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Emancipation Era

Chapter 12: Sectional Crisis 1849 ― 1860

Condemned Compromise 1849-1853


Bleeding Kansas 1853-1857


A House Divided 1857-1860


Manifest Destiny 1841 ― 1849

Civil War 1860 ― 1865


Emancipation Era Sponsors


In Grateful Recognition


"Patrons of the Past"

(Sponsoring all nine Eras)

Doug Shubert

Adam Shubert

Cathy Gillespie



Uncle_Sam_(pointing_finger).png

Documents

Master Index

1856

Pierce's 1856 State of the Union

1857

Enabling Act of Minnesota

1857

James Buchanan

Buchanan's Inauguration

1857

Roger Taney

Dred Scott v. Sandford

1857

Abraham Lincoln

Response to the Dred Scott Decision

1857

Kansas Constitution (1857)

1857

Oregon Constitution

1857

James Buchanan

Buchanan's 1857 State of the Union

1858

Admission of Minnesota

1858

Minnesota Constitution (1858-Current)

1858

Upon accepting the Illinois Republican Party’s nomination for U.S. Senate, Abraham Lincoln declared that the nation could not endure permanently “half slave and half free.” Lincoln warned that the country faced an existential crisis over slavery, framing the sectional conflict as a moral and political struggle that would shape the survival of the Union.

Abraham Lincoln

A House Divided

1858

Treaty of Tientsin

Biographies

Dan Quayle (1947-) was an Indiana lawyer and politician who served in the House and Senate before becoming George H. W. Bush's vice president. He served from 1989 to 1993 and participated in administration work involving economic competitiveness, education, space policy, and other issues. After leaving office, Quayle pursued business, writing, and continued involvement in Republican politics.

Dan

Quayle

Al Gore (1948-) was a Tennessee congressman and senator who became Bill Clinton's vice president in 1993 and served two terms. His vice presidency emphasized environmental policy, government reform, and the development of information technology. After leaving office, Gore became a prominent environmental advocate and received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Al

Gore

Mike Pence (1959-) was an Indiana congressman and governor before becoming vice president under Donald Trump. He served from 2017 to 2021 and chaired the White House Coronavirus Task Force while also presiding over the Senate. His vice presidency concluded with his role in the January 6, 2021 certification of the 2020 presidential election.

Mike

Pence

Barack Obama (1961-) was the 44th president of the United States serving from 2009 to 2017. Before becoming president, he worked as a civil rights lawyer before entering politics in Illinois and later serving in the U.S. Senate. His presidency was defined by the Affordable Care Act, the response to the Great Recession, continuing the War on Terror, and efforts to address social and environmental issues.

Barack

Obama

Kamala Harris (1964-) was a California prosecutor, attorney general, and U.S. senator before becoming the 49th vice president in 2021. After serving under Joe Biden, she became the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024 and left office in January 2025.

Kamala

Harris

J. D. Vance (1984) was born and raised in Ohio, served in the Marine Corps, became a lawyer and author, and gained national attention through Hillbilly Elegy. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022 and became Donald Trump's running mate in 2024. Vance became the 50th individual to serve as vice president on January 20, 2025, and remains in office as of 2026.

JD

Vance

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