-
Nov 7, 1542
Abolition
The movement to abolish slavery, which became the most important of a series of reform movements in America. -
Missouri Compromise 1820-1821
In 1818, settlers in Missouri requested admission to the union questioning if Missouri should be admitted as a free state or a slave state. The Missouri Compromise was known as the congress passed by a series of agreements. Missouri was admitted as a slave state. James Monroe was the president at this time. -
Harriet Tubman
She was a famous conductor of the underground railroad. She was born a slave in Maryland in 1820 0r 21. After her owner died, she heard rumors that she was going to be sold. She feared this, and decided to run away. -
Santa Felipe de Austin
A town in Austin County, Texas, United States. The town was a social, economic, and political center of the early Stephen F. Austin colony. It was established in 1824 by San Felipe de Austin on the west bank of the Brazos river. -
Mexico Abolishes Slavery
Slavery was abolished because the governors feared the growth in the Anglo-American population in Texas. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Some slaves rebelled against their condition of bondage. One of the most prominent rebellions was led by Virginia slave Nat Turner. -
The Liberator
William Lloyd Garrison wrote the liberator which was about someone who releases people form captivity or bondage. -
Stephan F. Austin goes to jail
He went to jail in January 3rd, 1834 because while he was in Mexico, he gave Santa Anna a document that stated what the Texans wanted. Even though Santa Anna said no to most of the demands, Stephen F. Austin still sent a letter to the Texas government to tell them that Santa Anna said yes. The Mexicans intercepted the letter and put Stephen F Austin in jail. -
Texas Revolution
The Texas revolution began when colonists from the United States in the Mexican province of Texas rebelled against the Mexican government. -
Santa Fe Trail
It was one of the busiest routes. It stretched 780 miles from Independence, Missouri, to Santa Fe in the Mexican province of New Mexico. From 1821 through 1860's, American traders loaded their covered wagons with goods and set off towards Santa Fe. -
Oregon Trail
It stretched from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon city, Oregon. Marcus and Narcissa, two methodist missionaries blazed the Oregon trail in 1836. They also proved wagons could travel on the Oregon trail by driving their wagon as far as fort Boise, Whitman's trip took months. Mormons is a group that migrated west-ward along Oregon trail to escape persecution. They were a religious community. -
Mainfest Destiny
Expressed the belief that the United States was ordained to expand to the Pacific Ocean and into Mexican and Native American territory. Many Americans believed that this destiny was obvious and inventible. Those Americans who moved west had practical reasons, such as: the abundance of land was the greatest attraction for settlers. -
Texas enters the United States
Most Texans hoped that the United States would annex their republic, but the United States opinion divided along sectional lines. Southerns wanted Texans in order to extend slavery. Northerns feared that the annexation of more slave territory would tip the uneasy balance in the Senate in favor of slave states. -
Mexican-American War
It was an armed conflict between the United States of America and The United Mexican States from 1846 to 1848. It followed in the wake of the 1845 U.S annexation of Texas, which Mexico considered part of it's territory, despite the 1836 Texas Revolution. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed by the United States and Mexico, by Mexico agreeing to the Rio Grande as the border between Texas and Mexico ceded New Mexico and California territories to the United States. -
Compromise of 1850
As the 31st Congress opened in December 1849, the question of statehood for California topped the agenda. Of equal concern was the border dispute in which slave state Texas claimed the eastern half of the New Mexico Territory, where the issue of slavery had not yet been settled. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave act had harsh terms that surprised many people. Under the law, fugitive slaves were not entitled to a trial by jury. Anyone convicted of helping a fugitive was liable of a fine of $1000 and imprisonment for up to 6 months. -
The North Star
Fredrick Douglass wrote The North Star named after the star that guided runaway slaves to freedom. -
Underground Railroad
It was the system of escape routes they used. It was started by conductors, one of the most famous who was Harriet Tubman. It was on purpose. It meant traveling on foot at night without any sense of distance. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
A bill passed by Congress and signed into law by the U.S President Franklin Pierce. The bill was introduced by Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois. It was designed to give voters in the U.S Territories the choice to vote on whether becoming a U.S state and if it would allow slavery or not. The term of "popular sovereignty" was coined to describe the intent of the law. In 1859, this law or similar ones were deemed unconstitutional by the U.S Supreme Court. -
Dread Scott v. Sandford
