Timeline of 1850 - 1861

  • Uncle Tom's Cabin

    Uncle Tom's Cabin
    Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe, in this book she talks about slavery and a slave experience. This book angered the South because it exposes slavery, and shows the North the horrors of slavery. This book was a cause of the Civil War.
  • Bloody Kansas

    Bloody Kansas
    Bloody Kansas was violence in Kansas due to slavery. This was mainly between pro-slavery and anti-slavery people, which led to the new territory of Kansas. Due to this, it built up tensions between the North and South, foreshadowing a national civil war.
  • Republican Party

    Republican Party
    One of the main goals of the Republican Party was to abolish slavery and protect the rights of African Americans after the Civil War. They didn’t want to abolish slavery right away, but to prevent it from expanding west. Since many people in the South did not want to abolish slavery they were not happy about this.
  • Kansas Nebraska Act

    Kansas Nebraska Act
    The Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise and divided the northern and southern territories into two territories, Kansas and Nebraska. Douglas introduced this bill because he argued in favor of popular sovereignty, and that new settlers of the new territories had the opportunity to decide if slavery could be legal there.
  • John Brown

    John Brown
    John Brown was an abolitionist, he was one of the main contributors to the Bleeding Kansas. He had raids, one of his main was Harper Ferry, but most of them were unsuccessful. He started an armed revolt of enslaved people to try and take down slavery. Many of the Southerners viewed these raids as a large Northern scheme to attack the South.
  • Election 1856

    Election 1856
    The election of 1856 was between James Buchanan and John Fermont. Buchanan won the election and the South liked this because they knew that the Democrats were pro-slavery and this could spread slavery.
  • Brooks-Sumner lncident

    Brooks-Sumner lncident
    The Brooks Sumner Incident was where South Carolina representative Preston Brooks beat Senator Charles Sumner with a gold-headed cane. Charles Sumner had given a two-day speech addressing “The Crime Against Kansas” This is why Preston Brooks was mad at Charles. This could represent the hate between the North and South.
  • LeCompton Constitution

    LeCompton Constitution
    The LeComptonwas a document that contained clauses that protected slavery, and a bill of rights excluding free blacks. It also prohibited free blacks from entering this state. This also split the North and South, but also the Democratic Party.
  • Dred Scott

    Dred Scott
    Dred Scott was an enslaved African American who tried to fight for his freedom. Scott took this to court and tried to get his rights, but he remained a slave. He was an African American, so they didn't have the right to sue for their freedoms because they were only considered property. Congress had no authority to ban slavery from federal territory.
  • Lincoln Douglas Debates

    Lincoln Douglas Debates
    They were a series of political debates between Abraham Lincoln, and Stephen Douglas they both wanted one of the Illinois Senate seats. They had both agreed on debating in the seven of the nine Illinois Congressional Districts. They talked about slavery and the battle over its extension into new territories.
  • House Divided Speech

    House Divided Speech
    The House Divided Speech was a speech given by Abraham Lincoln, in which he addressed his opinion on slavery. He also stated that slavery could divide the nation, and weaken it. The Southerners viewed this as another Northern trying to threaten their slave-based life.
  • Harper's Ferry

    Harper's Ferry
    Harper’s Ferry was a raid led by John Brown. This was to initiate a slave revolt in Southern states. It also convinced slaveholders that abolitionists put an end to slavery. The South was angered because this could lead to a civil war.
  • Election 1860

    Election 1860
    The election of 1869 was Abraham Lincoln (Republican) against John Breckinridge(Democrat), Stephen Douglas(Democrat), and John Bell a ConstitutionalUnion candidate. The main issue was slavery and the state's rights. Lincoln ended up winning the race, which led to the Civil War. The Southern states started to succeed by forming the Confederate States of America.
  • Secession

    Secession
    South Carolina threatened separation when the Continental Congress wanted to tax all of the colonies based on the total population, which included the slaves. South Carolina had claimed their secession from the Union, this influenced 10 more states to secede. 4 states were still loyal to the Union which included Marland, Delaware, Kentucky, and Missouri. Secession precipitated the Civil War.
  • Lincoln's 1" lnaugural Address

    Lincoln's 1" lnaugural Address
    Lincoln's first inaugural address was towards mostly the South because of the division they had with the North. Wished for a more peaceful resolution between the conflicts of the North and South. Lincoln made it clear that the North did not have the right to allow secession. He did this address because he wanted to prevent the Civil War and keep the nation together rather than be divided.