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Historical Context Surrounding Booker T. Washington's "Up From Slavery"
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Release of "Uncle Tom's Cabin"
"Uncle Tom's Cabin," an anti-slavery novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe, is released to the public. For many northern readers, the book was an introduction to the brutal slavery that dominated the South. It served an important role in turning the public opinion in the North against slavery. Some even go so far as to say that it played a part in inciting the American Civil War. -
American Civil War
The American Civil War begins with a Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in South Carolina. It goes down in history as the bloodiest war fought on American soil. The conflict literally divided a nation that had been figuratively divided over the issue of slavery for years. However, once it ended in 1865, an entire race gained their freedom. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all slaves in the Confederate states free. Although it may have merely been a military measure, the proclamation began to set freedom in motion. It was the first step in securing total freedom for a race that had been locked in the chains of slavery for the past two centuries. -
Ku Klux Klan Founded
The radical white supremacist group, the Ku Klux Klan, is founded. Throughout the remainder of the Reconstruction Era, they strove to halt and reverse progress made toward equality of whites and blacks. Their violent acts, including assault, murder, and arson, against African Americans and supporters of equality, spread fear across the nation. -
Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad
The two lines of the United States' transcontinental railroad meet up in Promontory, Utah. This railroad connected the nation, and drastically improved transportation and shipping to and from the west. Because of this, it contributed greatly to the settlement of the American frontier, and life in the west in general. -
15th Amendment Passed
The 15th Amendment is adopted into the United States Constitution. It states that a citizen cannot be denied the vote based on their race or skin color. This seemed to guarantee the right to vote for recently freed African Americans. However, sadly, many southern states, unable to give up their rampant discrimination, found a myriad of ways around this amendment, including poll taxes and literacy tests. -
Telephone is Invented
Alexander Graham Bell successfully develops the first telephone. In the coming years, phones would enable instant communication all across the country. The ability to converse with people hundreds of miles away would also foster a greater sense of connectedness throughout the country. -
Dedication of the Statue of Liberty
After years of construction, both in France and New York, the Statue of Liberty is dedicated by Grover Cleveland. Ever since, it has stood as a symbol of the freedom and opportunity that the United States aims to provide for all. At a time when discrimination ran rampant, I'm sure many hoped that it would also serve as a promise that the country would try harder to live up to those principles. -
National American Woman Suffrage Association Founded
The National American Woman Suffrage Association is founded as two women's suffrage groups combine under the leadership of Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Encouraged by recent successes of African Americans, women began to fight more intensely for their right to vote. It seemed that the more people obtained voting rights, the less logical it seemed to keep them from others. The NAWSA, in particular, would go on to play a vital role in winning suffrage for women in the U.S. -
Plessy v. Ferguson Case
A verdict is returned in the famous Plessy v. Ferguson case. The Supreme Court rules that the "separate but equal" doctrine is constitutional. This not only enabled the discrimination that was wide-spread throughout the south, but also paved the way for the oppressive Jim Crow laws.