-
Eli Whitney Puts a Patent on His Design of the Cotton Gin
On March 14th, 1794, Eli Whitney puts a patent on his design of the Cotton Gin. Whitney's invention made the Southern states of the United States the leading producers of cotton in the world. Before this machine, cotton was very difficult to harvest. In order to use the cotton to make clothing, you first had to pick all of the seeds out of it. But now, with this new machine, a single worker could clean as much as fifty pounds of cotton a day. Slavery increased, more slaves meant more cotton. -
Missouri Compromise
-
Compromise of 1850
After gold was discovered in 1848, there were plenty people living in Californina that it should be its own state. The question was; should California be a slave state or a free state? Naturally, slave states wanted it admitted as a slave state and free wanted it as a free state. Thats when the Compromise of 1850 was put into place. The two major points of the compromise where:
1. California would become a free state, making 16 free states and 15 slave states
2. The Fugitive Slave Law -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was a novel published by a women named Hariet Beecher Stowe and was officially published on March 20th, 1852. The novel told of the evils of slavery, and convinced many Northerners as well as Europeans, many of which who had never seen slavery or the plantations they work and live on, that slavery was inhuman and cruel. This kept Europe out of our Civil War, as they did not want to become involved with slavery. -
Kansas - Nebraska Act
-
Dred Scott Descision
-
Lincoln - Douglas Debates
-
Election of Abraham Lincoln
On November 6th, 1858, a Republican by the name of Abraham Lincoln was elected into office, much to the dismay of the Southern slave states. They were infuriated that Lincoln was now president. The slave states were very worried that Lincoln would not only stop the spread of slavery to the new frontiers, but also abolish slavery in the South. Without slavery, how would the South be able to keep up their production of over four million bales of cotton a year? They wouldn't be able to. -
John Brown's Attack on Harper's Ferry
-
Secession of South Carolina
Almost immediately after they recieved word of Abraham Lincoln becoming president, South Carolina seceeded from the Union. They no longer wanted to be part of a nation that was under the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. They were quickly followed by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. They formed the Confederate States of America, or the Confederacy for short. -
Rebel Force's Attack on Fort Sumter
