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South Carolina Secedes from the Union
South Carolina, a founder of the confederacy, became the first slave state in the south to declare that it had seceded from the United States. -
Henry Highland Garnet's "Address to the Slaves of the United States of America"
Henry Highland Garnet escaped slavery at a young age and moved to New York where he got his education. He wrote this address for the Nation Convention but got rejected when in the address he encourages slaves to kill their masters. -
Nat Turner Slave Revolt
This slave revolt took place in Southampton County, Virginia led by Nat Turner. This revolt was quite a violent one resulting in the deaths of at least 51 white people. Although it was violent it was effective in that is put fear into white slave owners and it pushed toward the civil war. -
William Lloyd Garrison Published The Liberator
William Lloyd was an abolitionist and created The Liberator that reached thousands. He wanted to show Americans that slavery was immoral and ungodly. -
American Anti-Slavery Society Begins
The American Anti-Slavery society was a prominent abolitionist organizations and was founded by William Lloyd Garrison and Arthur Tappan. The goal was to show and convince Southerners and Northerners that slavery was immoral and brutal. Frederick Douglass was a leader of this society and often spoke at the meetings. -
Sarah Grimke's Letters on the Equality of the Sexes and the Condition of Women published
In this book, Sarah Grimke responded to the defense that women were subordinate by nature. She argued the God made both men and women equal, but man made women inferior. She also argued that women had the same rights and liberties as men. -
Arrival of Scalawags and Carpetbaggers in the South
Carpetbaggers are Northerners who moved to the South after the civil war. They moved to the South for financial and political gains. Scalawags were Southerners who joined the Republican Party. -
Women's Rights Convention at Seneca Falls
This meeting held in Seneca Falls, New York launched the women's suffrage movement. This meeting was held to fight for civil, social, and religious rights of women. -
Harriet Tubman Escapes from Slavery
Harriet Tubman was born into slavery and escaped and then dedicated her life to helping other slaves escape through the Underground Railroad. -
Compromise of 1850
The compromise of 1850 was created by Henry Clay as a way to advert a crisis between the North and the South (it would only last but for so long). In this compromise, the fugitive slave law was strengthen for the south and the north got a California as a free state. Slave trade was banned in Washington D.C. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The fugitive slave act was proposed in the compromise of 1850. This act strengthened the seizures of runaway slaves, making it harder for them to escape successfully. -
Sojourner Truth Delivered her "Ain't I a Woman" Speech
Sojourner Truth was born into slavery and escaped after her master promised to free her but never did. She became increasingly involved in the anti-slavery movement and the women's rights movement. -
Harriet Beecher Stowe Published Uncle Tom's Cabin
This book reached popularity among white readers in the North. It vividly described the experience of slavery. 300,000 copies of Uncle Tom’s Cabin were sold in the United States and some copies were even sold in England. -
Republican Party Founded
The anti-slavery Whigs discussed creating a new political party. At one of the meetings in Wisconsin, it is believed that the republican party was created. -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was series of violent confrontations in the United States. An attempt was made to make Kansas a slave state which in turn created violent fights. This fighting was precursor for the Civil War. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska act allowed the citizens in those states to decide if they would allow slavery within the borders or not. This act repealed the Missouri Act of 1820. -
Creation of the Radical Republicans
The radical republicans formed in the 1850’s by a group of northern altruists, former whigs, industrialist, and politicians who were devoted to ending slavery. -
Lecompton Constitution
Lecompton Constitution was a pro-slavery doctrine. It protected slave holding and a bill of rights excluding free blacks, and it added to the frictions that would cause the Civil War. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slave that lived in a free state where slavery was prohibited, thereby giving him freedom from slavery. However, it was stated that African Americans could not and would not ever be considered citizens of America. The Supreme Court issued the decision in the Dred Scott case stating that slave owners have the right to take their slaves into the Western territories. -
Panic of 1857
The Panic of 1857 was a financial panic in the U.S that was caused by the decrease in international economy and the increase in domestic economy. This was the first worldwide financial crisis. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates were a series of seven debates between democrat Douglas and republican Lincoln. Slavery extension had been a problem with temporary fixes multiple times already, but was rising once again because of the Kansas-Nebraska act. These arguments replicated the problem that threatened to divide the nation. These debated went farther than just who would win the senatorial seat. -
John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown was an abolitionist was led a small raid against Harpers Ferry. This raid was unsuccessful and ended with John Brown getting sentenced to death. However, it raised tensions and brought America even closer to the Civil War. -
Democratic Party Splits into Northern and Southern Halves
Slavery was huge controversial topic in the 1800s. The Northern democrats believed that slavery should not spread and the Southern democrats believed that slave owners should be able to take their slaves anywhere. Because the democrats could not agree this lead to a great split between the two hemispheres. -
Abraham Lincoln Elected President
Abraham Lincoln was republican that was elected as the 16th President of America in 1860. The democratic was widely divided at the time of this election allowing republicans to have an advantage in the election. Lincoln to become the first republican president. -
