Southern states began seceding, forming the Confederate States of America. Lincoln’s election directly triggered the chain of events leading to the Civil War. (McPherson, 48) -
South Carolina Secedes
South Carolina's secession from the Union, was the first of many Southern states to leave after Abraham Lincoln’s election. Alarmed by Lincoln's anti-slavery stance, South Carolina declared that the federal government no longer had authority over the state. The secession marked the beginning of the Civil War, as other Southern states soon followed, forming the Confederate States of America. This act of defiance solidified the deepening divide between the North and South. (Britannica)