Kathryn Kish Sklar of SUNY-Binghamton looks at the differing perceptions of women and family life held by antebellum political parties and the tensions this led to that may have contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War.

To view this clip, select "Women and Political Activity in the Antebellum Whig Party" under "Political Development Video."

Scholar James Lewis outlines the Black Hawk War of 1832, including its beginnings in a chance meeting with militia forces and its lack of major battles.

To view this clip, select "Overview of the Black Hawk War" under "Native American Relations Video."

Scholar James Lewis outlines the circumstances that led up to the Black Hawk War of 1832, including the signing of a treaty giving away Sauk and Fox land that the U.S. considered valid and that the tribes themselves did not.

To view this clip, select "Origins of the Black Hawk War" under "Native American Relations Video."

Scholar James Lewis outlines Andrew Jackson's views of Native Americans and his discounting of Native American power and the validity of treaties signed with Native American tribes.

To view this clip, select "Andrew Jackson and Federal Indian Policy" under "Native American Relations Video."

Scholar James Lewis looks at the influence of Shawnee leader Tecumseh and his brother, the prophet Tenskwatawa, in encouraging Native American tribes to cooperate in resisting U.S. settlers and government control.

To view this clip, select "Tecumseh" under "Native American Relations Video."

Scholar James Lewis briefly examines the repeated "war scares"—fears of possible outbreaks of violence between settlers and Native Americans—that troubled Illinois up until the outbreak of the Black Hawk War in 1832.

To view this clip, select "Native Americans and War Scares on the Frontier" under "Native American Relations Video."

John Mack Faragher of Yale University discusses the range of relationships between Native Americans (particularly the Kickapoo) and settlers in antebellum Illinois. He looks at the development from relatively benign relations, involving the trading of goods and ideas, to the rise of racism and violence following the War of 1812 and the Black Hawk War.

To view this clip, select "Settlers and Native Americans Before the Black Hawk War" under "Native American Relations Video."

Michael F. Holt of the University of Virginia discusses the struggle to resolve disputes over territory acquired during the Mexican-American War, particularly the dispute over how (and whether) slavery should spread into the new territories.

To view this clip, select "Origins of the Compromise of 1850" under "Frontier Settlement Video."

James O. Horton of George Washington University gives examples of incidences of recovery of fugitive slaves and kidnapping of free blacks in the North, following the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law; and discusses the contradiction between Southern support of the Fugitive Slave Law and Southern support of state rights.

To view this clip, select "The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850" under "African-American Experience Video."

Produced by Jeffrey Chown of the Northern Illinois University Department of Communication, this documentary chronicles the Black Hawk War of 1832, looking also at the events that led up to it and its repercussions. It focuses on the roles of Sauk war chief Black Hawk and a young Abraham Lincoln. The documentary is divided into 18 short downloadable videos.

To view this documentary, scroll to the set of 18 links separated from the main Abraham Lincoln's Biography Video selections, and choose a section to view.