Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Pamberi uye mukati meHondo yevagari vemo, Pennsylvania yakanga iri nyika yakakamurwa. Kunyange zvazvo Pennsylvania yakanga yarambidza uranda, vagari vePennsylvania vakawanda vakanga vakaomerera pane zvavaifunga vaidavira kuti hurumende yeUnited States haifaniri kupindira munyaya dzeuranda. Mumwe munhu akadaro akanga ari weDemocratic James Buchanan, purezidhendi wokupedzisira pamberi peHondo yaVagari vemo. Bato raBuchanan rakanga rakunda musarudzo dzemutungamiri wenyika nedzevatongi muPennsylvania. Zvisinei, kokorodzano yokutanga yeRepublican Party yakanga ichangotanga
kwakaitika muPhiladelphia, uye sarudzo dza1860 dzakaona Republican Party ichikunda vhoti yehurumende yehurumende uye hofisi yegovernor. Pashure pokukundikana kweCrittenden Compromise, kuparadzana kweSouth, uye Hondo yeFort Sumter, Hondo yeVanhu yakatanga nePennsylvania senhengo inokosha yeUnion. Pasinei nekukunda kweRepublican musarudzo dza1860, maDemocrat akaramba aine simba mudunhu, uye "mapurisa" akati wandei akadaidzira rugare munguva yehondo. VaDemocrat vakatora zvakare kutonga kweparamende musarudzo dza1862, asi gavhuna weRepublican Andrew Curtin akachengetedza kutonga kwehutongi muna 1863. Pakusarudzwa muna 1864, Mutungamiri Lincoln akakunda George B. McClellan, chizvarwa chePennsylvania, kuti awane mavhoti evavhoti mudunhu racho.