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Manifest Destiny
The idea that Americans were given divine right to expand westward. This caused the Mexican-American war as many Americans wanted the country to expand from the Pacific ocean to the Atlantic ocean. Westward expansion opened up new opportunity like the California gold rush and free soilers but also raised the question of expanding slavery. -
Fugitive Slave Laws
After the book Uncle Tom's Cabin was published many Northerners had a growing moral issue with the institution of slavery. The Fugitive slave laws caused the North to participate in the institution of slavery which outraged many. This caused a growing conflict between the North and South. -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was a violent outbreak between pro-slavery and anti-slavery activist. This was due to the growing issue of slavery within new territories of the U.S. Northerners were angered about the Kansas Nebraska act which cotidicted the Missouri compromise and allowed states to vote by popular sovereignty. -
Confederate States of America
Southern states wanted to break away from the union because they felt that the central government was violating their rights to own slaves. South Carolina was the first to secede followed by 10 more states. -
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Civil war
In attempted to get the union back together Lincoln declared war with the confederate states. This war was risky because either side could have won. The union end up winning and the south was heavily damaged -
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Reconstruction era
Lincolns plan for reconstruction for the war was to bring the union back together by readmitting southern states back into the unionby the Ten-percent plan. Also, he was going to give African Americans the tools they needed to reintegrate into society. Lincoln got assassinated and under Andrew Johnson's rule confederate states went back into the union and African Americans received little reparations.