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The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 issued that California would be admitted as a free state and the territories gained in the Mexican-American War would decide for themselves if they would be free or slave states. -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act split a piece of unorganized territory into the Kansas Territory and Nebraska Territory. It also repealed the Missouri Compromise and created popular sovereignty in these new territories. -
Dred Scott Case
Scott sued for his freedom, saying that his master had taken him to live in a free state in a territory where slavery was also prohibited. Ultimately, the court ruled that Dred Scott would continue to be enslaved. -
The Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln wins the Election of 1860, which caused controversy in the South. Northerners were happy, but southerners were upset and felt robbed. -
Southern States' Secession
South Carolina is the first state to secede due to discontent with Lincoln's election. South Carolina would later unite with other Southern states that had seceded to form the Confederate States of America. -
The Crittenden Plan
In efforts to reunite the states, John Crittenden issued the Crittenden plan which stated that the federal government would have no power to abolish slavery in states where it already existed. Also, the Missouri Compromise line would be reestablished and extended. -
Fort Sumter (beginning of the Civil War)
The now Confederate States of America declared that they claimed Fort Sumter, demanding that Union troops leave. Lincoln refused to abide by this command, which eventually leaded to fights over Fort Sumter. This was the start of the Civil War. -
Battle of Shiloh
During the Battle of Shiloh, Union forces strategically attacked areas in the western and eastern parts of the Confederacy. The Battle of Shiloh took a toll on both sides, the South lost more than 10,000 men and the Union lost about 13,000. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation that declared all enslaved people in rebel states freed. The government and U.S. armed forces were ordered to liberate slaves in confederate held territory. -
Battles of Vicksburg
The Union gained control of the Mississippi Valley during the Battle of Vicksburg and split the Confederacy in half. After the Battle of Vicksburg, Lincoln was assured that Grant had an outstanding military ability. -
Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address was a speech Lincoln delivered to honor the losses and the deaths of many soldiers during the Battle of Gettysburg. He also dedicated a military cemetery to the fallen soldiers. -
Sherman's March
General William T. Sherman led 62,000 Union troops through Georgia to Savannah. He wanted to destroy southern property, crops, and other supplies. They then marched to North Carolina, fighting Confederate troops before destroying the Fayetteville arsenal. Even when the Confederacy challenged Sherman, his troops still had the upper hand. -
Grant's Victory
Lee's troops were attacked by Grant near Spotsylvania, which was the start of a 12 day battle. The Union lost 18,000 men and the Confederate lost 12,000. -
Freedmen's Bureau
The Freedmen's Bureau helped formerly enslaved people and poor white southerners by providing materials such as medicine, food, and clothing. They also tried to settle southern land for the formerly enslaved that had been abandoned during the war. -
Black Peonage
Black Peonage was basically economic slavery. Landowners would sell or rent supplies to sharecroppers with credit or high interest. By the time the crops had been harvested, the bill had become very high and it left sharecroppers with very little to no profit. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
Congress was angry over Johnson's leniency of Jackson's Reconstruction plans and black codes, so they proposed the Civil Rights Act of 1866. This would grant full equality and citizenship to every race and color. -
Ku Klux Klan founding
The KKK was founded by a group of young men from Tennessee. It was originally intended as a club, but this changed in 1867 when African Americans gained voting rights. They dedicated themselves to maintaining the social and political power of white people. -
Election of 1868
Republicans nominated Ulysses S. Grant because they believed he would be able to please both parties. The theme for his campaign was "Let us have peace." They did not promise to expand Reconstruction or to promote the rights of African American because white voters were not willing to help African Americans. -
First African Americans in U.S. Congress
The first seven men to serve in U.S. Congress were Hiram Rhodes Revels, Benjamin S. Turner, Robert C. De Large, Josiah T. Walls, Jefferson F. Long, Joseph Rainey, and Robert B. Elliot. -
Panic of 1873
bank railroad systems failures triggered and economic crisis. Many people lost their money and jobs when banks and businesses collapsed. This last for 6 years when unemployment rose.