https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roNmeOOJCDY From , the North & South became vastly different regions King Cotton had transformed the South into a rural region with slavery, little manufacturing, & few railroads The North had industrial factories, cities, paid immigrant workers, railroads, & larger population These regional differences increased sectionalism-placing the interests of a region above the interests of the nation Slavery had been an issue since the creation of the U.S. As people moved West, the issue became more political Politicians in the early 1800s maintained an equal number of slave and free states U.S. had to compromise about new states becoming slave states or remain free states The first major issue regarding slavery in the antebellum era focused on Missouri becoming a state in 1820: Northerners & Southerners did not want to upset the equal balance of free & slave states in the nation Northerners did not want slavery to spread beyond the Deep South Southerners did not think Congress had the power to stop slavery In 1820, Henry Clay negotiated the Missouri Compromise: Missouri became a slave state Maine broke from Massachusetts & became a free state Slavery was outlawed in all western territories above the latitude of 36 30 In the 1830s, the issue of tariffs divided North & south Southerners argued that tariffs benefited only the North & made manufactured goods too expensive John C. Calhoun of SC attempted nullification & threatened succession (Jacksons VP-resigns) President Jackson fought this states rights argument In 1831, Nat Turner, an African American Preacher, led a rebellion that freed slaves on four Virginia farms Killed 60 whites Southern whites responded by making slave laws more severe Abolitionism grew in the North William Lloyd Garrison formed the American Anti-Slavery society & published The Liberator Ex-slave Frederick Douglass published The North Star The Grimke Sisters revealed that some Southerners opposed slavery The Underground Railroad was a network of safe houses to help slaves escape to freedom In 1852 Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Toms Cabin Depicted slavery as a moral evil; became the best selling book of the 19 th century Inspired many in the North to join the abolitionist cause In 1857, a slave named Dred Scott sued for his freedom after traveling with his master from Missouri to Wisconsin The Dred Scott case presented the Supreme Court with 2 major questions Does Congress have the power to decide on slavery in the territories? Is the Missouri Compromise constitutional? In Dred Scott v Sanford (1857), the Supreme Court ruled: Dred Scott had no right to sue because blacks are not citizens Congress did not have the power to stop slavery in western territories so the Missouri Compromise was ruled unconstitutional Northern abolitionists were furious In 1859, abolitionist John Brown led an unsuccessful raid on federal armory at Harpers Ferry, VA in an attempt to free slaves in a massive slave uprising Brown was caught & executed, but he was seen as a martyr by many in the North Southerners believed Northerners were using to violence to end slavery In 1854, Congress passed Stephen Douglas Kansas-Nebraska Act The law used popular sovereignty to give the residents of the territories the right to vote to determine slavery To do this, Congress repealed (ended) the Missouri Compromise line in the western territories Northerners were outraged by the Kansas-Nebraska Act: Congress allowed slavery to spread into an area of the U.S. where slavery was already outlawed Northerners formed the Republican Party in 1854, & became committed to the free soil movement Popular Sovereignty failed to settle the slavery question in the West: When a vote was held in Kansas in 1855 to decide on slavery, thousands of Missouri residents illegally voted This illegal vote gave Kansas slavery when its residents voted against it In 1856, a war began between Kansas & Missouri (Bleeding Kansas) The election of1856 was the first time in which political parties represented regions of the country, not the nation Slavery became the most important political issue in American politics Even though the Republicans lost in 1856, they realized that they had enough electoral votes to win the presidency without southern support In 1858, Democrat Stephen Douglas ran against Republican Abraham Lincoln for the Illinois Senate Lincoln was unknown at the time, but during the campaign he argued that Congress must top the spread of slavery (free soil argument) Lincoln lost the Senate election, but his argument against slavery made him a popular national figure Republicans nominated Abraham Lincoln who argued for Free Soil & a strong national govt Democrats in the North & South were split over the issue of slavery: Northern Democrats nominated Stephen Douglas who argued for popular sovereignty Southern Democrats nominated John Breckenridge who argued for states rights & the protection of slavery Lincoln won the election without a single Southern vote Southerners assumed slavery would soon be abolished & began to discuss the possibility of seceding (breaking away) from the USA In December 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union In 1861, more Southern states seceded & the Civil War between North & south began Slavery became the most important political issue of the time Growing Southern fears that the North would end slavery (John Browns raid, election of Lincoln) No compromises could prevent a Civil War between the North & South