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Wilmot Proviso
An unsuccessful proposal in congress that aimed to ban slavery in the territory gained from the Mexican American War. It was also one of the major events leading to the civil war. -
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Mexican-American War
An armed conflict between the U.S. and the United Mexican States following the 1845 annexation of the independent republic of Texas and over a dispute on whether Texas ended Nueces River or the Rio Grande. Resulted in U.S victory and a gain of 500,000 square miles of mexican territory -
Mexican Cession (1848)
The area of land in the southwest U.S. that Mexico gave to the U.S. in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
A treaty between the United States and Mexico that ended the Mexican war. It established the boundary between the United States and Mexico at the Rio Grande and the Gila River, and for 15,000,000 the U.S. more than 525,000 square miles of land. -
Compromise of 1850
The 5 different bills passed by congress In 1850 which were created to try to resolve the conflicts between slave states and non slave states caused by the issue of territory and admitting states. -
Fugitive Slave Law (1850)
A law passed by congress that was part of the compromise of 1850. In it all runaway slaves upon capture be returned to their masters, and that officials and citizens had to cooperate with it. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)
An act passed by congress allowing people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to be able to decide for them self if slavery was allowed within their borders. Also Served to repeal the Missouri compromise of 1820. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
A court case that ruled that that Dred Scott, a slave who lived in a free state, was not able to have freedom despite living in a free state, and that slaves were not and never could be citizens. And lastly declared the Missouri Compromise (1820) unconstitutional. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates (1859)
A series of debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglass while Lincoln was running for a seat in the senate against Stephen who was the incumbent senator. The main topic of the debates was on the issue of slavery. -
Raid of Harpers Ferry (1859)
An attempt by John Brown to start an armed slave revolt by taking over a united states armory arsenal. In the end however they were defeated by a company of Marines. -
Election of 1860
The presidential election in which republican candidate Abraham Lincoln defeated John C. Breckinridge, Democrat Stephen A. Douglas, and John Bell. -
Battle of Fort Sumter (1861)
The opening engagement and start of the civil war. It was the attack of Fort Sumter the the confederate states army, and returning gunfire by the United States army. -
Battle of Antietam (1862)
A battle of the Civil war fought between Confederate General Robert E. Lee and Union General George B. McClellan. At the end there was a combined count of 22,000 either dead wounded or missing. -
Battle of Antietam (1862)
A presidential proclamation and executive order issued by Abraham Lincoln. It changed the legal status of more than 3.5 million slaves from slave to free. -
Battle of Gettysburg (1863)
A battle fought between union and confederate forces during the civil war in and around the town of Gettysburg. It is considered to be the most important of all the battles. It was a loss for the South and stopped General Lees Push up north. -
Battle of Vicksburg (1863)
The last major military action of the Vicksburg Campaign of the Civil War. In it, Ulysses S. Grant lead his army of the Tennessee across the Mississippi river and forced the confederate army of Mississippi back into defensive lines. -
Election of 1864
An election that took place in the midst of the civil war in which the Current President, Abraham Lincoln ran against and easily defeated his opponent l George B. McClellan. -
“Bleeding Kansas” (1856)
A small civil war between the people favoring and the people against slavery in the New Territory of Kansas caused by problems that came with the Kansas Nebraska act. -
Lincoln’s assassination (1865)
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln who was the current president at the time. He was assassinated by popular actor John Wilkes Booth while Lincoln was watching a play in Fords Theater. He died the following morning at 7:22am. -
13th amendment (1865)
The 13th amendment to the constitution that officially abolished slavery in the entire U.S. expect for punishment for a crime. -
Freedmen’s Bureau (1865)
Established by congress in 1865 to help provide aid to the millions of former slaves in the aftermath of the civil war. It helped to provide housing, legal aid, food, clothing, and other needed aid. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
The first Federal Law of The U.S. to define citizenship and to state that all citizens were protected equally under the law. Created mainly to protect the rights of people of African descent. -
Military reconstruction (1867)
Acts that divided the south into 5 military districts, each district being placed under military leadership during which only approved voters were able to vote, and the states were required to ratify the 13th and 14th amendments. -
14th amendment (1868)
Along with the 13th amendment it was one of the reconstruction amendments. It extended the liberties and rights established in the bill of rights to all former slaves. -
15th amendment (1870)
The amendment that prohibits the Government from denying a citizen the right to vote based on race and/or color. It is also the 3rd and last of the reconstructive amendments -
Election of 1876
One of the most contentious and controversial elections in the U.S. In it, Rutherford B. Hayes faced and defeated Democrat Samuel Tilden. -
Compromise of 1877
An informal deal that settled the disputed presidential election of 1876. It resulted with the federal government pulling troops out of the south, and formally ended the reconstruction era.