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Second Great Awaekening/Rise of Aboltionism
The religious awakening made many look for a perfect world. Many believed slavery was sacreligious so they attempted to stop it. Because the revival affected mostly people in the North, it led to sectionalism.
The rise of abolitionism made obvious sectional conflicts. This was because most abolitionists lived in the north and most anti-abolitionists lived in the south. This was a large conflict mainly because northerners were trying to take away the largest part of the southern economy. -
Missouri Compromise
An agreement betwen pro-slavery and anti-slavery leaders that created a line between north and south that literally made a line between north and south dividing them. This foreshadowed the split of the country because the beliefs were fundementally different on both sides. -
The Gag Resolution
This banned all petitions to abolish slavery. It increased sectional tensions because it took away a constitutional right of many northerners and only made them more angry with the south -
Election of 1844
The different candidates in the election of 1844 all had differring views on the topic of slavery and the annexation of Texas. In the end, James Polk won. His platform supported manifest destiny and proposed that Texas entered the Union as a slave state, and Oregon a free state. Although the president did not divide the country much. The election showed the fundumental differences betwenn the north and the south. -
Annexation of Texas
This made Texas an official state of the Union. This made a lot of sectional controversy because Texas was to be admitted as a slave state. All abolitionists and most northers dissapproved annexation because of the imbalance it would create. Most southerners were in favor so they could preserve their way of life. -
Mexican American War
The Americans won the Mexican American war. They got the states of Texas, New Mexico, and California from the treaty of Guadalupe. This raised questions concerning slavery in the states. The Wilmot Proviso banning slavery in all three was proposed and banned. In the end, Texas and New Mexico were slave states and California was free. New Mexico however, had barely any slaves. This caused sectional controversy over what states should be free and what states should be slave. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise made entered Missouri and Maine into the Union making Missouri slave and Maine free. This compromise also made the 36, 30 line. Neither the North or South were pleased with this decision because they both thought they should have more power. This "Compromise" only made things worse. -
The Creation of The Republican Party
This party was created almost entirely to abolish slavery. Southerners saw this as a direct attack on their way of life and were outraged. When Abraham Lincoln won the first ever Republican presidency, many Southern states seceded and the Confederacy was born. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska act split the Nebraska territory in two. Nebraska, the northern state, was intended to be free soil, and Kansas, the southern state was intended to have slavery; however, the legislation left it up to the state governments to make a desicion concerning slavery. This desicion that was left only caused controversy and led to bleeding Kansas, on of the most terrible events in american history. -
Bleeding Kansas
This was a small war between pro and antislavery people in Kansas and Missouri. It showed how sectonalism was rampant leading up to the Civil War. This conflict was coined "Bleeding Kansas" for obvious reasons. Many people from both sides of the fight died. -
Bleeding Kansas
A small war between Kansas and Missouri as a result of the Kansas Nebraska act. Many from each side of the war died hence "Bleeding Kansas". This war furthered the north and south even further and proved that a war was bound to occur. -
Dred Scott vs. Sanford
In this supreme court case. It was judged that African Americans were property and not people. This put the North and South at odds with most northerners against the decision and southerners against. -
Lincoln Douglas Debates
Fiery debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. Most all northerners were for Lincoln, and most all southerners were for Douglas. Both candidates said bad things about the other side and their way of life. These debates proved that the two regions were polar opposites. -
Election of 1860
Abraham won this election by a landslide which enfuriated Southerners and was the final push over the edge for the Southerners who had already said they would declare war on the Union if Lincoln was elected. The election of 1860 was most likely the most important election of all time because of the disastorous impications.