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First Slave Ship in North America
Isabella was thee name of the Britain slave ship that brought the first 150 slaves to North America, more specifically Philadelphia. This ship would be the first of many more to come. -
Cotton Gin
The cotton gin was a revolutionary machine made by Eli Whitney in 1793 that allowed the sharp seeds to be easily removed from raw cotton. It was much more efficient then doing so by hand and led to a sharp increase in slavery. -
Slave Trade Ban
The slave trade ban did just that: it banned the slave trade. By this point however, most slave communities and plantations had become self-sufficient and no longer required an international slave trade. This did lead to upset from the agricultural south. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise served to sooth tensions that arose with the addition of Missouri to America. It admitted Maine as a free state and Missouri as a slave state which maintained a balance of power. This was one of the first major divides of the United States that would become deeper leading up to the Civil War. -
Liberia Founded
Liberia was founded largely based on U.S. issues. In 1816, white Americans sought to resettle free blacks in Africa to control their population. The resulting state of Liberia would become the second black republic in the world at that time. -
Abolition Movement
The abolitionist movement was a movement to emancipate all slaves and the end of slavery and racial discrimination. The biggest push for the end of slavery was from the industrialized north, which angered the agricultural south. The fight over slavery continued to deepen the divide between the north and south up until the Civil War. -
Nat Turner Rebellion
Nat Turner's Rebellion was a slave rebellion that took place in Southampton County, Virginia and was led by Nat Turner. This uprising lasted for two days before it was put to rest. Many white people were killed and this revolt was a turning point in the fight against slavery and inspired many others to do the same. -
Underground Railroad
Aided by abolitionists, the Underground Railroad was a large series of paths, routes, and safe houses that were used by slaves fleeing the south. Those who ran the underground railroad would help slaves get to the north or Canada. This angered many plantation and slave owners in the south. -
Compromise of 1850
Henry Clay introduced a series of resolutions that would hopefully sooth rising tensions between the north and the south. The compromise was composed of 5 different bills that ended D.C. slave trade, established popular sovereignty, and admitted California as a free state. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The fugitive slave act was part of the compromise of 1850. This act allowed newly freed slaves who ran away to be taken back to the south by their owners. This made the north very upset and cause much turmoil between the north and south. This act also made citizens assist in the search. -
Election of 1860
In the election of 1860, Abraham Lincoln won. This was a turning point because many of the southern states were angry, due to the fact that Lincoln was a Northern Republican and they assumed he would end slavery. This election led to the Succession of South Carolina. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
This book was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and exposed the life of a slave in the south. Uncle Tom's Cabin open the eyes of many northerners the the mistreatment and horrors slaves experienced and strengthened the abolitionist movement. This made the south very upset because of the image depicted of them in the book. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska Act was passed by Congress so that the states themselves could vote a decide if they wanted slavery, also known as popular sovereignty. This act allso repealed the MMisouri Compromise. This set a precendent and trend of popular sovereignty into place and helped to settle many dbates. However it also spurred many arguments. -
"Bleeding Kansas"
Bleeding Kansas was a series of violent events over the status of Kansas, free or slave. Also called the border war, many people who did not live in Kansas decided to go there in order to help their personal cause and to win popular sovereignty. Kansas was eventually admitted as a free state. -
Brooks Attack Sumner
Senator Charles Sumner was a strong abolitionist and Republican. He was making a speech in which he very obviously blasted Senator Andrew Butler. A distant relative of Butler theen assaulted Sumner in order to get back at him for speaking badly of his relative. This fight made the north think of the south as vicious and violent while the south thought of the north as hateful. -
Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott was a slave who lived with his owners in a free state. He attempted to argue his freedom in a court, because he thought living in a free state gained him freedom. The Court decided that no slaves or freed slaves could claim citizenship or therefore argue in court their freedom. This case ignited the abolitionists who believed in their rights. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
These debates were between the Republican Lincoln and the Democratic Douglas, who were both running for president. The coverage was intense but Lincoln eventually came out winning. This big win would help Lincoln to secure his presidency, ultimately leading to the secession of South Carolina and then the Civil War. -
Raid on Harper's Ferry
This raid was an effort by abolitionist John Brown to start and carry out a slave revolt. Brown took over the arsenal at Harper's Ferry. Although he succeeded in securing the weapons, him and his crew were later stopped by a group of marines. This revolt was an example of abolitionists drive and the south's determination to stop it. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln released the Emancipation Proclamation in the 3rd year of the civil war. This document ended all slavery, including in the rebel states. However the south did not recognize this document, due to the fact that they considered themselves to be a separate country. This caused a lot of confusion and tension. -
Thirteenth Amendment
The thirteenth amendment banned all forms of slavery except if it is punishment for a crime. This made Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation very legal and officially apart of the constitution. This made the south upset as they felt their way of life was being threatened. -
Fourteenth Amendment
The fourteenth amendment gives all American-born people, no matter their race, citizenship. This amendment was made after the war, granting all former slaves and freed slaves citizenship which they did not previously have. -
Fifteenth Amendment
The fifteenth amendment grants all men, even African American men, the right to vote. It also did so no matter any previous conditions such as slavery or servitude. This was a big win for racial equality. -
Compromise of 1877
In this agreement, the Democrats agreed to accept the Republican voters as long as they agreed to withdraw soldiers, help spur southern industrialization, appoint Democrats to some southern positions, and to appoint as Democrat to the president's cabinet. The Democrats gave up this presidential election to Hayes under these conditions. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. the Board of Education ended segregation in American public schools. This was a huge step towards equality in the 18th century during the civil rights movement. It originally did not pass but was re-argued and passed. -
Rosa Parks
When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger, she sparked a big movement in civil rights. This led to a series of boycotts that would later end racial segregation on buses. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended all public racial segregation. Needless to say, this was a very huge event in the civil rights movement. President Lyndon Johnson instated this act
