Introduction to Chapter 14
14
THE HOUSE DIVIDED
1846–1861
> How did the issue of slavery drive the United States toward Civil War in the mid-nineteenth century? Chapter 14 explores the politics of slavery in the years leading up to the Civil War. It examines how the recurring issue of the expansion of slavery into newly acquired territories deepened sectional divisions, undermined existing political parties, and helped create new ones. Finally, it looks at the events that ultimately led to secession and civil war.
[[LP photo: INSERT P14.01 Detail of Kansas/
> Why did the acquisition of land from Mexico contribute to sectional tensions?
> What factors helped unravel the balance between slave and free states?
> How did the party system change in the 1850s?
> Why did northern fear of the “Slave Power” intensify in the 1850s?
> Why did some southern states secede immediately after Lincoln’s election?
> Conclusion: Why did political compromise fail?
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