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Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a series of routes and different safe routes that helped slaves escape to free territory or to Canada. -
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The Second Great Awakening
During the early 1800's, a new social movement known as the Second Great Awakening led to major reforms in religion, culture, and civil rights. The new religious ideals gave birth to feminism and abolitionism, the latter becoming a major political and social issue by the 1850's. -
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Market Revolution
The Market Revolution was an era in which the economy drastically changed due to the advances in technology from the industrial revolution. Many inventions such as the cotton gin, canals and ferries were created in this time period that led to differences in the economy around the country and increased domestic trade. -
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Westward Expansion
Westward Expansion was the period in which Americans searching for cheaper land and new opportunities traveled to west coast. The westward would continue well into the turn of the 20th century, and played a major role in sectionalism. The expansion of United States territory gave rise to the dispute over slavery in new territories and how to appeal the desires of both the abolitionists and slave holders. -
Missouri Compromise of 1820
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was an act that was created to balance the number of free and slaveholding states by declaring the then new territory of Missouri a slave state and Maine as a free state. Congress was granted power outlaw slavery in any state or remaining territories above the coordinates 36 degrees 30'. -
Mexico wants Texas to be Populated
Around 1823, the Mexican government wanted to populate Texas and invites Americans over to the land. However the American immigrants do not adopt Mexican culture and customs, bringing over slavery and other American goods much to the disdain of the Mexican government. -
Texan Revolt Against Mexico
Starting in 1830, Mexico started to tax imported goods from America, upsetting the American immigrants. This leads to a revolt against the Mexico government in 1835 led by Sam Houston. -
Texas Wins its Independence
After the Texas Revolution, Texas won its independence and elected Sam Houston as its president. -
Texas Joins the United States
In 1845, Texas joined the United States as an official state. -
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Polk's Presidency
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Oregon Treaty
Britain and the US had shared the territory of Oregon Country through the Anglo-American Convention of 1818. Rising tensions between to the two groups led to the Oregon Treaty of 1846 which led to the division of the US and UK territories between the 49th parallel. -
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The Mexican-American War
The Mexican American War arose from existing tensions between the US and Mexican governments resulting from Texas's rebellion and eventual union with the United States. Although the government was involved directly, many Americans personally supported the war by aiding the Texan rebels, creating bitter feelings towards the US. -
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California Gold Rush
A pivotal moment in Westward expansion was when gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill in California, causing thousands of migrants to travel westwards in search for gold. -
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Zachary Taylor's Presidency
Zachary Taylor, a former general in the Mexican American War, would become the 12th president of United States. He died in office. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a letter that essentially nullified the Compromise of 1820. In this new document, five major acts were realized: California is admitted as a free state; New Mexico and Utah's slave holding status would be determined by popular sovereignty within their respective states; Texas lost part of its territory to New Mexico but was paid $10 million in compensation; slavery in Washington, D.C. is outlawed; and the Fugitive Slave Act is passed. -
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Millard Fillmore's Presidency
The 13th President following Zachary Taylor's death and the final President to be a member of the Whig Party. -
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
The Fugitive Slave act was a law passed that stated that if any slave were to escape from its master, regardless if it escapes to a free or slave state, must be returned to its owner immediately. -
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" is Published
In 1853, Harriett Beecher Stowe published her novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin", which portrayed Southern slavery as brutal and morally evil, supporting many abolitionist views. The book became extremely popular among both American and foreign audiences, resulting in further sectionalism in the United States over the issue of slavery. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska act repealed the Compromise of 1820 by allowing the territories of Nebraska and Kansas to utilize popular sovereignty to decide whether slavery is legal in their state or not. -
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Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was period of several violent political altercations over the issue of slavery and its expansion into other territories. The dispute was briefly resolved with the Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854 which allowed the states to decide among themselves the fate of slavery in their respective states. -
Dred Scott v. Sanford
Dred Scott was a former slave who tried to go to court to earn his freedom since he had lived with his owner in a free state for four years. His case was denied on the grounds that blacks did not have rights on account that their ancestors were slaves. Slaves were considered property and the property clause in the Constitution prevented the government from taking individual's property, making the Missouri Compromise of 1850 unconstitutional and slavery was legalized in all territories. -
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The Panic of 1857
The American economy collapsed due to over-speculation of railroads, false banking practices and a disruption in European money towards American investments. -
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Jame's Buchanan's Presidency
James Buchanan was the 15th president of the United States, often considered useless due to his neutral and lukewarm stance on several issues such as slavery and the Dred Scott case, causing sectionalism to grow further in the United States. -
Freeport Doctrine
During the debate in Freeport, Illinois, Lincoln criticized Douglas for his position on Dred Scott's case. In response, Douglas stated that slaves had the right to ban slavery despite the Supreme Court's decisions. -
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Lincoln-Douglas Debates
Lawyer Abraham Lincoln and Senator Stephen A. Douglas participated in a series of debates over their placing in the Senate. -
John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry
Extreme abolitionist John Brown planned a raid on Harpers Ferry with several militiamen and raided an armory. The plan was to free and encourage slaves to participate in the revolt but the plan eventually backfired, resulting in several deaths, his arrest and his execution. -
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln was nominated as a presidential candidate and won the election in 1860. The election had two voting days, one in the North and one in the South. The South threatened the government with secession if the "sectionalist" Lincoln took office and as a result the South would later break away -
Secession of North Carolina
North Carolina finally secedes from the United States, becoming the first state in the Confederate States of America. -
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Abraham Lincoln's Presidency
Political underdog Abraham Lincoln won the 16th presidential race in 1860, officially taking office in 1861. Under his presidency, the American Civil War would start and finish and slavery would be abolished before his assassination in April of 1865.
