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What Congressional event first indicated to northerners and southerners that their respective regions were significantly and disturbingly different?

With the Gold Rush, California’s population rapidly swelled to nearly 100,000 people in about a year.  Accordingly, California petitioned to become a formal United States territory.  That’s a normal part of the process of becoming a state.  What happened when California made this completely reasonable request and why?

What was the argument put forward the the “South Carolina Exposition and Protest?

In 1832, South Carolina nullified the federal tariff and refused to collect the tax.  President Andrew Jackson threatened to respond with force.   A civil war might have broken out at this point.  Why didn’t it, according to the lectures?

Abraham Lincoln was assassinated during the second year of the Civil War.

In what ways did the Mexican-American War contribute to the coming Civil War?

One question about the Alamo is why did Santa Anna attack this outpost?  It was way out on the frontier with fewer than 300 men inside.  Why bother attacking and killing the defenders?  Why not just go around it?

What was the name of the first version of the United States – the version that rejected the idea that it needed a strong national government and instead believed virtue in the people could hold the nation together?

Discuss the Dred Scott ruling. 

In the aftermath of the Nullification Crisis, southerners started to promote southern humor, southern literature, and a pro-slavery argument.  Many northerners found all three offensive.