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Harriet Tubman Escapes to Philadelphia
Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in Maryland. She escaped her owner using the underground railroad and later came back for her family one by one. She was a "conductor" for the underground railroad and helped many families escape slavery. -
The Fugitive Slave Act
This act stated that slaves must be returned to their owners, even if they were in a free state. It also made the federal government responsible for finding, returning and trying escaped slaves. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Published
Uncle Tom's Cabin was a novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that was about a slave's story. It was an abolitionist novel that was popular amongst white readers in the North. It also raised the topic of slavery in the North and opened their eyes to the horrors of slavery. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This act allowed the people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide whether or not to allow slavery within their borders. It also served as a repeal to the Missouri Compromise. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slave who tried to sue for his freedom in court. But ended up making it that African Americans it, whether free or enslaved couldn't sue in federal court because they weren't citizens -
Abraham Lincoln debates Stephen Douglas
This debate was the final debate between the senatorial candidates, Lincoln and Douglas. It was held in Alton, Illinois. Whoever won this debate would become President of the United States of America. -
John Brown Attacks Harper's Ferry
John Brown was an abolitionist who lead a small group on a raid against a federal armory in Harper's Ferry Virginia. He did this in an attempt to start an armed slave revolt to destroy the institution of slavery. -
Abraham Lincoln Elected
Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860. He was a strong abolitionist so in power he would probably declare slavery illegal, which wasn't for the South. -
South Carolina Secedes
South Carolina did not want to give up their slaves and their industry of them. They feared that they would do this if Lincoln was elected so they seceded in 1860. This movement cause other states to eventually secede as well. -
the Confederacy is Form
When South Carolina seceded, the other states that followed formed a confederacy. They still wanted their slaves and states rights, so they grouped together and decided to give the states more rights than the federal.
