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Declaration of Independence
The United States of America is formed, slavery remains an issue amongst the 13 colonies. It is agread that the issue will not be brought up in the coming years. At this time, all the colonies have very different ideas of how the nation should be formed. -
Missouri Compromise
Of the 22 current states, 11 accepted slavery and 11 did not. With the formation of Missouri, Senator Henry Clay created a compromise in which Missouri would be a slave state and Maiine to be free. Shows the division between the states at the time. Although it was a 50/50 split, the North had a much stronger economic advantage.
Slaves were usually kidnapped from their homes in Africa and brought over to be sold as cargo. -
Electing Lincoln
Southern Democrates were agaisnt slavery, and Northern republicans agaisnt it. In 1860, Lincoln, a republican won the office of the presidency. In the south, many people were worried for their future. Although Lincoln won, his views were not of a hardcore abolistionist. Instead, he filled his cabinet with his political rivals. -
Secession
South Carolina secedes from the union, forming the Confederate States of America. 10 other states would soon join. They followed almost the exact same structure of the union, yet enforced slavery. Jefferson Davis was elected president. -
Fort Sumter
Forts and reserves were property of the federal government, yet some of them were within the territory of the CSA. Confederate forces laid seige to Fort Sumter. Aid was called from the Union, but came too late. This sparked the war. Lincoln used this to drive on his campaign for reunification. -
Anaconda Plan/bull run
Union planned on defeading the south by strangling them of supplies. This meant a naval blockade from the sea to choke off the south. Confederate forces repelled the advance from the north. Numerous other battles would end in defeat for the Union -
Naval fighting
New age of naval warfare begins, with iron ships dominating the old wooden ones. The confederates are far outpaces in manufacturing them by the north, and promptly looses any advantage in the sea. -
Emancipation Proclamation
With this act, Lincoln freed the slaves. The war was still going on at the time, sonot all states recognized this. As the union continued gaining territory, so did the influence of the act. The act also did not free any slaves living in the states that had yet to seceede, for fear of loosing power -
Gettysburg
The first battle the confederates fought in the north, the idea was to cut off washington from the rest of the country and force the union to end the war. over 160 000 soldieres fought at gettysburg, and the union proved victorious. both forces suffered many loses. after this, the Union began winning more and more battles. -
10% Plan
Early reconstruction of the south. if 10% of citizens swore an oath to the union, the state would be allowed to elect a government and rejoin the nation. they must also recognize emancipation. radical republicans argued that this plan was too soft, and did not punish the south enough. It would prove to be very difficult to reunite the country while appeasing the north. -
Grant appointed commander/ATLANTA BURNS
Known for being a ruthless soldier, Grant ordered "total war" in which homes, farms, and other capturede propert would be burned. When appointed, he wanted to terroize the south and break their will to fight. General William Shermans union army captured Atlanta. The city was burned and they advanced. -
Gettysburg adress
Given a year after the war, the adress was hailed a sucess for not blaming any one side for the war. It also focused on pushing forward with the war, lest the efforts of the fallen be in vain. The adress was very short, and was regarded as a failure by Lincoln, although praised by the public. -
LINCOLN REELECTED
Appointed Andrew Johnson as his vice president, lincoln ran agaisnt General George Mcclellan, a guy he previously fought with. mcclellan believed in negotiating with the south,. the sucess of the union army in atlanta spurred lincoln to another term. -
Reconstruction
Lincoln gives his second inaugural adress, blaming neither one side for the war. Instead, he blamed it as divine punishment for slavery. he ended it with words encouraging reconcilliation between north and south. -
SURRENDER
Union forces advanced to Richmond, the confederate capital. Lee abadoned the town, and surrendered at Appomattox Court House in virginia. Jefferson davis flead to texas. at the time, no one wanted to fight any longer. The north was winning more and more battles 360000 dead for union, 200000 for confederacy. -
Lincoln assasinated
Lincoln was shot in the ford theatre by an angry confederate sympatheizer, John Wilkes Booth. It was a disaster. the slaves were anrgy at loosing their hero. the north lost their leader. the south lost their chance of a peaceful reintegration with the union, and be at them ercy of the north. Lincoln's vice president Johnson was sworn in as the new president without a vote. Bookes was killed in a standoff. -
14th ammendment
Southern states had emposed laws called "Black codes" which limited oppertunities for jobs, land ownership, interracial marriage. The new ammendment made it illegal for states to pass such laws. It also restricted the rights of former confederate politicians from running for congress. -
Reconstruction act / Johnson
Enacted by Andrew Johnson's government, was pushed by the radical republicans, It imposed harsh restrictions on the south. if they did not voluntarily give male slaves the right to vote,lf they refused, military power could step in. Johnsons indecsion to deal with the south harshly lead to an attempt to impeach him by congress. He kept his seat by 1 vote. -
15th Ammendment
Forced through by congress to Missispi, Texas and Virginia. It made it illegal to deny the right to vote to anyone based on race or color, and gave congress the power to enforce this law. -
KKK
White southeners who wanted to screw up reconstruction, and keep power to the former slave owners. They attacked slaves, northeners out to provide aid, and tries to mess up govenment elections. Many high ranking government officials were also invovled in the KKK. Police inqueries often turned up nothing. North carolina called in the military to deal with them. many KKK were former confederate soldiers. -
ECONOMIC SLAVERY (SHARECROPPING)
Many former slaves were given an oppertunity to work on the plantation. Families would be given land and cultivate it, in exchange for returning a half of all profits to the owner. many slavers would have their landownders advance them the seeds needed, and were essential slaves again, unable to pay off a growing debt. -
Freedmans bureau
Congess organized the Freedmans bureau to give assistance to former slaves that had no idea on how to survive. they supported over 3000 schools, gave out food and clothing.
these were run by northeners. nothereners who used this as an oppertunity to gain wealth were labbeled CARPETBAGGERS, and were targeted by the KKK. -
Corruption
President Grant does not run for another term, Exhausted by the corruption aorund him. Democratic candidate Tilden won more votes than his republican rival Hayes, but does not win. Florida, south carolina, lousina report conflicting victories. Hays eventually wins. The nation continues into a depression. The war has put a great toll on the nation.