The Coming Storm, U.S. 1845-1861, tracks the growing national division from the Mexican-American War to the secession of the last four states, following the firing on Ft. Sumter. Two major steps along the road to war are the compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854. By the mid-50s, a political revolution had destroyed one party, created a new party and seriously divided a third party. Vitally important in the last five years of this history are "Bleeding Kansas," the Brooks-Sumner Affair and the Lincoln-Douglas debates. The final steps to conflict are John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry, the presidential election of 1860, followed shortly by secession. With the failure of three major compromise efforts, the course ends in Charleston Harbor on an April night in1861. Suggested Reading: James McPherson, The Battle Cry of Freedom.
Maximum Class Size: 110.
