5.01: Political Tensions Before the War

Open Ended

What do you think political leaders might argue about next when a nation is this divided? Write one prediction.

Multiple Select

Which of the following were beliefs held by the Republican Party when it was first formed?

• Slavery should expand into new territories

• Workers should not have to compete against enslaved labor

• Slavery must not spread into the western territories

• Federal protection of slavery is necessary

Multiple Choice

Who led the Northern Democrats and what policy did they support regarding slavery?

• Abraham Lincoln, Free Soil

• Stephen Douglas, Popular Sovereignty

• John C. Frémont, Free Labor

• John Bell, Federal Protection

Open Ended

What were the main differences between Northern and Southern Democrats regarding the issue of slavery in the territories?

Multiple Choice

What was the main message of Abraham Lincoln's 'House Divided' speech in 1858?

• That the country could remain half slave and half free forever

• That the Union should be dissolved immediately

• That the government could not endure permanently half slave and half free

• That Stephen Douglas should win the Senate seat

Multiple Choice

What did Lincoln believe would happen if the U.S. remained 'half slave and half free'?

• The Union would dissolve

• The government would eventually become all one thing or all the other

• Slavery would end immediately

• Nothing significant would change

Open Ended

How does the electoral map from the 1858 elections support Lincoln's claim that the nation was a 'house divided'?

Multiple Choice

Based on the debates and the media coverage, what were the two major paths Americans were beginning to follow in 1858?

• Support for expanding slavery and support for abolishing slavery

• Support for local voter rights and support for federal control

• Support for Lincoln's warnings about expanding slavery and support for Douglas's defense of local voter rights

• Support for immediate secession and support for compromise

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes the main difference between Abraham Lincoln's and Stephen Douglas's views during the debates?

• Lincoln supported immediate abolition of slavery everywhere, while Douglas supported keeping slavery only in the South.

• Lincoln believed slavery was morally wrong and should not spread, while Douglas believed in popular sovereignty.

• Lincoln wanted to expand slavery, while Douglas wanted to abolish it.

• Lincoln and Douglas both agreed on the issue of slavery.

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blank: Abraham Lincoln argued that slavery should not be allowed to

to any new territories.

Multiple Select

Which of the following were results of Douglas's Freeport Doctrine?

• It helped Douglas win the Senate seat in Illinois.

• It increased his support among Southern Democrats.

• It caused a split in the Democratic Party.

• It led to the immediate abolition of slavery.

Multiple Choice

What was the main idea of the Freeport Doctrine as explained by Stephen Douglas?

• That slavery should be allowed everywhere in the U.S.

• That only the Supreme Court could decide on slavery in territories.

• That local laws and leaders could discourage slavery in territories.

• That the federal government must enforce slavery in all states.

Open Ended

Describe the political arguments about slavery and states' rights presented in the Lincoln-Douglas Debates and explain how those arguments increased sectional tension.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following was a major factor that led to increased sectional tension before the Civil War?

• The Lincoln-Douglas Debates over slavery and states' rights

• The signing of the Declaration of Independence

• The Louisiana Purchase

• The end of Reconstruction

Open Ended

Reflecting on today's lesson about political tensions before the Civil War, what is one new thing you learned about how debates over slavery and states' rights contributed to sectionalism?