A Nation Divided 1845-1865
History

A fugitive slave whose capture and transport back to Virginia generated public outrage
Anthony Burns
A fugitive slave whose capture and transport back to Virginia generated public outrage. Anthony Burns. He was an escaped slave whose arrest in Boston highlighted the injustices of the Fugitive Slave Act and increased anti-slavery sentiment in the North.

A series of laws that defused a political confrontation between slave and free states
Compromise of 1850
A series of laws that defused a political confrontation between slave and free states. Compromise of 1850. It was a set of laws meant to ease tensions between Northern and Southern states over the issue of slavery.

A U. S. third party active during the 1860 elections, consisted of former Whigs
Constitutional Union Party
A U.S. third party active during the 1860 elections, consisted of former Whigs. Constitutional Union Party. The Constitutional Union Party aimed to preserve the Union and avoid secession by focusing solely on upholding the Constitution and ignoring the slavery issue.

An enslaved African American who unsuccessfully sued for his freedom
Dred Scott
An enslaved African American who unsuccessfully sued for his freedom. Dred Scott was a man whose 1857 Supreme Court case decision denied citizenship and legal rights to African Americans, deepening national tensions over slavery.

A political party which was of opposing the expansion of slavery to the west of the U.S.
Free-Soil Party
A political party which was opposing the expansion of slavery to the west of the U.S. Free-Soil Party. The Free-Soil Party was a short-lived political group in the mid-1800s that sought to prevent the spread of slavery into newly acquired western territories.

A statement by Douglas that states have right to choose if slavery is permitted
Freeport Doctrine
A statement by Douglas that states have right to choose if slavery is permitted. Freeport Doctrine. The Freeport Doctrine was an idea by Stephen Douglas in 1858 suggesting that territories could effectively exclude slavery by refusing to adopt laws establishing or protecting it.

A law that provided for the return of slaves who escaped from one state into another
Fugitive Slave Law
A law that provided for the return of slaves who escaped from one state into another. Fugitive Slave Law. This law required that escaped enslaved individuals be returned to their enslavers in the states they fled from.

An effort by abolitionist John Brown to initiate a slave revolt in Southern states
John Browns raid
An effort by abolitionist John Brown to initiate a slave revolt in Southern states. John Brown's raid. John Brown's raid was an 1859 attempt to start an armed slave revolt by capturing the U.S. arsenal at Harpers Ferry.

A vice president of the U. S. until he joined the Confederate Army
John C Breckinridge
A vice president of the U.S. until he joined the Confederate Army, John C. Breckinridge. He was a political leader who served as the 14th Vice President of the United States and later became a general in the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

An explorer of the Western US, a Senator from California, and an opponent of slavery
John C Fremont
An explorer of the Western US, a Senator from California, and an opponent of slavery. John C. Fremont was a 19th-century American figure known for his exploration of the West and his anti-slavery stance.

An act that made the territories of Kansas and Nebraska which could choose slavery status
Kansas-Nebraska Act
An act that made the territories of Kansas and Nebraska which could choose slavery status. Kansas-Nebraska Act. The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed the territories to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery, leading to increased tensions between pro- and anti-slavery groups.

A debates between Lincoln and Douglas to win control of the Illinois General Assembly
Lincoln-Douglas debates
A debates between Lincoln and Douglas to win control of the Illinois General Assembly. Lincoln-Douglas debates. The Lincoln-Douglas debates were a series of seven debates in 1858 focusing on slavery and its expansion in the United States.

The authority of a government is created and sustained by its people through elected representatives
Popular sovereignty
The authority of a government is created and sustained by its people through elected representatives. Popular sovereignty. Popular sovereignty is the idea that the power of a government comes from the consent of the people it governs.

An incident happened in the Kansas where five pro-slavery settlers were killed
Pottawatomie Massacre
An incident happened in Kansas where five pro-slavery settlers were killed Pottawatomie Massacre. The Pottawatomie Massacre was a violent attack led by abolitionist John Brown in 1856, during the Bleeding Kansas conflict, aiming to resist pro-slavery forces.

An one of the two major political parties in the U. S.
Republican Party
An one of the two major political parties in the U.S. is the Republican Party. The Republican Party, founded in 1854, is a major political party in the United States that traditionally supports limited government and conservative policies.

The Chief Justice who ruled that African Americans could not be considered citizens
Roger B Taney
The Chief Justice who ruled that African Americans could not be considered citizens. Roger B. Taney. He was the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court who delivered the Dred Scott decision in 1857, which denied citizenship to African Americans.

A different lifestyles, customs, and the political values of the North and the South
Sectionalism
A different lifestyles, customs, and the political values of the North and the South. Sectionalism. Sectionalism is the division and loyalty to a specific region's interests, often leading to conflict, as seen in pre-Civil War USA.