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Nat Turner's Rebellion
August 1831: Nat Turner was an enslaved African American who led a slave rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia. Tensions increased because the North believed that slavery needed to be abolished for the sake of the Union. The South, on the other hand, became more strict on the suppressing slaves out of fear of another rebellion. -
Gag Rule
May 1836: In an attempt to prevent discussions about slavery, an act was passed to silence opposers of slavery in the House of Representatives. As a result, tensions increased because the Gag Rule was a tactic by the southern members of Congress to impair the northern, anti-slavery members. Ever since Nat Turner's rebellion sparked talk about slavery within the public, southern congressmen felt they needed to eradicate free labor ideas. -
Compromise of 1850
September 1850: This compromise was a sequence of five bills that were passed by Congress in order to organize the territories of free states and slave states. While the compromise was meant to appease both factions, a war was inevitable because a compromise only works for so long. In relation to the Gag Rule, the Compromise of 1850 was another way for the country to avoid the issue of slavery head on because the bills successfully postponed the Civil War. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
March 1852: Harriet Beecher Stowe, through her novel, exposed the harsh reality of slavery to the public and polarized the people by their beliefs on slavery. This novel increased tensions between the North and the South because Northerners were appalled by the truth and the South felt as if they were being attacked. Because the Compromise of 1850 strengthened slavery already existing in the south, authors such as Stowe felt the need to fight against the south's new-found strength. -
Harper's Ferry
October 1859: Abolitionist John Brown led a raid on an arsenal in Harper's Ferry with the intent to arm slaves and initiate a slave rebellion. Tensions increased significantly because the violent tactics that John Brown preferred caused the deaths of five pro-slavery Americans. Pre-existing tensions due to Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" continued to expand as more people became familiar with the terrible conditions African Americans were subjected to. -
Election of 1860
November 1860: A major catalyst of the Civil War was the election of President Abraham Lincoln. The fact that Lincoln was from the Republican party created a lot of tension because the Republican platform aimed to stop the expansion of slavery into the new territories. As controversial as John Brown was, he had gained respect from Americans from the North and South because of his courage to rebel. Prominent abolitionists, such as Brown, paved the way for Lincoln to be favored by many Americans.
