200: American Civil War: The Causes (Part 1)
The Rest Is History
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The Role of Anti-Slavery Literature in Triggering the American Civil War
Anti-slavery literature such as Uncle Tom's Cabin played a significant role in confronting Americans with the harsh realities of slavery, breaking up families and violating women, thereby challenging Christian and Victorian principles. Figures like Frederick Douglass, born into slavery and an effective speaker, highlighted the innate freedom of black people, forcing white northerners to confront this reality. While anti-slavery arguments were impactful, it was the visible experience of slavery in their own communities and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 that likely triggered the American Civil War, with competition from other legislations like the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
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