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Nat Turners Rebellion
A slave rebellion led by Nat Turner where 55 to 65 people were killed. The rebellion was seen as an act of aggression by the white men of the south. Due to this the senators of the south saw it fit that the restriction of African American slaves be enforced and updated in order to keep them in check. -
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Events leading to the Civil War
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Texas is added to the Union
Texas was added to the Union however it quickly became a slave state. Later Texas would secede from the Union joining the Confederacy in the Civil War. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The enforcement of the portion of the US Constitution which required the return of runaway slaves.The Fugitive Slave Act saw African Americans as property needing to be returned to their rightful owners. Many people of the North were against this act and some went as far with the rescuing of slave families from the South and bringing them to the North as to try to secure a safer future for them. -
California is added to the Union
With the addition of California there was also the compromise of whether California should be a free or slave state. Eventually California would be split into two halves one free and one slave. California would have very little impact on the Civil War as little to no wars would be fought in California. -
Publication of Uncle Toms Cabin
Uncle Toms Cabin brought awareness to the lives of African American Slaves and the horrors they went through. The book sold millions of copies as readers from all over the United States were educated on the controversial idea of slavery. Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Toms Cabin, was said to have laid down the groundwork and set forth a path in the direction of the Civil War. -
Bleeding Kansas
A dispute over the legality of slavery in the Kansas. John Brown, who was a famous abolitionist during the time, was known for his role in Bleeding Kansas. He was one of the few Americans who advocated for the use of force to abolish slavery. He demonstrated the effect of his plans in Bleeding Kansas where he and several volunteers killed five supporters of slavery. -
Election of Lincoln
Lincoln was against slavery however was approaching the matter at a moderate pace allowing slavery to die out originally. Soon with the secession of South Carolina Lincoln would spring into action.He would make attacks on the Confederate borders. Lincoln would also force the southern states make the choice to join the Union or be subjected to treason to the United States, claiming that there would be no neutrals in this war. -
President James Buchanan declares Secession to be Illegal
After the secession of South Carolina Buchanan made the declaration that Secession was unconstitutional and illegal to the United States Government. Buchanan while not having a very major role in the Civil war was known for his attempts to prevent the war peacefully and without any secession. Buchanan would soon be replaced by Lincoln before the beginning of the Civil War allowing for a more effective manner of the fortification of the Union. -
South Carolina Secedes from the Union
South Carolina was very popular for its large mass of slaves so them being the first to secede was a given. The seceding of South Carolina was the turning point for many other southern states to follow in South Carolina's footsteps and also secede. Lincoln would soon have a major impact on the following states secession as he pressured them into making there decision quickly or be identified as a traitor. -
The Civil War
With all the steps in motion, the Civil War began. Lincoln was pressuring the remaining states to decide on treason or to stick with the Union. The Confederacy was desperate to hold their land seeing it as victory from the Union as to be a separate country was their desire. The Confederacy would soon launch an attack on Fort Sumter as to enforce their ideals as well as secure some supplies for the south giving them a slight advantage in the war soon to greatly intensify.
