1. The Last Strides to War

2. More New Political Parties  Millard Fillmore served as the last Whig president due to his lack of support over the issue of slavery.  Growing immigration prompted the formation of the Know-Northing Party.  Their platform focused on anti-immigration and pro-slavery ideas.  The changing political scene demonstrated the opposing viewpoints that emerged over slavery.

3. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)  In 1857, the Supreme Court ruled on the case of Dred Scott v. Sandford.  Dred Scott, a slave sued for his freedom when his slavemaster took him to the free territories of Illinois and Wisconsin.  In these areas, slavery was banned, so Dred Scott argued he had become a freedman.  The court ruled that slaves and their descendants were property and therefore were not entitled to sue in courts like a citizen.  It also declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional.

4. Response to Dred Scott  In 1858, Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln had a series of debates while vying for the Illinois Senate seat.  The two had opposing views of slavery– Douglas was sympathetic to slavery, while Lincoln was against both popular sovereignty and the Dred Scott decision.  While Douglas won the Senate seat, Lincoln gained a widespread reputation for his honesty.  This would help him in the upcoming presidential election– he earned his reputation as ‘Honest Abe’.

5. John Brown’s Raid  John Brown continued his violent methods to end slavery by leading a group of men to the arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, VA.  He hoped to recruit local slaves to join his efforts.  He chose Harper’s Ferry because it was a transportation hub, and its proximity to PA and MD.  Brown was captured and while some viewed him as a martyr, others viewed him as fanatical and Southerners started preparing for war.  This incident further polarized opinions of northerners and southerners.

6. The Election of 1860  In the election of 1860, there were 4 candidates vying for the presidency.  Abraham Lincoln (Republican)  Stephen Douglas (N. Dem)  John Bell (Constitutional Union)  John C. Breckenridge (S. Dem)  Though he only won the electoral votes of the free states, Lincoln received enough electoral votes to become president.  He won without receiving a single electoral vote from the southern states– demonstrating the divide between North and South, free and slave.

7. Secession  Southerners were angry that a president could be elected without the support of the South.  To them, it was if they had no voice in their government.  South Carolina was the first state to secede from the U.S.  Soon, 6 other Deep South states followed (GA, FL, AL, MS, LA and TX).  These 7 states formed the Confederate States of America.

8. Closing Question  Which event had the greatest impact on the outbreak of the Civil War and why?