The Thirty-Sixth Congress of the United States convened from December 1860 to March 1861, during a critical period leading up to the American Civil War. It was marked by intense debates over issues such as slavery and states' rights, reflecting the growing divide between the Northern and Southern states. This Congress included notable figures like Senator Stephen A. Douglas and Representative Thaddeus Stevens. The political climate was charged, as several Southern states began to secede from the Union, setting the stage for the conflict that would soon erupt.