Dread Scott was a slave whose owner took him from the slave state of Missouri to free territory in Illinois and Wisconsin and back to Missouri. He appealed to the supreme court for his freedom on the grounds that living in a free state. The court ruled against him. -
Abraham Lincoln and Stephan Douglas Debates
Douglas was a well-known two-term senator with an outstanding record and a large campaign chest, while Lincoln was a self-educated man who had been elected to one term in Congress in 1846. Lincoln challenged Douglas to a series of debates on the issue of slavery in the territories. Neither of them wanted slavery. Douglas won the senates seat but Lincoln won presidency. -
John Brown's raid/Harper's Ferry
While politicians debated the slavery issue, the abolitionist John Brown was studying the slave uprisings that had occurred in ancient Rome and more recently on the French island of Haiti. -
Abraham Lincoln becomes president
Lincoln appeared to be moderate in his views. Although he pledged to halt the further spread of slavery, he also tried to reassure Southerners that had a republican administration would not interfere with their slaves or with them about their slaves. -
Formation of the Confederacy
Jefferson Davis was in the government of confederacy who had his cabinet and political party backing him up. The confederacy was in checkmate which means they could even win. The states that joined were Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
Robert Anderson was traveling by ship from Charleston, South Carolina, to New York City. He wrote a report to the secretary of war which he described as his most recent command in April 18, 1861. As soon as the confederacy was formed, confederate soldiers began seizing federal installations. Fort Sumter was the most important which was on an island in Charleston Harbor. -
Battle of Bull Run
It was the first bloodshed on the battlefield occurred about 3 months after Fort Sumter fell, near a little creek of Bull run, 25 miles from Washington D.C. The battle was a seesaw affair. The union army gained upper hand but the confederates held firm, inspired by General Thomas J. Jackson. -
Battle of Antietam
McClellan and Lee fought against each other in this battle, it started when Lee's troops crossed the Potomac into the Union state of Maryland. They fought near a creek called Antietam. The clash proved to be the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. As a result, Lincoln removed McClellan from command. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The confederacy used the labor of slaves to build fortifications and grow food. Lincoln's powers as commander in chief allowed him to order his troops to seize enemy resources. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Lincoln and the following portion captured national attention. -
Battle at Gettysburg
A sleepy town, next to Southern Pennsylvania, the most decisive battle of the war was fought. Buford ordered his men to take defensive positions on the hills and ridges surrounding the town. 90,000 Union troops under the command of General George Meade had taken the field against 75,000 confederates let by General Lee. -
Gettysburg Adress
A ceremony was held to dedicate cemetery in Gettysburg. President Lincoln spoke there for more than 2 minutes. According to historians, Gettysburg Address remade America. -
Battle at Vicksburg
Vicksburg was one of the 2 remaining confederate strongholds the Mississippi river. It was important because it rested on bluffs above the river from which guns could control all of water traffic. -
Sherman's March
Sherman began his march southeast through Georgia to the sea, creating a wide path of destruction. His army burned almost every house in it's path and destroyed live-stock and railroads. He was determined to make Southerns so sick of war that generations would pass away before they would appeal to it again. -
Surrender at Appomattox Court House
Union troops conquered Richmond, the confederate capital. Southerners had abandoned the city the day before, setting it afire to keep the Northerns from taking it. Lee and Grant met at the Appomattox Court House privately to arrange a confederate surrender which soon collapsed. After 4 years, the Civil War was over. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Five days after Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox, Lincoln and his wife went to the theater in Washington to see British comedy, during it's 3rd act, a man crept up behind Lincoln and shot him in the back of his head, he died on April 15. It was the first time a president of the U.S was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth who was a 26 year old that ran away and got captured by the Union cavalry who trapped him in Virginia's tobacco shed and shot him dead. -
Thirteen Amendment
It was ratified at the end of 1865. The U.S constitution now started at neither slavery nor involuntary servitude except as a punishment for crime where the party shall have been duly convicted which should exist within the U.S. -
Income Tax
A tax that takes a specified percentage of an individual's income. -
Conscription
It was a draft that forced men to serve in the army. In the North, it led to draft riots, the most violent of which took place in New York City.
