-
Slavery Started
After the colonist settled in America, the slave trade begun. America traded rum for Africans to use as slaves. In Jamestown, Virginia, about 20 captured Africans were sold to white men in the British American colonies. -
Slavery is Legalized
Slavery became legal in America. Assemblies in colonial America made slave codes that gave the slaves restrictions to what they can do and protected the ability to have slaves. -
Slavery Against the Constitution
Slavery still remained to be a legal institution in the thirteen colonies even though the Declaration of Independence says "All men are created equal". -
Vermont Leads the Chain
Vermont made constitution to ban slavery. After that, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey all emancipate slavery over the next 25 years. -
The Northwest Ordinance bans Slavery
The Ordinance bans slavery in the northern states like Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin, which later would become the Union Army. A free North was created when emancipation laws were made. -
Constitution Enacts Fugitive Slave Law
This law allows slaveowners to go into different states to get their slaves back. The Northern states reacted by letting the fugitive slaves have the rights to habeas corpus, a testimony, and a jury trial when they go to court with their owners. The Northern states also punish the slave catches for capturing free slaves instead of fugitive slaves by passing anti-kidnapping laws. -
Congress Bans Importation of Slaves
America isn't allowed to get any more slaves but internal slave trading within the states that slavery is still legal. -
William Lloyd Garrison Creates an Abolitionist Newspaper
The newspaper, "The Liberator", was centered in the South. It was for abolitionist. It talked about slave owners releasing their slaves and free slaves making their own settlements. This newspaper caused a great shift in the abolitionist movement. -
Nat Turner and the Virginia Rebellion
A Virginia slave, Nat Turner, lead his fellow slaves in a rebellion against slavery. He and other slaves killed 57 white white men, but the rebellion resulted as a failure when 200 slaves were killed. The Virginia legislature rejected the bill to emancipate slaves in Virginia. As more people started fearing the slaves and more people wanted to end slavery, legislatures in the south made their slave codes a lot more harsh. -
The Supreme Court and the Fugitive Slave Law
The Supreme Court supported the Fugitive Slave Law of 1793, which stated that slave owners had the right to go find their runaway slaves, in the Prigg vs. Pennsylvania. The Supreme Court also says that states should not be forced to participate in the enforcement of the fugitive Slave Law. Then, 9 states made a law saying that state officials couldn't cooperate with the return of alleged fugitive slaves. -
The Compromise of 1850
Henry Clay brought The Compromise of 1850 in Congress as a bill to settle arguments from the result of the Mexican War. It was first divided into several parts by STephen Douglas before it was passed. California becomes a free state and enters the Union. The Slave Trade ends in Washington D.C..Support for the Fugitive Slave Law increases. Utah and New Mexico Territories turn into slavery zones based on the majority vote. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin .he novel shows slavery as evil and it treats southern white men sympathetically. The villain of the book is a slave owner. The book was banned in the South but a bestseller in the North. -
Westward Population Growth With Stephen Douglas
Stephen Douglas wanted to expand population growth to the west for a transcontinental railroad. In advance, he introduced bill to make Kansas and Nebraska Territories. To get support for this bill, he tells the southerners that slavery in the Kansas and Nebraska territories would be based on majority vote. -
Bleeding Kansas
There was so much controversy within the pro-slavery and anti-slavery that is caused a miniature civil war in Kansas, called Bleeding Kansas. -
The Attack on Lawrence
A slavery group attacks the antislavery town of Lawrence. They destroyed stuff and stole stuff. Abolitionist John Brown and his followers attacked a slavery settlement at Pottawatomie Creek. They killed 5 men. By the time it was over, 200 Kansans were killed and $2 million worth of property was destroyed. -
Dred Scott Case
Due to majority opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that Dred Scott was still a slave and he can't sue anyone. They also said that African Americans are not U.S. citizens even if they are free because the Constitution didn't state any rights for them. They also said that the territorial or federal government can ban slavery so that makes the Northwest Ordinance and the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional. -
Pro-Slavery vs Anti-Slavery Kansas
Two territorial legislatures were formed as a result of the rivalry between the pro and anti slavery people in Kansas. The pro slavery side at Lecompton creates a constitution to make Kansas a slave state. The anti slavery side refuses to vote on the constitution. The constitution is sent to Congress but Stephen Douglas said it wasn't based on the major vote, so it was sent back to Kansas. This time the anti slavery side voted and the constitution was defeated by a lot. -
Abraham Lincoln vs Stephen Douglas
Republicans in Illinois nominate Abraham Lincoln for U.S. Senate. He delivered his "House Divided" speech when he accepted the U.S. Senate job. In the speech, he meant that the United States couldn't handle the nation being half slavery and half free. Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas had debates in towns across the state for the first time and Stephen Douglas ended up winning, but Abraham becomes a contender for the 1860 United States Presidential nomination. -
John Brown Fails
John brown was an abolitionist and a veteran of "Bleeding Kansas". He fails as he attempts to steal the weaponry in Harper's Ferry, Virginia and use them for an anti slavery rebellion. Brown and his conspirers were caught hanged. -
Civil War Began
Abraham Lincoln was elected for President. A war broke out between the Confederacy and the Union. It was a battle so see if the United States would be anti slavery or pro slavery. -
Civil War Ended
The Civil War ended after General Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union. It resulted in a Union victory. Slavery was finally over in the United States. -
Emancipation Proclamation
President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation stating that all slaves in the Confederate states must be freed.
