1. Growing Crises and Divide

2. Division Over Slavery
The major question after the Mexican-American War was whether or not slavery should be allowed in the new territories.
The North viewed slaves as inferior, but that slavery was morally wrong and should be ended.
The South viewed slavery as a necessity, and more civilized than the northern system of labor found in factories.

3. Division Over Slavery
Both Democrats and Whigs were split over the issue, dividing instead along regional lines.
A new political party formed with anti-slavery members of each party. It was known as the Free- Soil Party.
The main goal of the party was to keep slavery out of the territories completely (sound familiar?)
Both the Whigs and Democrats chose a more moderate solution of popular sovereignty– allowing the voters to decide whether or not to allow slavery.

4. Protest and Violence
A series of homes was established to help slaves escape from the South to the North.
This was known as the Underground Railroad.
One of the most famous ‘conductors’ was Harriet Tubman, a.k.a. ‘Black Moses’.
In 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe published the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin to provide Northerners with an image of slavery.
Many Southerners were angry by the publication because they felt it portrayed all southerners as evil.

5. Kansas-Nebraska Act
In 1854, Stephen Douglas proposed a bill to organize the Nebraska Territory into a state, called the Kansas-Nebraska Act. It was believed that popular sovereignty would decide whether slavery would be allowed or not.
In addition, Douglas amended the bill to split the Nebraska Territory into two– Nebraska and Kansas.
Many believed one would be a free state (Nebraska) and the other (Kansas) a slave state.

6. Response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act
A flood of settlers rushed to Kansas to sway the voting in their favor.
Two governments were established.
Border Ruffians came from Missouri to form a pro-slavery government; northern abolitionists the other.
Both governments applied for statehood in 1856.
A series of violent battles took place between the two sides, earning the state the nickname of ‘Bleeding Kansas’.
After Border Ruffians attacked the anti-slavery town of Lawrence, John Brown, an abolitionist, retaliated by executing pro-slavery settlers.
This increased tensions between the two opposing sides.

7. Violence in the Senate
In 1856, Charles Sumner (Massachusetts senator) delivered a speech entitled “The Crime Against Kansas”.
Southerners were angered by Sumner’s speech, and further agitated by his personal attacks against Southern representatives.
Representative Preston Brooks, the nephew of SC senator Andrew Butler, whom the speech attacked, beat Sumner with his cane.
Both sides (North and South) stood by their representatives, electing them as a symbol for their causes.
Northerners were enraged by the incident, whereas some Southerners applauded what Brooks had done.