In order to fully understand the causation behind Southern secession in 1861 crucial events must be explored. Starting in 1850 the Nation was hustled into westward expansion, and thus the basis of the many problems to follow. America, as a hole, was expected by many to grow closer and more unified over the expansion and acquisition of the westward territories. This union was not realized, and furthermore, the expansion slit the country into two decisive sections, the North and the South. Events that must be considered that occurred as a direct effect of westward expansion include The Kansas Nebraska Act (`Bleeding Kansas'), John Brown's Raid, and, finally, the election of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency. These events contributed considerably to the heightening of sectionalism between 1850 and 1861, and thus aided in the realization of Southern secession in 1861.

The Kansas Nebraska Act, an attempt in 1854 to successfully settle the new territories, spurred...