-
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was a book made by Harriet Beecher Stowe. This widespread book increased tensions between the North and the South because it highlighted the perils of slavery and was bought by lots of Americans nationwide. The South didn't like this because they wanted to keep their way of life. -
Republican Party
The Republican Party was formed to stop the expansion of slavery into other American territories. This increased tensions between the North and the South because the South wanted to keep slavery and this new Republican Party wanted to stop their way of life. Also, the South didn't like the Republican Party because Lincoln was a Republican. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
This act created the territories of Nebraska and Kansas. The brutal fighting between pro-slave and anti-slave forces in Kansas lead to tensions between the North and South being increased. -
Bloody Kansas
This was a series of confrontations and fights between the North and South in Kansas over whether Kansas should be a free state or slave state. The fighting in Kansas increased tensions between the North and South exponentially. -
Brooks-Sumner Incident
This Incident was when Preston Brooks attacked Charles Sumner for speaking badly about one of Brooks's relatives. Sumner was almost killed. This event eventually leads to the Civil War. -
Election of 1856
James Buchanon won the Presidential election. Buchanon didn't like slavery but tried to keep the peace between pro-slave and anti-slave people. Tensions only raised in the end. -
Dred Scott
Dred Scott was an African American man who filed for his slavery in the courts. The case went to the Supreme Court and they ruled against Scott. This increased tensions because the Missouri Compromise was considered unconstitutional. This lead to the idea of slavery expanding again. The North did not like this. -
LeCompton Constitution
This was the second constitution proposed to Kansas. This lead to the election of the pro-slavery convention. This increased tensions between the North and South because the North wanted a pro-slavery convention. -
House Divided Speech
Lincoln gave this speech to announce his entrance into the nation's politics after he accepted to be Illinois's Republican nominated Senator. This enraged the South because they didn't want anti-slave people in power in their country. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
This was a political debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. They were trying to secure one of Illinois's Senate seats. These events further divided the North and South because the South saw Lincoln as an abolitionist which they didn't like and Douglas proposed that territory didn't have to protect slavery. -
Harper's Ferry
This event increased tensions between the North and South because John Brown went to Harper's Ferry to start a nationwide slave revolt, but he failed. In doing so it raised the question should slaves have the right to trial. -
John Brown's Death
John Brown was executed on the changes in murder, insurrection, and treason. He was an abolitionist who wanted to free the slaves. John Brown attacked Harper's Ferry. His acts and execution increased tensions between the North and South because he was a prominent abolitionist that was executed in the South. -
Election of 1860
In the Election of 1860, Abraham Lincoln won the presidency. This further divided the South and the North because the South didn't want Lincoln as President because they didn't want him abolishing slavery. This event leads to the secession of the first seven Southern states. -
Lincoln's 1st Inaugural Address
This was Lincoln's address to the United States that he was taking office as the President. This divided the South and North because the South didn't want Lincoln as their president because he was against slavery. This also led to the secession of the Southern States from the Union. -
Secession of Southern States
In 1861 South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana seceded from the Union forming the Confederate States of America. This increased tensions between the North and South because both groups were now divided completely like two opposing countries.