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The American Civil War
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The Kansas-Nebraska Act
This was an agreement that was made to try and repeal the Missouri Compromise, in which the states of Kansas and Nebraska would get to vote on whether they wanted slaves or not. This was a huge divide in Kansas and would be the beginning of a smaller scaled Civil War in an event known as 'Bleeding Kansas.' These problems facing Kansas and Nebraska would drive the wedge further between Northerners and Southerners. -
Dred Scott Supreme Court Case
In this very controversial court case. Dred Scott, the former slave, was told that African-Americans could never become citizens of the United States and that it wasn't even legal for him to bring up a lawsuit. This court case expressed the total lack of rights that African Americans had in this time period. This court case would fuel the fire burning in northern Republican's hearts. -
Abraham Lincoln is Elected President
Although he was not on the ballot in most southern states Abraham Lincoln won a tight race and became the first president to come from the Republican party. The Republican party strongly supported the freedom of African Americans. This stance, combined with the election of Abraham Lincoln caused civil war in the United States. -
South Carolina Secedes from the Union
As a result of president Lincoln's election South Carolina seceded from the Union. They could not handle the fact that they had a Republican president who was anti-slavery. They knew that his election meant no more slave labor in the South and thought their economy would suffer. -
The Battle of Fort Sumter
The Confederate soldiers marched on Fort Sumter and made a message to the Union and to the world that this war was no joke. The South was going to put up a fight, and better yet, they were going to try to win it. This was where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. -
The First Battle of Bull Run
Short time after the battle at Fort Sumter the Confederate Army geared up and went out to make another big statement. They found that statement in Bull Run. Again the Confederates took the offensive and again they were victorious. The North lacked a good commander of their forces and this problem would plague them in the war until the relief of General Ulysses S. Grant. -
The Battle of Antietam
A major battle in which the Confederacy defeated the Union troops. Robert E. Lee would take advantage of an unorganized force and an unsure leader in George B. McClellan. This was the single bloodiest battle of the Civil War. -
The Battle of Fredericksburg
This was a battle which the Confederacy won and showed the North that the generals of the South were much more capable than those in the North. This battle put a damper on the spirits of the Union soldiers as the Union forces were decimated by outstanding leadership by Confederate General: Robert E. Lee -
The Emancipation Proclamation
A law passed by Lincoln on the first day of 1863. This act showed that he meant business when it came to the issue of slavery. This emancipation of the slaves would outrage the Southern countries, but would allow for the Union to find a new source of military men in the war effort. -
The Battle of Chancellorsville
The battle of Chancellorsville was another outstanding victory for Confederate forces. They pushed the hopes of Union soldiers even further down after this victory. This battle gave Confederate soldiers a lot of confidence, that would eventually lead to their demise, heading into the battle of Gettysburg. General Stonewall Jackson was shot by his own soldier and killed. Robert E. Lee would call the shots in Gettysburg with no aid from his right hand man. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Turning point in the American Civil War. The Union defeated the Confederates in Gettysburg, PA. This was a much needed win for the Union and helped them flip the table on Lee and the South. -
Abraham Lincoln's Assassination
On 'Good Friday' while president Lincoln was enjoying a play with his wife at Ford's Theater he was shot in the back of the head. He was taken across the street and nursed until he eventually died. The assassin was none other than a southern sympathizer and actor at Ford's Theater: John Wilke's booth. Major Henry Rathbone did his best to seize Booth, but he jumped off the balcony and yelled 'Sic Semper Tyrannis' to a dazed and confused crowd. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1866
During Andrew Johnson's presidency he, as a staunch Democrat and Southern sympathizer, fought back against Congress and vetoed this bill. However, the post-war Congress that was made up of only Republicans overrode his veto and passed this bill. The Civil Rights Act was supposed to make discrimination against African Americans illegal, and never allow blacks to be denied citizenship. -
President Johnson's Impeachment
President Andrew Johnson was the vice president for Lincoln in his re-election. Lincoln thought that adding a southern Democrat to his presidency would help the country heal together, therefore, Johnson was the right pick. Johnson was very lenient with the South and allowed them to get back to the ways of pre-war Southern life. Soon Jim Crowe and voting laws would all but take away the rights of blacks in the south. As a result of Johnson's vetoes Congress brought up charges against him. -
Ulysses S. Grant is Elected President
After Johnson's quiet exit from the presidential office after his term the United States looked to a new man for re-election. That man was war hero and General of the Union Army: Ulysses S. Grant. Grant did not seek out the presidency. He ran a small campaign in which people elected him because of his service in the Civil War. He wasn't the greatest president in our history, however, he never asked to be.
