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Uncle Tom's Cabin
It was an anti-slavery novel written by American auhor Harriet Beecher Stowe. This book futher divided the North and South over the issue of slavery, because of how the South refusing to abolish it. Northerners were moved to officially end the institution of slavery, and Southerners were angry to the point where they banned the book and stated that it was full of lies. This novel also reached British readers, who ridiculed the States because of how divided the people were. -
Bloody Kansas
It was a period of violence between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces in which 55 people were killed in total. They fought over Kansas becoming a slave territory. Bloody Kansas led to the creation of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which then led to the creation of the Republican Party. -
Republican Party
Founded by Alvan Bovay, Horace Greeley, and Henry Jarvis Raymond, the Republican Party was formed to combat the Kansas-Nebraska act and to stop the expansion of slavery. Former Whigs abolitionists grouped together to create the new party. Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, was elected the 16th President of the United States. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
Founded by Alvan Bovay, Horace Greeley, and Henry Jarvis Raymond, the Republican Party was formed to combat the Kansas-Nebraska act and to stop the expansion of slavery. Former Whigs abolitionists grouped together to create the new party. Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, was elected the 16th President of the United States. -
Election 1856
President James Buchanan was elected to office. He was a democrat and defeated both Republican nominee John Fremont and Know Nothing nominee Millard Filmore, who had been the President at that time. Buchanan was the last president before the Civil War, and several of his policies divided the North and South even further. -
Brooks Sumner Incident
This incident occurred in the U.S. Senate Chamber. Pro-slavery Representative Preston Brooks attacked Senator Charles Sumner, an abolitionist Republican, after Sumner mocked Brooks by claiming that Brooks had a mistress. Sumner was knocked into unconsciousness and Brooks walked out without being detained. This incident showed how bad the tension between the North and the South was. -
Dred Scott
Dred Scott was a slave that moved in a free state (Illinois) and sued for freedom and his citizenship. While he lost the case and was declared a slave still because of African descent is not considered a citizen which means he was not legally able to sue. This decision led to a divide in the states because the South was pleased because they were proslavery while the North was angry, which helped lead to the Civil War. -
Lecompton Constitution
The LeCompton Constitution was a document that guaranteed proslavery in the state of Kansas. The political fallout of this decision affected the beginning of the Civil War since the document was rejected and Kansas was later on admitted as a free state. It also angered the Southerners' advocates since they were the ones who proposed this Constitution -
House Divided Speech
This speech was proposed by Lincoln that talked about the Dred Scott case giving a chance for the North to have slavery if they wanted it. In which he also believes that the North and South will not forever be separated. -
Lincoln Douglas Debates
The Lincoln Douglas Debates talked about if the states should be able to decide if their state allows slavery or does not allow slavery. This political debate rised tensions because the South wanted slavery in the West and the North wanted to ban it. -
Harper's Ferry
A raid led by John Brown that was created in order to free slaves and destroy the slave institution. After this raid, he was executed because of treason. This led tensions between the North and South because it tried to alter the slave system. -
John Brown
He led the Harpe’s Ferry and tried to change the slave system by attacking the federal armoury with a group of abolitionists. The South got angry with John Brown because of him violently plotting ways to abolish slavery. -
Election 1860
This election was held in South Carolina that was filled with Democrat delegates. The southern states made a proposal that the democrat party should guarantee rights of slaveholders, which was turned down. -
Secession
A group of South Carolina Leaders met and voted to leave the union due to the Republic undermining slavery. Futher on, this recession this withdrew 11 slave states from the Union. This led to the divide of the two areas because the South wanted to secede from the union because of the North’s view on slavery. -
Lincoln's 1st Inaugural Address
During his secession, Lincoln declared that he was against secession and that the North and South should put a stop to it. He also declared that he would make sure that the Union faithfully carries out his laws. He promised that he would not interfere with the institution of slavery where it existed. Lincoln stated that he would not give up his territory, which caused the Confederates to attack, starting the Civil War.