Confederate States of America Founded
The confederate states of America were 11 states that had seceded from the United States. -
Firing on Fort Sumter
For Sumter was a fortification in Charleston, South Carolina. The battle of Fort Sumter was started when the Confederate States Army attacked Fort Sumter and gunfire was returned by the United States Army. This consequently started the Civil War. -
Period of "Redemption" after the Civil War
the term Redemption refers to the overthrow or defeat of Radical Republicans (white and black) by white Democrats, marking the end of the Reconstruction era in the South. -
Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam, fought September 22, 1862, was the deadliest one day battle in American History. Confederate general Robert E. Lee was attempting to invade the north. However, the Union won which resulted in Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 to July 3, 1863, is one of the most important and most bloody battles of the civil war. This battle was a major turning point because the Union defeated the Confederates and forced them to retreat and they never fully recovered. -
Emancipation Proclamation
President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 proclaiming that all slaves would be freed in the confederate states. However, freedom would only be granted to the slaves if the Union won. -
Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address was delivered by President Lincoln on November 19, 1863. In this address he talks about topics such as bring equality to all citizens of America. -
Abraham Lincoln Reelected
The reelection of Abraham Lincoln was suprising because he and everyone else was sure he would not get reelected. It is even more surprising that there was an election at all. Lincoln was reelected because Northern voters endorsed his policies and his leadership. -
General U.S Grant Assumed Command of Union Troops
U.S Grant became the General of the Union in 1864. Abraham Lincoln signed a brief document promoting Grant from Major to Lieutenant General and we would then lead the Union to victory. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea was a military campaign that which would frighten Georgia's civilian population into abandoning the Confederate cause. As a result, General William T. Sherman captured Atlanta Georgia. -
Lincoln Assassination
John Wilkes Booth shot at President Abraham Lincoln while Lincoln was out seeing a show at Fords Theatre. -
Lee Surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House
After a long four year civil war, Confederate General Robert E. Lee finally surrendered to the Union on April 9, 1865. -
Congress Passed the 13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery on April 8, 1864. Congress passed the amendment to ensure that slavery would be stopped after the the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Johnson Announced Plans for Presidential Reconstruction
The Presidential Reconstruction gave freedom to the white south in regulating the transition from slavery to freedom. This made sure no black people could have a role in the politics in the south. -
Ku Klux Klan formed
The Ku Klux Klan was formed by White Civil War Veterans who wanted to preserve the way of life in the South. They wanted to restore white supremacy by directing violence at white and black Republican leaders -
Andrew Johnson Became President
Andrew Johnson was the Vice President under Abraham Lincoln. When Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, Johnson resumed the role of president of the United States. -
Freedmen's Bureau Established
The Freedmen’s Bureau was created by Congress to help and give aid to former black slave and poor white people in the South after the Civil War. The aid provided include food, housing, medical assistance, school, and legal help. -
Civil Rights Acts Passed over Johnson's Veto
The civil rights act was vetoed by Andrew Johnson and the veto demonstrated his belief that people of color were not qualified to be US citizens and the act would favor people of color. Congress passed the bill with 2/3 of the majority in each chamber the civil rights act began law. -
First Congressional Reconstruction Act passed
The first congressional reconstruction act was passed in 1867. The purpose of this act was to outline the rules that would allow the Southern States to be readmitted to the Union after the Civil War. -
Andrew Johnson Impeached
Andrew Johnson was impeached due to the political conflict that arose because he was going to carry out the original reconstruction plan that Lincoln set in place. The radical republicans did not like the plan and wants stricter terms for readmission to the Union. -
14th Amendment Ratified
The 14th Amendment Ratified was to grant citizenship to people born or naturalized in the United States. This amendment included slaves that were recently freed. The amendment prohibits any state to deny any person the right to life liberty or property without due process of the law and states cannot deny anyone equal protection of the law for citizens of that state. -
U.S Grant Elected President
Grant served at the 18th US President from 1869 to 1877. He focused on reconstruction during his term and working to reconcile the North and South. He also worked to protect the civil rights of people of color and newly freed slaves. -
15th Amendment Ratified
Congress passed the 15th Amendment ratified to give African American men the right to vote. -
Slaughterhouse Cases (Supreme Court)
The Supreme Court case that limited the protection of the privileges and immunities of the 14th Amendment. The court case weakened the power of the 14th Amendment to protect the civil rights of people of color. -
U.S vs. Cruikshank
This federal court case began when a group of armed white men killed one hundred plus African American because of political fight. The supreme court sided with the defendants in the case and convicted three men for violating the 1870 Enforcement Act. -
Compromise of 1877
An informal deal between the democrats and republican for the democrats to accept the Rutherford Hayes election victory if the republicans pull all federal troops out of the South and consolidating democratic control over the region therefore ending the reconstruction era.
