Before the Civil War, the United States faced significant conflict over issues like slavery and states' rights. The debate intensified as new territories were added, raising questions about whether they would allow slavery. Key events, such as the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850, attempted to address these tensions but often led to further division. The publication of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and the violent clashes in Kansas known as "Bleeding Kansas" highlighted the growing animosity between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions. These conflicts set the stage for the eventual outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.