1. Sectionalism and Civil War North v. South struggle to define conquered territory, 1850-1861

2. Growth of the Cotton Industry The Big Idea The invention of the cotton gin made the South a one-crop economy and increased the need for slave labor. Main Ideas The invention of the cotton gin revived the economy of the South. The cotton gin created a cotton boom in which farmers grew little else. Some people encouraged southerners to focus on other crops and industries.

5. Southern Society The Big Idea Southern society centered around agriculture. Main Ideas Southern society and culture consisted of four main groups (Planters, Yeomen Farmers, Poor Whites, Slaves). Free African Americans in the South faced a great deal of discrimination.

6. The Slave System The Big Idea The slave system in the South produced harsh living conditions and occasional rebellions. Main Ideas Slaves worked at a variety of jobs on plantations. Life under slavery was difficult and dehumanizing. Slave culture centered around family, community, and religion. Slave uprisings led to stricter slave codes in many states.

7. The Debate over Slavery The Big Idea Antislavery literature and the annexation of new lands intensified the debate over slavery. Main Ideas The addition of new land in the West renewed disputes over the expansion of slavery. The Compromise of 1850 tried to solve the disputes over slavery. The Fugitive Slave Act caused more controversy. Abolitionists used antislavery literature to promote opposition.

9. Trouble in Kansas The Big Idea The Kansas-Nebraska Act heightened tensions in the conflict over slavery. Main Ideas The debate over the expansion of slavery influenced the election of 1852. The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed voters to allow or prohibit slavery. Pro-slavery and antislavery groups clashed violently in what became known as “Bleeding Kansas.”

11. The Nation Divides The Big Idea The United States broke apart due to the growing conflict over slavery. Main Ideas John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry intensified the disagreement between free states and slave states. The outcome of the election of 1860 divided the United States. The dispute over slavery led the South to secede.