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First Issue of the Liberator
The Liberator was an abolitionist newspaper founded by William Lloyd Garrison. Garrison called for an immediate end to slavery and rejected a slow approach. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was proposed by Henry Clay. It stated that California could be added as a free state and slavery would be illegal in Washington D.C. It also passed a Fugitive Slave Act, which said anyone who helped a fugitive could be fined or imprisoned. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Published
Harriet Beecher Stowe founded Uncle Tom's Cabin. It portrayed slavery as cruel and brutal, and it delivered the promise of freedom and equality. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act, proposed by Stephen A. Douglas, allowed Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery. It also repealed the Missouri Compromise. South liked this act, but North didn't. -
James Buchanan sworn into office as the 15th President
James Buchanan was from Pennsylvania. He was a diplomat and former member of Congress. James tried to appeal to Southern whites and pushed for the idea of popular sovereignty. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was an enslaved man owned by a doctor. He sued the doctor because he thought being on free soil made him a free man. The Supreme Court ruled against Dred saying that he didn't have the right to sue, was property and can't be taken away, and the Constitution protected slavery. Republicans and antislavery people were outraged. They said it was wicked and a crime. -
John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry
John Brown targeted a storage site for weapons. He planned to arm enslaved people and start a revolt against slaveholders. Half of Brown's group died and the rest were captured, along with John. John Brown was found guilty of treason and murder and hanged. After his death, Northern abolitionists rallied together. Some Northerners rejected Brown's use of violence. Others thought he'd died for a cause. The South feared the North's power. -
Abe Lincoln elected President
Lincoln was part of the Republican party, which didn't want to end slavery, but ban it in new territories. When Lincoln came into office, seven states had seceded. -
South Carolina secedes from the Union
South Carolina was the first state to secede. They said if Lincoln became President, they would secede. It led to seven other secession before Lincoln was President. -
Battle at Fort Sumter begins
Fort Sumter was part of the Union, but they had to surrender it to the Confederates. Lincoln got a message that supplies were low in the Fort, so he sent unarmed men to bring supplies. The Confederates fired on the Union. In the end, nobody was killed, but the Civil War had begun. -
Battle of Bull Run (1st Battle)
The Battle of Bull Run was the first major battle of the war. McDowell's army met the Confederate's small army. Another troop arrived and provided backup for the Confederates. Union troops were forced to retreat, and McDowell was blamed for the loss and replaced by McClellan. -
Emancipation Proclamation goes into effect
The Emancipation Proclamation declared to slaves in rebellious states shall be now and forever free. The Proclamation didn't free any slaves, but it was a turning point in the war. It changed the fight from preserving the Union to human freedom. -
Battle of Gettysburg
This three day battle broke out when Confederates met the Union troops.Union regrouped and added more soldiers. By the second day, neither army had made headway. The Union ceased cannon firing, tricking the Confederates into thinking their cannons were knocked out. The Confederates charged up the hill and were pushed back down by the Union. The victory for the North was at a terrible cost. -
Sherman's March to the Sea Begins
General Sherman marched his troops marched from Atlanta to Savannah in November 1864. They destroyed houses, bridges,and railroads along the way. Sherman's March was very controversial. Some people think that he destroyed the Confederates ability to wage further battle and helped end the war. Others think burning crops, killing livestock, and destroying homes shouldn't be a military objective. -
The Surrender at Appomattox Court House
Confederate General Lee surrendered his troops to Union General Grant. This officially ended the four year Civil War. Days before, General Lee planned to meet up with his other troops and resume fighting. When General Grant cut them off, he was forced to surrender. -
Lincoln's Assassination
Abraham Lincoln was at a play in Ford's Theatre. Jonh Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln in the back of the head and fled. A doctor deduced that he couldn't be saved and wouldn't make it through the night. Union soldiers chased Booth, where he was shot and killed.
