The Prelude to the American Civil War: The Gathering Storms

⚡️The presidential election of 1860 reflected the divided nation, with three Democratic candidates and a new Republican Party emerging.

🕰️The emerging conflicts and debates over slavery and states' rights fueled the tension leading up to the Civil War.

🌍The southern states, feeling their way of life was threatened, seceded from the Union.

💥Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate, won the election, which prompted the secession of the southern states.

🔥The secession of the southern states set the stage for the bloody and devastating American Civil War.

What were the main issues that led to the American Civil War?

—The main issues were slavery, states' rights, and political disputes over the expansion of slavery into new territories.

Who were the main candidates in the presidential election of 1860?

—The main candidates were Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate, and three Democratic candidates: Stephen A. Douglas, John C. Breckenridge, and John Bell.

Why did the southern states secede from the Union?

—The southern states seceded from the Union because they felt that their way of life, including the institution of slavery, was under threat with Abraham Lincoln's election.

What impact did the secession of the southern states have on the United States?

—The secession of the southern states led to the formation of the Confederate States of America and ultimately to the American Civil War.

What was the outcome of the American Civil War?

—The American Civil War resulted in the victory of the Union, the preservation of the United States, and the abolition of slavery.

00:22Between 1850 and 1860, the US experienced political disputes and bloody confrontations over slavery and states' rights.

01:00The presidential election of 1860 reflected the divided nation, with three Democratic candidates and a new Republican Party emerging.

02:25The southern states, feeling threatened, seceded from the Union.

04:48Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate, won the election.

07:45The secession of the southern states set the stage for the American Civil War.