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First issue of the Liberator
The Liberator was written by William Lloyd Garrison, a white abolitionist, who called for an immediate end to slavery. In his first issue of the anti-slavery newspaper, the Liberator, he wrote,"I will be as harsh as truth, and as uncompromising as justice... I will not retreat a single inch- AND I WILL BE HEARD." -
The Compromise of 1850
This act was proposed by Henry Clay, a senator from Kentucky. The parts of this act include that California was added as a free state, the slave trade would be illegal in Washington D.C., and it passed a new Fugitive Slave Act which said anyone who helped a fugitive could be fined or imprisoned. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin published
This novel was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, and became a wildly popular best-seller. This novel portrayed slavery as cruel and brutal. Some people, like the people in the South, opposed the novel and its message, and the novel was banned in the South. -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act Passed
This act was proposed by Stephen A. Douglas, a senator from Illinois . The parts of this act are that popular sovereignty would decide if slavery would be allowed in Kansas and Nebraska territories, and the act repealed the Missouri Comprimise. The northerners dlsliked this act, and the southerners liked this act. -
James Buchanan is Sworn into Office as 15th President
James Buchanan was a diplomat and former congressman. He was nominated for president by the Democratic Party. He won the election with 174 electoral votes. -
Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott was an enslaved African American bought by an doctor in Missouri, a slave state. He and his owner moved to a free land then back to enslaved land. Anti-slavery lawyers helped Scott sue for his freedom, and he claimed he should be free since he had lived in places where slavery was illegal. Eleven years later, the case reached the Supreme Court, and Chief Justice Roger B. Taney decided that Scott was still an enslaved person, not a citizen. -
John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry
John Brown led a group on a raid to Harper's Ferry. He wanted to take over an Arsenal and and give the weapons to enslaved African Americans. However, local citizens and federal troops defeated his raid. In response to this, John Brown received a death sentence. -
Abe Lincoln is Elected President
Abraham Lincoln was a part of the Republican Party, and he was elected the first Republican President of the U.S. He believed that you should leave slavery alone where it existed and ban slavery in territories. -
South Carolina Secedes from the Union
South Carolina said they chose to enter the union voluntarily, and they defined the Constitution as a contract among the independent states. They believed the national government had broken the contract by denying Southern states equal rights in the territories and by not enforcing the Fugitive Slave Act. Therefore, South Carolina argued they had the right to secede. Also, South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union. -
Battle at Fort Sumter Begins
Fort Sumter was a U.S. fort guarding Charleston Harbor, and the fort was in Union territory. Before the battle began, President Lincoln recieved a message from the commander at Fort Sumter saying they were low on supplies. In response to this, Lincoln sent unarmed men with supplies to the fort. The battle begins with Jefferson Davis ordering the Confederate forces to attack. Then, Fort Sumter surrendered, and Lincoln issued a call for troops. This battle was the start of the Civil War. -
First Battle of Bull Run
This battle was the first major battle in the Civil War. It was a victory for the Confederate states, and it took place in northern Virginia near a small river called Bull Run. -
The Emancipation Proclamation goes into Effect
The Emancipation Proclamation is a decree issued by President Abraham Lincoln freeing enslaved people in the parts of the Confederacy still in rebellion on January 1, 1863. -
Battle of Gettysburg Begins
This battle took place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It lasted three days, and it ended up as a victory for the Union. This battle was the largest battle of the Civil War. -
Sherman's March to the Sea Begins
For 36 days, William Sherman led about 60,000 soldiers on a march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. The purpose of this was to scare Georgia’s civilians into leaving the Confederates. -
The Surrender at Appomattox Court House
General Lee and General Grant met at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. General Lee surrendered to General Grant, and the war was officially over. -
Lincoln's Assassination
John Wilkes Booth entered the presidential box at a theater in Washington D.C., and shot Abraham Lincoln. To escape, John Wilkes Booth went to the stage and left out of the back door.
