Question

What event in 1859 is described as "the first step into the Civil War" that opened the political split in the United States?
A. The Dred Scoot decision
B. The Snow Riots in Washington, DC
C. John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry
D. The election of Abraham Lincoln

Answer 1

C. John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry — the 1859 raid heightened sectional tensions, frightened the South, and is often called a catalyst or "first step" toward the Civil War.