1. Chapter 15: Prelude to the Civil War

2. A Divisive Decade The build-up to the Civil War THE SLAVERY ISSUE 1850 Compromise of 1850 This compromise dealt with California entering as a free state. In exchange, slavery would be voted on in Utah and New Mexico. Harriet Beecher Stowe 1852 Uncle Tom’s Cabin This novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe told the story of Uncle Tom, a slave. It opened the eyes of many northerners to the cruelty of slavery. Fugitive Slave Act Of 1850 This harsh law made it a crime to help escaping slaves. The penalty was 6 months in jail and $1,000 fine.

3. Violence Erupts Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854 KANSAS-NEBRASKA ACT This law allowed the voters of Kansas to decide about slavery. This was called popular sovereignty. Bleeding Kansas 1854 BLEEDING KANSAS This nickname originated with the violence that erupted between pro- slavery and abolitionist forces.

4. Violence in Congress Attacked with a cane 1856 The Sumner Beating Charles Sumner, an anti- slavery senator, was beaten with a cane and seriously injured on the floor of the Senate. Dred Scott 1857 The Dred Scott Case Dred Scott was a slave who sued for his freedom. The Supreme Court ruled that slaves were property and that the U.S. could not ban slavery anywhere.

5. The issue of slavery Lincoln-Douglas Debates 1858 Slavery as a national issue Abraham Lincoln was running for Senator of Illinois against Stephen Douglas. The two candidates held a series of debates about slavery. Although Lincoln lost the election, the debates made him famous. Raid on Harpers Ferry 1859 A failed slave rebellion John Brown, an abolitionist, was executed after trying to start a slave rebellion. Southerners believed all abolitionists were violent criminals.

6. War Breaks Out! Lincoln Wins 1860 The Election of 1860 Lincoln’s victory in 1860 scared Southerners who were convinced that he would get rid of slavery. Southern States Secede Secession South Carolina and six other southern states seceded from the U.S. 1861 Fort Sumter, South Carolina On April 12 th, 1861, Confederate forces attacked a Union fort in South Carolina. This was the first battle of the Civil War. Attack on Ft. Sumter