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On this page, you will find a curated collection of videos, resources, guides, and opportunities for exploration that are tied specifically to pre-Civil War Iowa (1857 to 1861). Educators and lifelong learners can use the compelling and supporting questions to guide their learning and focus their exploration on the major topics. The lectures, videos, featured content, and readings can be completed at each learner's own pace and will provide necessary knowledge and background to craft and deliver Iowa History lessons in a K-12 classroom.
Back to topCompelling and Supporting Questions
Compelling and supporting questions are designed for each unit and the materials below will provide content and context for teachers, students, and lifelong learners.
Compelling Question
How did Iowans engage with national debates before the Civil War?
Supporting Questions
- How did Iowa’s geography shape Iowan's views on slavery?
- How did Iowans respond to the national debate over slavery?
- How did Mormon refugees in Iowa contribute to the Mexican-American War effort?
- What roles did Iowans play on the Underground Railroad?
- How did Iowans view John Brown’s actions to help enslaved people escape?
- Why did political parties rise and fall?
- How did the Meskwaki and Dakota interact with Iowans?
Overview
Rapid westward expansion in the mid 19th century resulted in new territories and states. Along with it came the question: would slavery be allowed there? The Missouri Compromise of 1820 sought to maintain the balance in Congress between free states and slave states by outlawing slavery north of 36°30’ latitude in the Louisiana Purchase territory. States admitted south of the line would allow slavery, while states (like Iowa) north of the line would not. When Iowa entered the Union as the 29th state on December 28, 1846, sectional tensions were rising across the country between Northern and Southern states. That same year, the United States invaded Mexico and over the next two years, acquired 525,000 square miles of new territory in states ranging from present day Texas to Utah and California. The Mexican-American War sparked a debate over whether slavery would be permitted in those new American lands, worsening sectional tensions that would lead to civil war.
Although Iowa entered the Union as a free state and most Iowans opposed the expansion of slavery, African Americans were openly discriminated against before the Civil War. White Iowans and Midwesterners alike viewed African Americans as inferior, not full citizens. Iowa lawmakers severely restricted the rights of Black Iowans by denying them the right to vote, testify in court, serve in the state militia, practice law, and attend public schools. An 1851 law prohibited Black settlement in Iowa. It was only enforced once in Keokuk in 1856 and was met with resistance from Black Iowans.
Antislavery sentiments grew in Iowa in 1854 when nearby Kansas and Nebraska opened for settlement. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 repealed the Missouri Compromise and escalated tensions between antislavery and proslavery settlers in the territories. Due to its proximity, Iowa was a pass-through state for settlers and often supplied weapons and supplies for abolitionist migrants. Iowa towns served as important stops on the underground railroad aiding enslaved people trying to escape to Northern free territories. Abolitionist John Brown trained his supporters in Iowa in preparation for the raid on Harper’s Ferry. By 1854, the antislavery Whig Party in Iowa was becoming increasingly popular. Led by Governor James Grimes, the party swept the 1854 elections. The upstart Republican Party quickly absorbed the Whigs and other antislavery groups. With the Republicans now in power, they produced a new Iowa constitution in 1857 and expanded a few rights for African Americans but still restricted others.
Under new party leadership, the Iowa legislature also voted to allow the Meskwaki to return to Iowa and purchase land in Tama County. While some tribal members never left, many lived on a destitute Kansas reservation after removal in 1842. The Meskwaki bought 80 acres near Tama in 1857, becoming the first tribe in the United States to buy their land back after removal.
In 1861, as the nation stood on the brink of civil war, most Iowans opposed slavery but still held deeply prejudiced beliefs about people of color. State laws denied people of color several basic human rights like the ability to vote, hold office, or serve in the military. When a referendum for equal rights was on the ballot in 1857, only ten percent of Iowans approved of suffrage for people of color. Antislavery sentiments grew in the state with the rise of the Republican Party, and in the presidential election of 1860, the majority of Iowans voted for the party’s candidate, Abraham Lincoln. The support for Lincoln reflected a growing commitment to halt the spread of slavery, even as racial equality remained a distant and unpopular idea among many Iowans.
Back to topThink Like a Historian
In this video, Iowa State History Professor Jeff Bremer discusses historical thinking skills like using primary and secondary sources, contextualization, and research methods.
Major Topics of Study
When learning about the history of Iowa immediately before the Civil War, some of the key areas to cover might include:
- Abolitionist in Iowa → Underground Railroad
- Emancipation events (beginning in 1856, Muscatine)
- Iowa Laws and Supreme Court rulings
- Equal rights referenda (1857)
- U.S. Congressional debates about slavery
Notable Iowans
Exemplary and significant people in Iowa history from this time period could include many of the below figures. Wherever possible, links to Iowa's digital biography provide opportunities for further exploration.
Back to topHistoric Sites
Iowa is full of valuable historic sites. The below sites provide opportunities to explore the value of place-based learning and the importance of storytelling through historic sites.
Back to topState Historical Society Objects, Documents, and Photos
Objects, documents, and photographs from the State Historical Society of Iowa are excellent catalysts for further inquiry in the classroom or for independent lifelong learners.
Back to topVideo Resources
If you are looking for longer, more detailed discussions or lectures related to the themes discussed in this unit, the following resources provide further context and information.
Back to topFurther Reading
This curated collection of readings allow teachers, students, and lifelong learners to explored a curated collection of primary sources, articles, books, and essays that supplement and provide depth to the topics covered in this unit.
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