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Slavery
Slaves were first brought to the United States to Jamestown in 1619. Initially slaves tended to tobacco field in mostly the Chesapeake area. As time went on, cotton became the prominent crop, and with the invention of the cotton gin in 1793, the cotton industy boomed, as did the slave industry. These African-American slaves were treated as subhuman, parts of property. Slaves mostly lived on plantations in the South. (Source1) -
Period: to
13th Amendment
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Revolutionary War
During the American Revolutionary War, slaves fought on both sides of the war front. Around 5,000 slaves earned their freedom fighting in the war, but many other slaves ran away while their owners were fighting at war. According to my source, there were 5,000 runaways in just Georgia alone.
(Source 2) -
Causes of the Civil War
Ranging from 1820-1860, there were many factors that went into the start of the Civil War. They include: Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Dred Scott Case, and Succession. All these factors are surrounded by slavery.
(Source 6) -
Abolition
Although there were other forms of abolition, 1852 may be considered the height of this movement. Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the powerful novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin. Stowe wrote this novel in response to the Fugitive Slave Act. This gave people a real insight to how cruel slavery and slaveowners were in the South.
(Source 1) -
Start of Civil War
Fighting began on this date at Fort Sumter in South Carolina. The outbreak of war resulted from the succession of the Southern states. Seven states left prior to the fighting, and four succeeded shortly after the fighting began. The top issue in fighting was slavery.
(Source 3) -
Emancipation Proclamation
Before this document, there were other attempts on freeing and ending slavery. Some ideas included letting slaves serve in the Union Army. However, nothing was more successful than the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln clearly stated that all slaves in the the United States or areas in rebellion (Confederacy) shall be granted freedom.
(Source 5) -
Proposals of the 13th
Two similar proposals were introduced to stride towards the eventually 13th Amendment. James Ashley of Ohio and James Wilson of Iowa, both were Republican Congressmen. These proposals were somewhat different, but both showed the importance of ending slavery.
(Source 4) -
Final Proposal
Senator John Henderson of Missouri took Ashley's and Wilson's proposal and merged to make his own proposal. The Senate Judiciary Committe under Lyman Thrumball altered this amendment to make it Constitutional as a "proof read." The abolition movement was growing and growing at this time.
(Source 4) -
Ratification
There were no Conferderate States present during the passage through Congress. There was still much debate about passing this through Congress, but it was then given to the states to decide on February 1, 1865, and they ratified a month later by 18 states. This Amendment became apart of the Constitution on December 6, 1865 freeing and ending slavery in the United States.
(Source 7) -
End of Civil War
A peace treaty was signed at the Appomatax Courthouse. The North defeated the South, and the Southern states were forced to rejoin the Union, and under the 13th Amendment, their slaves were FREE
(Source 3) -
Jim Crow Laws
Slaves were given freedom, but they were not free. Jim Crow Laws were passed in the South, and this made segregation legal. Blacks were hated in and discriminated. The Ku Klux Klan was a group that took it to the extreme, lynching many blacks.
(Source 8) -
Civil Rights Act
Although in the 1860's African-Americans were freed from slavery, however they did not have a free life. After much struggle, and a lot of fighing during the Civil Rights Movement, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed all discrimination. This bill was proposed by John F Kennedy, but signed by Lyndon B Johnson following the Kennedy Assasination.
(Source 9)
