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The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad is established, helping slaves escape to the North. It was established at the end of the 18th century. -
Birthdate
Pauline Cushman was born in New Orleans, Louisiana as a daughter of a Spanish father and a French mother. Her birth name was Harriet Wood but she changed it when she became an actress. Although she was born in Louisiana, she was raised on the Michigan frontier. -
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Pauline Cushman's Life
Pauline Cushman's Life -
Moving to Michigan
Cushman's father moves to Michigan frontier to trade with the Native Americans because he goes bankrupt. Here she learns certain skills to help her in spying later in her life. Such skills she learned were to be an expert horseback rider, how to handle a gun and a canoe, and she gained strength from the Frontier. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe is published. It's an important book because the book's message is that slavery is wrong. -
Harper's Ferry Raid
John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry took place. John Brown's plan was to make camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains and then help runaway slaves escape while attacking the slave holders. He led the raid with 21 men. When Brown and his men gathered weapons and held 60 citizens hostage, he expected slaves to come forth but none came and the plan backfired. The local militia arrested Brown and his men. He was taken to Charlestown to be sentenced and then he was executed. -
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln is elected President. Soon after the election of Lincoln, South Carolina secedes. -
South Carolina Secedes
South Carolina is the first state to secede from the Union. South Carolina secedes after Abe Lincoln is elected president. -
Fort Sumter
The first shots fired are fired at Fort Sumter. This begins the Civil War. -
Bull Run
The Union loses the First Battle of Bull Run. -
First Assignment
Pauline's first assignment was in St. Louis, Misssouri. There she used her charm and beauty to get information from Confederate soldiers and officers. She played as an actress to get the info. -
Second Assignment
Pauline's second assignment was in Nashville, Tennessee. She was to toast Jefferson Davis on stage for a three hundred dollar dare. It went along the lines of "Here's to Jeff Davis and the Southern Confederacy! May the South always maintain her honor and her rights." After talking to Union Colonel Moore and taking an oath of loyalty she toasted the president. -
Fired
After the toast to Davis, she is fired from the theater she was in before the dare. After she was fired by the theater's company, she officialy became a Union spy. -
Arrested
Pauline was arrested for trying to pass significant military documents to the Union. She was arrested and sentenced to hanging by Confederate generals. Soon after she was arrested, she became ill and the Confederate generals decided to wait to hang her until she was healthy again. -
Rescued
Confederate troops were guarding Pauline while she was arrested. Confederates were planning for her to be hanged but she was too sick. While the Confederate troops were waiting for her to get better, Union troops, led by General Rosencrans, scared off the Confederate soldiers and rescued Pauline. -
After Spying was Over
After the Civil War ended, Pauline went back to her acting career as "Major" Cushman. At this point in her life, she was too famous to be a spy any longer. Cushman was also helpful to the Union still becaue of her knowledge of the geographic terrain. Her knowledge was valuable because maps back then were scarce. -
End of the Civil War
The Civil War ends. General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant. They met at the house of Wilmer McLean in the village of the Appomattox Courthouse. The meeting lasted nearly two and a half hours but it ended the Civil War, the bloodiest conflict in America's history. -
President Lincoln Dies
President Abraham Lincoln is shot by John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln was watching a comedy called "Our American Cousin" in Ford's Theater when he was shot. With him was his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, Major Henry Rathbone, and Rathbone's fiancee Clara Harris. The doctor's efforts failed to heal Lincoln's mortal wound and he died at 7:22 am on April 15. -
The End of her Life
Cushman applied for a pension because she was the wife a Union soldier who died in service. She was given eight dollars a month. After Cushman married a second husband named August Fitchner, the money stopped coming. Sadly, August died seven years later. Pauline married another man named Jerry Fryer, but they seperated and she turned into a housemaid. From there she became addicted to morphine. -
Woman's Right to Vote
Colorado gives the women the right to vote. Colorado is the first state to adopt the admendment which gave women the right to vote. -
Death
Pauline Cushman died from an overdose of morphine deliberately, killing herself. She was given a military burial with flags, a honor guard, and a rifle salute. Some people say that few suffered more and rendered more service to the Union than Cushman did.
