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The additional land gained after the Mexican-American war caused a slavery dispute. The compromise prohibited slavery north of 36°30' latitude. President Polk wanted to extend the line to the west coast, dividing the Mexican Cession.
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Uncle Tom's Cabin was an influential anti-slavery novel published in 1852. More than 2 million copies were sold within a decade. The book told about the harsh realities of slavery. It is still widely read as a source.
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A court case over the right of slave owners to take their slaves into western territories. This inflamed regional tensions.
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Douglas introduced a bill to divide the remainder of the Louisiana Purchase into two territories. The bill would allow people in each territory to decide on slavery.
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John Brown and his men raided a ferry named Harper's Ferry. His goal was to get all the weapons from it and give them to local slaves to rebel. He had hopes that the slave population would join and that weapons would be supplied to slaves and freedom fighters.
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Abraham Lincoln is elected president.
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South Carolina is the first state to secede from the Union.
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The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed voters to allow or prohibit slavery through popular sovereignty. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups clashed violently during the election of 1852. Abolitionist John Brown and sons killed five pro-slavery men in what was called the Pottawatomie Massacre.
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Mississipi secedes from the Union.
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Florida secedes from the Union.
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Alabama secedes from the Union.
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Georgia secedes from the Union.
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Louisiana secedes from the Union.
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Texas secedes from the Union.
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The Confederate States of America are formed.
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Southern forces were attempting to seize as many Union forces in the South as possible. Lincoln told Southern leaders the North would not fire on the South unless fired upon first. Southern forces fired. The war had begun.
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Northern forces marched from Washington, D.C., expecting a quick victory. After initially pushing the Southern forces back, Southern forces charged at the Union soldiers with their "Rebel Yell", forcing the North to retreat.
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The South had covered an abandoned Northern ship with iron in an effort to break the Union blockade. The North countered with their own ironclad. The ships fought to a draw, but it is considered a Union victory.
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Led General Ulysses S. Grant, the North defeated the South in the bloodiest 2-day battle of the Civil War. Grant earned the reputation as a "butcher" of men. Congress wanted him removed but Lincoln responded: "I can't spare this man, he fights."
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Union forces, led by Admiral David G. Farragut, surprised the South by capturing New Orleans. The city was a major trade city of the South and its capture meant less supplies for Confederate soldiers.
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Due to Gen. McClellan's hesitation the North was attacked by Lee's forces. The North was able to hold off the South in the bloodiest single day battle of the war. The hesitation for McClellan caused Lincoln to replace him. Also, this convinced Lincoln to write/issue the Emancipation Proclamation.
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At Fredericksburg General Burnside mistakenly thought he could charge up a hill and overtake the Confederate. The Union suffered healthy losses and Burnside resigned as general.
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Lincoln understood that taking a stand against slavery would make Britain and France less likely to aid the South. The E.P. freed all slaves within any state in rebellion against the U.S. This allowed African Americans to join the military and led to the 13th Amendment.
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At Chancellorsville, the Confederates scored another victory but at a high cost. General Stonewall Jackson was shot and died 8 days later.
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Northern and Southern forces met by accident at Gettysburg. The first 2 days saw the South push the North back to Cemetery Ridge. On the 3rd day Lee sent General Pickett over the ridge where they were easy targets for the North. The South had to retreat. The failed charge was nicknamed "Pickett's Charge". It ended on July 4, 1863.
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Over 9 months Grant led a siege on Vicksburg, finally gaining victory on July 4, 1863. The North now gained control of the Mississippi River, thus splitting the Confederacy in two. Following this victory President Lincoln named Grant commander of the U.S. Army.
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General William T. Sherman marched his army through Confederate town and destroyed them. This was to show civilians what was like and to have them stop fighting. Ended December 21, 1864.
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After a long battle in Petersburg, Grant broke the Southern lines. On April 2, 1865 Union forces took control of Richmond, VA. Lee tried to resist the capturebut he had no choice but to retreat, thus a surrender. The terms for the surrender were addressed in the Appomattox Courthouse and the Southern troops had to give them 3 days worth of food, they took all their rifles, and they got to keep all the cavalry.
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Lincoln was attending a British comedy at Ford's Theater 2 days after Lee's surrender at Appomattox. John Wilkes Booth slipped into the President's viewing box and shot him in the head. Lincoln died the next morning.
