About This Chapter
Rising Tensions in Pre-Civil War America - Chapter Summary and Learning Objectives
Many smaller events played parts in the beginning of the Civil War. This chapter teaches about the rising tensions before the war. In these lessons, instructors discuss several events and people who had a profound impact on the course of history. You can find quizzes throughout the chapter to test your knowledge, and instructors are available to answer your questions. This chapter includes topics such as:
- The role of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 in rising tensions
- How the Ostend Manifesto of 1852 was used to intimidate in the international arena
- John Brown and how his actions were a catalysts that sparked the Civil War
- The significance of the Dred Scott v. Sandford case
- The impact of the Lincoln-Douglas debates
- Party divisions and campaigning significant to the election of 1860
|Fugitive Slave Act of 1850: Definition & Summary||Explain this compromise and the part it played in the start of the Civil War.|
|Ostend Manifesto of 1852: Summary & Explanation||Connect how this document was used to bully the international community.|
|Bloody Kansas: Causes, Effects and Summary of Events||Decide what impact Bleeding Kansas had on the issue of slavery.|
|Dred Scott v. Sandford: Case Summary & Decision||Appraise this landmark case and the implications of its decision.|
|John Brown's Raid at Harpers Ferry: Fighting Slavery||Summarize the story of abolitionist John Brown and the price he paid for his cause.|
|The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858: Summary & Significance||Consider Abraham Lincoln's debate against Stephen Douglas and how Lincoln benefited.|
|The 1860 Democratic National Convention: The Party Splits||Analyze the split that took place at the Democratic National Convention of 1860 and how it led to the nomination of two presidential candidates.|
|The Election of 1860: Definition, Summary, Candidates & Significance||Assess the campaign strategies used in the 1860 elections and the results of this important election.|
1. Fugitive Slave Act of 1850: Definition & Summary
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was an inclusion into the Compromise of 1850 in order to appease southern states. Learn how the act impacted runaway slaves and its contribution to the arrival of the Civil War.
2. Ostend Manifesto of 1854: Summary & Explanation
The Ostend Manifesto of 1854 was an intimidation ploy used by American diplomats in the international arena. Learn about the controversial document and its effect on the sectional conflict in the United States.
3. Bloody Kansas: Causes, Effects and Summary of Events
The events in the Kansas territory were a microcosm of the violent forces shaping the United States in the decade of the 1850s, forces that would ultimately lead to a disintegration of the Union itself. This lesson details what has come to be known as Bleeding Kansas and its impact on the issue of slavery.
4. Dred Scott v. Sanford: Case Summary & Decision
In this lesson, we will explore the famous Dred Scott v. Sanford Supreme Court case. We will learn about the case's background, the court's findings, and the impact of this landmark decision.
5. John Brown's Raid at Harpers Ferry: Fighting Slavery
John Brown was a man of strong convictions - so strong that he was willing to fight, to kill, and to die for them. These abolitionist beliefs led him from Kansas to Virginia, where he would pay the ultimate price. This lesson tells that story.
6. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858: Summary & Significance
In an effort to secure their own appointments to the U.S. Senate, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas squared off in a series of seven debates in 1858. Find out why Douglas might have won in the short term but Lincoln won in the long term.
7. The 1860 Democratic National Convention: The Party Splits
In this lesson, we will examine the split that took place in the Democratic Party at its 1860 national convention. Facing insurmountable differences, the Democrats nominated two presidential candidates, one for the North, the other for the South.
8. The Election of 1860: Definition, Summary, Candidates & Significance
In this lesson, we will examine the election of 1860. We will meet the candidates, discover their primary concerns and campaign techniques, and explore the results and impact of this critical election.
9. Primary Source: 'Democrats, Are You Ready?'
The Raleigh Weekly Standard published the article 'Democrats, Are You Ready?' on October 31, 1860, just days before the presidential election. This was by far the most divisive election in American history, directly leading to the Civil War.
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Other chapters within the History 306: The American Civil War Era course
- Understanding History & Primary Sources
- Slavery in the Early United States
- The Abolitionist Movement in America
- The Pre-Civil War Sectional Crisis in the U.S.
- Influential American Civil War Writers
- Southern Secession from the Union
- Politics, Industry & Economy in Civil War America
- American Civil War Battles in 1861
- American Civil War Battles in 1862
- American Civil War Battles in 1863
- American Civil War Battles in 1864
- American Civil War Battles in 1865
- Important Figures in the American Civil War
- Military Strategies in the American Civil War
- Life Following the American Civil War
- Reconstruction After the American Civil War
- Required Assignments for History 306
- Studying for History 306