Sectionalism and Civil War

North v. South struggle to define conquered territory, 1850-1861

Growth of the Cotton Industry

The Big IdeaThe invention of the cotton gin made the South a one-crop

economy and increased the need for slave labor.

Main Ideas• The invention of the cotton gin revived the economy of

the South. • The cotton gin created a cotton boom in which farmers

grew little else.• Some people encouraged southerners to focus on other

crops and industries.

Southern Society

The Big IdeaSouthern society centered around agriculture.

Main Ideas• Southern society and culture consisted of four main groups

(Planters, Yeomen Farmers, Poor Whites, Slaves).• Free African Americans in the South faced a great deal of

discrimination.

The Slave SystemThe Big Idea

The slave system in the South produced harsh living conditions and occasional rebellions.

Main Ideas• Slaves worked at a variety of jobs on plantations. • Life under slavery was difficult and dehumanizing.• Slave culture centered around family, community, and

religion.• Slave uprisings led to stricter slave codes in many states.

The Debate over Slavery

The Big IdeaAntislavery literature and the annexation of new lands

intensified the debate over slavery.

Main Ideas• The addition of new land in the West renewed disputes

over the expansion of slavery. • The Compromise of 1850 tried to solve the disputes over

slavery.• The Fugitive Slave Act caused more controversy.• Abolitionists used antislavery literature to promote

opposition.

Trouble in Kansas

The Big IdeaThe Kansas-Nebraska Act heightened tensions in the conflict

over slavery.

Main Ideas• The debate over the expansion of slavery influenced the

election of 1852. • The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed voters to allow or

prohibit slavery.• Pro-slavery and antislavery groups clashed violently in

what became known as “Bleeding Kansas.”

The Nation Divides

The Big IdeaThe United States broke apart due to the growing conflict

over slavery.

Main Ideas• John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry intensified the

disagreement between free states and slave states. • The outcome of the election of 1860 divided the United

States.• The dispute over slavery led the South to secede.