Timeline of Key Events

By hsp3945
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    Slave Revolts

    Although slave revolts were rare, there were three main revolts that disrupted the southerner’s life. Prosser and his followers ended up executed, Vesey had a good plan but failed, and Turner killed 60 white men, but were executed in the end also. Prosser, Vesey, and Turner’s revolts were all unsuccessful, but showed the growing slave’s resistance against slave owners and slavery itself.
  • Slidell mission to Mexico

    Polk sent John Slidell to Mexico to negotiate with them. He was supposed to recognize the Rio Grande as the border, purchase Texas, and purchase California. Mexico refused to talk. This caused tension between Mexico and the US, which eventually will lead to the Mexican-American War.
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    The Mexican-American War

    The Mexican-American War resulted in gaining half million square miles of land. It allowed the US to expand further Pacific Ocean. With the new addition of land, it allowed people to move to California, where gold was discovered. This new land also brought up the question of whether the new admited states would be a free or a slave state.
  • Compromise of 1850

    There were five parts of the Compromise of 1850 which included that California would be admitted as a free state, new fugitive slave law would be enacted, and popular sovereignty. Its goal was to be the solution to the growing national division, although it did not last.
  • Uncle Tom's Cabin

    A book written by, Harriet Beecher Stowe, created an outrage in the south. This book created a new outlook on slavery to people in the North. It was one of the factors that led to the Civil War.
  • Gadsden Purchase

    The Gadsden Purchase included small southwestern lands which were where stage lines ran. This small piece of land had railroads which were necessary for domestic trading.
  • Kansas Nebraska Act

    Kansas-Nebraska were on the border between the North and the South. The people in these territories could vote whether they wanted slavery or not (popular sovereignty). It repealed the Compromise of 1820. It also lead to "Bleeding Kansas" because there were many deaths between pro and anti slavery. This was a factor to the Civil War.
  • Panic of 1857

    The Panic of 1857 began with the failure of the Ohio Life Insurance Company, and it caused anger with northerners and they blamed the southerners. It effected the North greatly, but only barely effected the South. This added to tension between the North and the South, which eventually led to the Civil War.
  • Dred Scott Case

  • John Brown's Raid

    John Brown had a massive plan to end slavery. Unfortunately his plan did not follow through. His death was seen as a martyr, and was the final push towards Civil War.
  • Ten Percent Plan

    Lincoln’s proclamation was called the Ten Percent Plan,
    when ten percent of the voting population had taken the oath, that state could have a new government put in place. It was the first step toward reconstruction after the North won the Civil War. Republicans feared that the southerner's old ways will come back. They also thought that it was not harsh or punishable enough towards the South.
  • Civil Rights Act

    This Act protected the rights of African Americans after the Civil War. It was passed by the Congress. It was vetod by Andrew Johnson, but it was override by Congress again. This started the tension between Andrew Johnson and Congress.
  • Wade-Davis Bill

    The Wade-Davis Bill was proposed by two Republicans. It was proposed after Lincoln's 10 Percent Plan, it was less lenient, it reqquired seceded states to take an oath to the Ironclad. Lincoln did not sign because he thought it would not successfully repair the Union.
  • Assissination of President Lincoln

    The assassination of President Lincoln brought the presidency of Andrew Johnson, and eventually brought his own plan of reconstruction, Amnesty Proclamation, which was similar to the Ten Percent Plan.
  • Amnesty Proclamation

    The Amnesty Proclamation was the reconstruction plan proposed by President Andrew Johnson. It was similar to Lincoln's 10 Percent Plan, but went farther than Lincoln’s in terms of punishing the south. Any confederate who owned taxable property & excessive $20,000 would not be pardoned,but excused them if they petitioned him for a personal pardon. Also required the seceded states to hold conventions to repeal their ordinance of secessions and ratify their 13th amendment.
  • Joint Committee of Reconstruction

    Congress formed the Joint Committee of Reconstruction, it states that souther. states had forfeited “all civil and political rights under the Constitution”. Southern legislators were denied federal representation until they had met Congress’ conditions for regaining their statehood, and claimed that Congress can only determine if, when, and how Reconstruction would take place.Reconstruction proclamation is demonstrated in the Fourteenth Amendment.
  • Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

    Congress tried to impeach President Andrew Jonson because they were angry that he kept vetoing acts. His trial lasted 11 weeks, and escaped the removal just by one vote. He was brought for "high crimes", but he did not commit.
  • 14th Amendment

    It was one of the three amendents after the Civil War to gaurentee black rghts. Congress passed the 14th Amendment to extend the liberities and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to former slaves. Stated that all people had equal protection under the law.
  • Election of 1868

    It was the first election where blacks could vote. Republican victories in the south depended on blacks. Texas, Mississippi and Virginia could not vote because they were not yet part of the Union. Ulysses S. Grant was elected as president.
  • Compromise of 1877

    The Compromise of 1877 settled the tensions in the Election of 1876. It also ended the Reconstruction Era. It stated that it would recognize Hayes as president.