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Antebellum Period
The Antebellum Period, in the United States, is the span of years between the War of 1812 and the Civil War. One of its most notable features is the growing popularity of abolitionism towards the end of slavery in America. -
Founding of "The Liberator"
Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison begins publishing his newspaper called "The Liberator". The paper assisted in a wider spreading of abolitionist ideas. He, as well as others, demanded an immediate end to slavery. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner, a slave, led a violent slave-revolt, resulting in the death of approximately sixty whites (men women and children). After being hunted for almost two months, Turner was caught and hanged. -
The American Anti-Slavery Society
The year 1833 was when the Society was founded. The American Anti-Slavery Society is exactly what it sounds like, an abolitionist organization striving to end slavery. The group split into five groups, differing somewhat but all keeping the same general goal. -
Death of Elijah Lovejoy
Abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy was murdered for try to promote an end to slavery. His printing press was thrown into a river shortly after his death. -
Founding of Underground Railroad
The founding of the Underground Railroad by Robert Purvis helped increase the amount of slaves escaping from the South. The fleeing of slaves was in violation of the Fugitive Slave Act and further exacerbated soured relations between the North and South. -
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso was a legislative act attempting to move the United States towards the ending of slavery. It would establish all land gained by the United States as free land, free from slavery. It would not abolish slavery, but it would prevent it from spreading. The Proviso was never passed, but it spurred much more serious political discussion on the matter. -
Bleeding Kansas
In the wake of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (a legislation granting the new states popular sovreignty to determine slavery status), numerous politicians pro- and anti-slave flocked to the two states. Each group hoped to outweigh the other in numbers. Sometimes things turned violent, in all ending fifty-six lives. -
Preston Brooks Incident
Charles Sumner, a senator, gave a negative speech "The Crime Against Kansas". Part of the speech contained a sour take on Senator Andrew Butler. Representative Preston Brooks heard tell of this and was very displeased. To the point where Brooks went to Sumner', where he sat working at his desk, and beat him savagely with a cane. Like many conflicts at this time, there were mixed reviews; some thought Brooks did an honourable thing in putting down Sumner, others thought him a barbarian. -
Dred Scott Vs. Sanford
Dred Scott was a slave from Virginia who attempted to win his freedom through the court system. Eventually, the case was taken up in the Supreme Court where it was determined that Dred Scott was merely property and, therefore, had no legal rights. The final court decision agrivated abolitionists and further pushed attitudes towards the Civil War. -
John Brown's Raid
John Brown was a contravercial figure in the mid Nineteenth Century United States. He was a religious fanatic who believed himself to be the destined liberator of slaves. Brown and his five sons led a small rebellion akin to Nat Turner's. The raid did not last long, however and Brown and company were soon forced to surrender. His radical actions served as an example of the nation's state of disrepair.
