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Underground railroad
The underground railroad was a series of secret routes and homes used by 19th century black slaves. Helped by abolishinists, slaves used these routes to escape North to freedom. -
California joins the Union as a free state
Once California become a member of the Union as a free state, the Southerners would be the minority in the Senate. California joined the union as part of the Compromise of 1850. -
Fugitive Slave Act
This act made it legal to hunt down and return any runaway slave to their white owners. Citizens could be forced to help track them down and could be put in jail if they refused. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The act was meant to open up new farm lands to settle and to make way for the transcontiential railroad. The problem was that vtoer would be allowed to determine whether or not slavery would be allowed. Niety percent of Southerners approved the bill -
Bleeding Kansas
Anti slavery Northerners flooded into Kansas to try to establish a slve free state. Pro slavery settlers from Missouri also rushed inti the state. By the end of 1856, 200 people had died in the fighting. -
Dred Scott Decision
The First time a enslaved person sued for his freedom. The court decided 7-2 against Scott because they said he could not sue because he was not a citizen. -
John Brown Raids Harpers Ferry
White Abolistionist, John Brown Attacked the Federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry in an attempt to start a armed slave revolt. Brown was the first white man to attempt to use voilence to end slavery. -
Lincoln Elected President
Due to the split in the Democratic Party, the Northern Republicans secured enough eletorial votes to put Lincoln the the White House with little help from the South. -
Lincoln Inauguration
In His speech, President Lincoln repeated his commitment to preserve the Union. He encouraged reconciliation . -
Anaconda Plan (Union)
Nearthe begining of the war , general in chief of the U.S. Winfield Scott, proposed a plan to defeating the South. Scott suggested the Union blockade Confederate ports and send gunboats down the Mississippi to divide the Confederate in to two. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter after the Union 's Major Robert Anderson refused to surrender. Lincoln had ships on the way to restock the fort when the attack took place. After 33 hours, Anderson surrendered . There we no soldiers killed. This was the beginning of the Civil War. -
Virginia Secedes from the Union
When Virginia seceded , the Confederate Congress made Richmond, Virginia the Capital of the Confederate States. This meant that a Southern state bordered Washington , DC seperated only by the Potomac River. -
Martial Law imposed in Maryland
President Lincoln sent troops into Annapolis and Baltimore to impose martial law and to stop riots. He did not want Maryland to fall to the Confederates because that would mean that Washington would be surrounded. -
First Battle of Bull Run
In an attempt to Storm the Confederate Capital of Richmond, the Union Army met with Confederate forces Near Manassas, Va. Both sides were not prepared and suffered large losses. The victory went to the Confederacy. -
Trent Affair
The Union Ship USS San Jacinto stopped the British ship, RMS Trent, as it left Cuba with 2 Confederate Representatives bound for Britain and France. The southerners were trying to gain support of those countries for trade. The British were outraged at the affair and demanded their release and an apology. Britain increased its troops inn Canada and in the Atlantic. Lincoln released the prisoners. -
Financing the War
Financing the War both the North and South had to act quickly. The North was do better because they had several financial and the South was having to sale large amons of cotton. The money was also known as greenbacks. -
USS Monitor, Battle of Hampton Roads
The first ever battle fought between 2 ironclad ships. The USS Monitor fought the CSS Virginia. Out come of the battle unknown. -
Battle of Antietam
The first major battle fought on Union soil. Also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, the Union's victory kept Britain from reconizing the South as a seperate Nation. -
Emancipation Proclamation
President Lincoln declared that slaves in 10 rebellion states were free. Slaves were freed as the Union Army advanced. -
Siege of Vicksburg
Union forces drove back the Confederate army to Vicksburg where after 40 days they surrendered on July 4, 1863. The Union held the Mississippi River for the rest of the war. -
Battle of Gettysburg
General Robert E. Lee led his forces into Gettysburg. After 2 three days of fighting, Union the Confederates back. -
Battle of Fort Wagner
Union soldiers tried to capture Fort Wagner with the 54th Massachusetts regiment. This one was of the first Afrian American forces that fought for North. -
Battle of Chattanooga
Grant led Generals Thomas , Sherman and Meade against Confederate forces on Missionary Ridge. Thomas's troops overran the Confederates and the forces retreated. -
The Gettysburg Address
Four months after the Union Army defeated the Confederacy at Gettysburg, Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. On of the most Famous in history, Lincoln talked about the "Birth of Freedom". -
Battle of Chattanooga
Effort to save Union troops in Chattanooga, President Lincoln decided to send some Meade's forces to help Rosecrans. Grant was placed in overall command for the upcoming battle. -
Ten Percent Plan
The decreed that a state could have been reintegrated with 10%of court vote of 1860 o be in the Unoion, And take an oath of allegiance to the U.S. and pledged to abide by emancipation. The next step was abolish slavery forever, never to return. -
Siege at Petersburg
The siege lasted from June of 1864 until April 1865. Sheridan cut the last remaining railway in to Petersburg, Lee knew he was out of time. Lee led his troops west to escape. -
Wade Davis Bill
This bill required that white males from Confederate states take an oath of allegiance to the Union. The states could then hold elections. Passed both houses but was vetoed by Lincoln. -
Farragut attacks Mobile
Admiral Farragut commanded 18 ships past Confederate forts that were defending Mobile Bay. After passing through a mine field , he destroyed the Confederate fleet defending the Bay. Blockade runners could no longer use ports on the Gulf to move goods. -
Sherman takes Atlanta
General Sherman led his troops into Altanta cutting all roads and railways into the city. He ordered anything of military value such a factories, mills and warehouses destroyed. Before he was done, one third of all buildings in the city were burned down. -
Shermans March to the Sea
After burning Atlanta, Sherman took his troops east . They tore a path through Georgia 60 miles wide, burning homes, crops and killing cattle. He reached Savaannah on December 21, 1864. -
Thirteenth Amendment
The 13th Amendment banned slavery in the United States. Lincoln saw his re election as a sign from voters that they wanted to end slavery -
Appomattox Court house
General Lee was surrounded and out numbered by Union Troops. Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders to Grant .
Grnat agrred not to prosecute the Confederate soilders for Treason. -
Assasination Of President Lincoln
The war was over. President Lincoln attened a play at Ford's Theater in Washington with his wife. He was shot in the back of the head by John Wilkes Booth. -
Civil Rigths Act of 1866
Congress passed Civil Rights Act 1866 it granted citizenship to all persons born in the United States execpt Native Americans.
Allowed AfricanAmericans to own property and states they were to be treated equally. -
14th Amendment
Grant citizenship to al persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and declared that no states could depive any person of life, liberty, or property "without due process of law". Protected in the South all people of the south. -
15th Amendmant
15th amendment states - Right to vote "shall not be denied....on account of race, coloer, pr previous condition of servitude."
It was Republicans moved to expand their Reconstruction program.
