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Abolitionist Newspapers
The Liberator was an abolitionist newspaper created by Garrison and Knapp in 1831. The paper was best known for, "immediate and complete emancipation off all slaves." North Carolina charged coauthor Garrison with, "felonious acts", and the South Carolina Vigilance Association put a ($26,000 in today's money) bounty on any distributor of the Liberator. The North Star was created by Frederick Douglass when he was inspired by the Liberator. "Follow the North Star", in reference to runway slaves. -
Hartford Female Seminary
Catharine and Mary Beecher founded the Hartford Female Seminary in 1823. In their school, females learned a wide variety of subjects, not just fine arts. Many schools of the time taught females how to be good mothers also, but Beecher believed in a well rounded education for girls. The Seminary was one of the first major educational centers for women in the United States. -
The Liberty Party
The Liberty Party was formed at a national convention in 1840 Albany, New York. The Liberty party was the first anti-slavery political party. The group wanted to end slavery through political means, and it also allowed female activists to take part. It fought for equal rights and the end of racial discrimination in the north. It became politically insignificant after the election of 1844, because of the lack of supporters. -
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Lowell Female Labor Reform Association
The Lowell girls expectations fell extremely short when they were forced to work 13 workdays, had frequent wage cuts, and terrible living conditions. They then created the LFLRA, and fought for better conditions. Then went on strike, created public petitions, for fought for equality in the workplace. The LFLRA was the first to fight for equality in the workplace, and overall better working conditions. The association encourage others to fight for the cause. -
Irish Migration
The potato famine began in Ireland causing starvation for many of the Irish. This caused many to immigrate to the U.S. Between 1845-1850, the Irish accounted for over half of the immigrants coming into the United States at 500,000. Many nativists opposed their immigration to the states, but many Irishmen found their way into american society. -
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California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began in 1848 when gold was found in Coloma, California. Around 300,000 flocked to California in search of riches; half from over seas, half from land migration. The large amount of migrants only pushed for California becoming a state, and only worsened the conflict of slavery in the United States. American prospectors competed fiercely with the Latin American and Chinese prospectors. By 1850, there was a monthly tax on gold miners. -
The Seneca Falls Convention of 1848
A women's rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York, to discuss the condition of women's rights and treatment in society. The Declaration of Sentiments and Grievances was read at the convention, and it stated the, "Injustices inflicted upon women in the United States and called upon U.S. women to organize and petition for their rights", (HISTORY.) The convention passed 12 resolutions to theoretically give equal rights to women. The convention was the first step towards equal rights. -
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The fall of the Whig Party
The Whig Party split due to the conflict of slavery in and out of the new territories; the Compromise of 1850. All members of the Whig party either switched political parties or quit politics entirely when the party fell apart. Many of the Northern Whigs joined the republican party. A small percentage went to the democratic party. Henry Clay's and Daniel Webster's deaths also severely weakened the Whig Party. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe published, "Uncle Tom's Cabin", in 1852. It was the best selling novel of it's time and it influenced many northerners to become abolitionists. The novel was said to lay the groundwork to the civil war. Abraham Lincoln even said to Stowe when he met her, "So you're the little lady who started up this great war?" -
Kansas Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska Act was passed by congress on May 30th, 1854. The act let the residents of Kansas and Nebraska have the luxury of popular sovereignty, or the ability to chose whether or not slavery was allowed within the state. Pro-Slavery and Anti-Slavery Americans rushed to the new states to overturn the sovereignty. This caused what is known as, "Bleeding Kansas."
