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Slavery and it future are discussed at the constitutional convention
The delegates reach a compromise -- each state is to decide whether they allow slavery. -
The liberator
William Lloyd Garrison had a great influence on the anti-slavery movement. He started a newspaper called The Liberator in 1831. He was one of the first abolitionists to call for an immediate end to slavery. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Published
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote many articles published in Northern newspapers that described the harsh conditions of slavery. All her articles were then published in a book title Uncle Tom's Cabin. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act Passed
Kansas and Nebraska were both above the 36-30 North Latitude, the line marking free states. Stephen Douglas proposed "Popular Sovereignty" which means that each state would choose for itself. Border Ruffians crossed the border to vote and Kansas became a slave state. -
James Buchanan Sworn into Office as 15th President
James Buchanan was the Democratic Candidate from Pennsylvania and supported Popular Sovereignty. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slave of a doctor in Missouri, a slave state. He moved to Illinois and Wisconsin, free states. Anti-slavery lawyers helped Scott sue for his freedom. The court ruled that Scott didnt' have the right to sue, and that the Constitution could not stop slavery. -
John Brown Raid
John Brown led a group on a raid in Harper's Ferry VA. He targeted an arsenal, a storage site for weapons. He helped arm enslaved African Americans to start a revolt against slave holders. The raid was defeated by local citizens and John Brown was found guilty and hung. -
South Carolina Secedes from the Union
South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union. Because of Lincoln's victory, the southern states did not trust the Republican's to protect their rights to slavery. By February of 1861, Texas, Louisianna, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia also seceded and they became known as the Confederate States of America. -
Abraham Lincoln Elected President
Lincoln was the Republican nomination and he ran against Democrat Stephen Douglas. Lincoln won the vote in every Northern state. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter was a US fort on an island guarding Charleston Harbor. They ran out of supplies. Before Lincoln was able to send more supplies, Jefferson Davis ordered Confederate forces to attack the fort. On April 14th, the Union surrendered and the Civil War had begun. -
Battle of Bull Run
First major battle of the Civil War. Confederate General Thomas Jackson earned his title "Stonewall Jackson" and the Confederate Army won. -
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General Sherman Marches to Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the military Savannah Campaign in the American Civil War, conducted through Georgia from November 15 to December 21, 1864 by General Sherman of the Union Army. The campaign began with Sherman's troops leaving the captured city of Atlanta, Georgia, on November 15 and ended with the capture of the port of Savannah on December 21. His forces destroyed military targets as well as industry, infrastructure, and civilian property.
