This lecture, created by the Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project, examines several years of Abraham Lincoln's life, including his return to politics in reaction to the passing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and his election to the state legislature and resignation to run for the Senate. The lecture describes both Lincoln's and the nation's reactions to the Kansas-Nebraska Act and to the possibility of extending slavery into the territories that it represented. This lecture continues from the lecture "Lincoln's Biography, Part Five: Return to the Law, 1850-1853."

To view this documentary, scroll to "Multimedia Slideshows," and select "Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Rise of the Republican Party, 1854-1856."

This lecture, created by the Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project, follows Abraham Lincoln's early political career, from established Midwestern lawyer to elected President of the United States. It focuses on the heightening tensions between North and South that served as the background to Lincoln's rise to the Presidency, and ends with the beginning of the Civil War. This lecture continues from the lecture "Lincoln's Biography: Introduction, Part One."

Michael F. Holt of the University of Virginia outlines Stephen Douglas's creation of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the repercussions of Congress's passing the Act.

To view this clip, select "Stephen Douglas and the Kansas-Nebraska Act" under "Frontier Settlement Video."

James O. Horton of George Washington University describes the Kansas-Nebraska Act and reactions to it, including the fear that the spread of slavery into the territories would take labor and land-owning opportunities away from free workers.

To view this clip, select "Abraham Lincoln and the Kansas-Nebraska Act" under "Abraham Lincoln's Biography Video."

Michael Johnson of John Hopkins University discusses Lincoln's response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, including his personal animosity towards Stephen Douglas as a possible motivating factor.

To view this clip, select "Abraham Lincoln and the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854" under "Abraham Lincoln's Biography Video."

Professor Lucas E. Morel examines the interrelationship of political decisions and pressures, westward expansion, and the issue of slavery in the antebellum U.S. and how these forces combined to lead to the Civil War.

To listen to this lecture, scroll to the Monday, June 21st, 10:45 am-12:15 pm session; and select the RealAudio image or link in the gray bar to the left of the main body of text.

An older version of this lecture can be found here.