-
The Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott was a black man who had escaped slavery in the south and moved to the north to be free. Scott was taken into court and the court denied him his freedom and ruled that slaves are property no matter if they are on free land. This decision pleased the South but created an outrage in the North. -
Fort Sumter
When the South succeeded from the North, there were northern soldiers still stationed in Fort Sumter, which is located in the south. President Abraham Lincoln was faced with a difficult decision; he could either withdraw his troops from the fort, which would acknowledge the confederates independence, or he could keep them stationed there. Lincoln decided to keep the soldiers at Fort Sumter and only send food to let south know the North won't accept their succession but doesn't want war either. -
Lincoln Elected President
There was a lot of controversy over Abraham Lincoln winning the presidential election. The South was strongly against Lincoln becoming president because Lincoln would try to abolish slavery. After Lincoln won the election, the South retaliated by succeeding from the United States and they formed their own country, The Confederate States of America, which is what started the Civil War between the 2 countries. -
Battle of Bull Run
The Battle of Bull Run was the first battle starting the civil war, which was initiated by the Confederacy. The South, led by general Thomas J. Jackson, or more commonly known as "Stonewall Jackson," won this battle and proved to the North that they are willing to fight to remain independent from the Union. -
Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee was a commander for the Confederate army starting in the spring of 1862 after General Joseph E. Johnston was wounded. Lee defended the city of Richmond, VA, and drove away the Union army, led by the vain general George McClellan. -
Battle of Antietam
General George McClellan led the Union army in battle against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederacy in the Battle of Antietam. This clash was the bloodiest single-day battle in American History with over 26,000 casualties. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was the most decisive battle of the Civil War. The South was hoping to take over Gettysburg. However, the Confederates had gotten too confident and tried charging Northern lines and the North forced them back, costing the South the battle. -
Gettysburg Address
After the Battle of Gettysburg, there was a ceremony held to dedicate a cemetery to those who fought and died in Gettysburg. At this ceremony, President Abraham Lincoln gave a speech about how America isn't a collection of divided states, but 1 unified nation. This helped strengthen the cause for the war and helped people realize why they are fighting. -
Andrew Johnson
Vice president, Andrew Johnson, took the role of president after Abraham Lincoln's death. Johnson thought that there was no need for Lincoln's original "10% Plan" as long as slavery gets abolished. Radical Republicans disagreed with Johnson in that they wanted the South to be punished. Due to their disagreements, Congress attempted to impeach Johnson but failed due to the unsubstantial reasons. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment was added to the Constitution after the Civil War ended. Its primary purpose was to abolish slavery in all states. One way the South responded to this amendment was by jailing blacks who were homeless, and the only way a black would get out of jail was if a white man asked them to work for him. -
Appomattox Court House
Robert E. Lee accepted the confederates defeat and surrendered to the North after the Battle of Richmond, VA. Lee met Ulysses S. Grant at a court house in Appomattox,VA, to arrange a proper Confederate surrender. The only thing Lee asked in return was for the Union to let the Confederates keep their firearms and horses so they may return to their homes and hunt for food. -
Lincoln Assassinated
After president Abraham Lincoln was reelected in 1864, he went to Ford's Theater to celebrate the end of the Civil War and the Confederate defeat. During the performance, a man named John Wilkes Booth secretly entered the President's box and shot Lincoln in the back of the head, killing the president. Lincoln was planning out how the country was going to reconstruct the South from the aftermath of the war but was unable to carry out his plan due to his sudden death. -
Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan, better known as the KKK, was a group of radical white supremacists who were rebelling against slave rights. Often times the KKK would terrorize blacks by burning houses and even by killing people. The president at the time, Ulysses S. Grant, actively sought out Klan members to try and stop the terrorism. However, Klan actively increased again once Grant left office. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment stated that all people that are born in the U.S. are citizens and also prevents any previous Confederate leader from holding political office. The 14th Amendment qualifies blacks as citizens since they were born in the U.S. which makes this amendment another form of punishment to the South for succeeding. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment states that no citizen of the U.S. could be denied the right to vote based on color or race or previous servitude. This amendment allows blacks to have the same rights as the whites, which makes this amendment another form of punishment for the South and a victory for the North.
