The 1850s brought forth the first national discussion of slavery both politically and sectionally. With the introduction of this controversial issue on such a public scale, conflicting perspectives were bound to challenge stability of the nation. In 1852, Harriet Beecher Stow ignited the national controversy of slavery with her book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. This and other literary incendiaries distributed in the North illustrated the gruesome realities of slavery. The situation worsened when Kansas erupted in Civil War in 1856. With the introduction of popular sovereignty, the advocates of slavery wanted to ensure their victory by having many border ruffians from Missouri cross over and vote. Victory in this manner put Kansas in a precarious position where they could choose between two different types of government: a fraudulent one or another illegally instituted against the established doctrine. Violence concerning the issue of slavery reached its climax when John Brown, the militant abolitionist. As the situation wore on, the conflict was growing into something more than a political war. Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln had their grand debate where the father of popular sovereignty defeated Lincoln, but the issue was finally going to divide the country violently.

            The burning issue of slavery was perceived in conflicting manners in both the North and the South. In the North, the perception of slavery had evolved into becoming an injustice. This mounting sentiment was created through the efforts of abolitionists who revealed the truths of slavery. Being rudely awakened with the horrible reality down South opened up the minds of those in the North to the injustices it provided. Although the realities of slavery ignited their feelings, but their lack of necessity for slaves allowed them to take their stance. In the North, the people were fighting against the ideals of the issue at hand because their lives would not be directly harmed if they were eradicated. Even though the South provided their cotton, the North failed to realize the need for slaves as those did in the South. They viewed the issue as one of an injustice to the ideals of democracy. No longer were the men in the North capable of tolerating the ills in the South.

            The conflicting perspective in the South was based on their dire need for slaves to produce. Being an essential member of their economic market, the Southerners saw the slaves as pieces of the puzzle, not as humans being imprisoned. It was this fact that made them take the occurrences in the 1850s so personal. They didn’t see the attacks against slavery as anything but a direct attack on their way of life. Those in the South took it as a personal assault on their society, an attack that they didn’t feel they should put up with. The entire situation between the North and the South erupted due to the difference in opinion over the issue of slavery. Northerners viewed it as against the ideologies of democracy whereas the Southerners saw it as an attack on the realities of their economy. Failing to reconcile these matters in a diplomatic, and more importantly peaceful nature, resulted in violent action. Fermenting the situation didn’t provide the country with any other viable solution: violence was going to conclude this issue.

The various climatic events of the 1850’s were mostly influenced by the different views of slavery.  Two of these were the Kansas-Nebraska Bill and the Kansas Civil War.  The views of the North and the South were based on if the event was pro slavery or anti slavery.  Their views were always so divergent since the North supported free soil and the South advocated slavery.  This difference caused tension and resentment to grow. 

In 1854 Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois presented a proposal for the territory of Nebraska.  He suggested that this territory should be divided into two territories, Kansas and Nebraska.  These two territories would then decide if they were to be slave states or free states.  Presumably, Kansas would choose to be a slave state and Nebraska would choose to be a free state.  The Kansas-Nebraska bill caused mixed reactions.  The South greatly supported this bill since it would bring in one more slave state to the United States, further balancing the difference between slave and free states.  However the North was greatly against the Kansas-Nebraska Bill.  This was mainly because of how it went directly against the Missouri Compromise.  Since the “North had come to regard the sectional pact as almost as sacred as the Constitution itself” (416), they would not easily allow this bill to pass through Congress.  Nevertheless, Douglas with strong support from Southerners was able to get the bill passed by Congress.

            When northern abolitionists came to Kansas to promote the eradication of slavery, the Southerners became very angry; they had only supported the Kansas-Nebraska Bill because they were assured that Kansas would become a free state.  In 1855, people supporting slavery were able to win during the election for the first territorial legislature.  They created their own “puppet” government.  The abolitionists were not happy with this and consequently set up their own government in Kansas.  The tension in Kansas grew even more in 1856, when a group of people who were pro slavery shot and burned part of an anti slavery town.  This basically initiated the Kansas Civil War.  By 1857, Kansas had enough people to apply for statehood.  The people who supported slavery then created the Lecompton Constitution, which would then either be voted to allow slavery or to prohibit it; however either way slave owners would still be protected by this constitution.  Later in 1857, the constitution with slavery was voted for.  The North was against all of these dealings, especially since it brought another slave state into the United States.  The South was then in favor of it.  

            Most of the major events in the 1850’s were in some way related to slavery.  The issue of slavery was what influenced the views of the people from the North and the people from the South.  Northerners were usually in favor of anything that was against slavery and for free soil.  The Southerners mainly supported everything that was fir slavery.  These divergent views grew even more, later leading to the Civil War.   

The 1850s began with deep-seated disunity and disagreement between the North and South.  Northern authors spread abolitionist fervor to Europe. This benefited the North because if the masses of Europe hadn’t supported the North, then the aristocratic of Europe would have supported the South. Southerners were obviously unhappy with the bad publicity and supported slavery with even more passion. Their views were so different mostly because of geography. The North’s economy was industrial-based because of the rocky soil, but since the South had fertile ground, their economic output was mainly agricultural. They had different interests because something that could be good for one of the sections, could greatly damage the other.

In the 1850s the Northern and Southern regions of the United States had dramatically different views when it came to current events.  Considering that the southern states believed slavery to be moral opposed to the northern states were against it, it seems only right that they would disagree on virtually every matter at hand.  This blatant dispute of ideas was heavily imposed on congress and all sides of politics.  Not only did the differing views of the north and south affect the people living in the areas, it affected the government and political atmosphere as well.

The Northern and Southern states had a very fragile balance in Congress for many years.  The Northerners ruled the House and Southerners could veto laws and bills in the Senate.  However, the South could also boast more politicians in the Cabinet as well as on the Supreme Court. If California were to be admitted as a non-slave state, the equilibrium would be totally thrown off and perhaps set a precedent for the rest of the Mexican Cession territory.
Texas was very frustrated as well. They fought for a large area that stretched all the way to the 42nd parallel and they threatened that they would descend upon Santa Fe (New Mexico if they didn’t get what they wanted).
The Northerners wanted the District of Columbia to be slavery-free which angered many Southerners because it was previously a slave state.
Southerners were also very angry about the loss of runaway slaves, many of whom were aided by the Underground Railroad. This consisted of an informal chain of anti-slavery homes through which runaway slaves could pass and make their way to freedom. They were helped along the way by black and white abolitionists to southern canada.
Harriet Tubman was the greatest Underground Railroad “conductor” and rescued more than three hundred slaves. The Southerners wanted a much harsher fugitive-slave law, since the one in existence was deemed inadequate. The abolitionists for the Underground Railroad were hated by slave owners because they suggested an attitude of being better morally by a refusal to obey the laws passed by Congress.  This was a severe act of civil disobedience.
There were about one thousand runaways a year out of the 4 million known slaves. More gained their freedom through self-purchase or voluntary emancipation then they  ran away.