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Creation of the Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney was the inventor of the cotton gin. It was created to spin out debris in cotton and make cotton picking and cleaning faster. The creation of the cotton gin increased the production and value of cotton, making it a cash crop. This increased the need for slave labor, and contributed to the increase of slavery in America. -
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American Industrial Revolution
A change in the way consumer goods are made in America. Instead of handmade goods, products were mass made by machines in factories. The industrial revolution led to an increased need for labor. In the north the need was mostly immigrant and factory worker based, in the south the need for work was filled with slave labor. This created two very different regions in the country with different economic and social norms. -
Louisiana Purchase
The purchase of a large amount of land from France by Jefferson. It was the start of the early expansion of America to the west. This purchase strengthened the power of the president to buy land. It also encouraged westward expansion and led to tensions between people who were pro and anti slavery. -
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The Second Great Awakening
A period in time where there was a renewed social importance for religion. Many people converted to Protestant Christianity. It preached the values of perfectionism and equality for all. The movement helped lead to many antebellum reform topics. Because of preaching equality in heaven it led many to start to view slavery as immoral and it brought up questions about abolition. It also helped spark the women's rights movement. -
Missouri Compromise
An effort to keep the balance between slave states and free states, where Missouri was created as a slave state, and Maine as a free state. This helped maintain a balance of slave and free states to avoid having to talk about slavery in the government. It was later ruled unconstitutional for the way it tried to limit slavery. It helped to momentarily ease tensions between the North and South. -
Nullification Crisis (President Jackson)
The Jackson administration imposed tariffs on British imported goods to help support the northern economy, and the American economy as a whole. The south did not like this and they stopped paying the tariff on the theory that the states could issue their own rules. Jackson threatened to bring the army to enforce the federal tariff. This set the precedent that state governments were not as powerful as the federal government. -
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Nat Turner’s Rebellion
A staged slave rebellion where where slaves revolted against their masters and killed them. Men, women and children were all killed. This was done in an attempt to free enslaved people from slavery. His revolt was unsuccessful. Though many white people were killed, it led to increased slavery laws and repression. However, it did bring awareness to the fact that slaves were not happy, and that they were not just docile servants. -
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Mexican American War
People from the South and all over America wanted to move into Texas following a belief of manifest destiny. They thought that the West was a promise land given by God, and that it was their right to live there. However, Mexico owned this land. This caused a border and land dispute that turned into war between Mexico and America. The war led to America acquiring parts of Mexico. America created Texas and California and westward expansion grew. -
California Gold Rush
After Gold was found in California, over 40 thousand people migrated there in search of gold to become rich. This led to California having enough people to apply for statehood. It applied and was accepted as a free state in the Union. This created tensions between abolitionists and people who wanted to expand slavery to the West. -
The Compromise of 1850
A compromise to please both the southern and northern states in the Union on the topic of slavery. Washington DC was still kept as a slave state, however it was decided that no enslaved people would be sold or bought inside of the state. It also brought popular sovereignty to the table as an option to allow the people of the states to decide on the topic of slavery, keeping the issue out of congress. -
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Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”
She created a book about the lives of enslaved individuals on plantations. It brought awareness to the problem of slavery, and it swayed many people to the side of abolition. It also discredited the myth of the happy slave as it showed the true reality of some of the things enslaved people faced. -
Frederick Douglas gives his July 4th speech
Frederick Douglas gave a speech on the fifth of July about the hypocrisy in America. He spoke to the fact that despite valuing itself as a land of the free, many Americans were still enslaved. This speech inspired many people to support the idea of abolition. It helped further the advance of the abolition movement. -
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“Bleeding Kansas”
People from all over America flooded into the borders of Kansas to try and sway the vote of whether Kansas would be a free or slave state to their side. There was a lot of death and fighting associated with the event. Kansas entered the union as a free state. This upset many people who wanted to expand slavery westward. It also increased tensions between abolitionists and people for pro-slavery. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska act allowed all remaining territories to decide if they would be a slave or free state by the process of popular sovereignty. It embodied democracy and many people liked the idea, however because the territories are part of the Louisiana Purchase they are above the mason dixon line stating that they must become free states. It led to the question about why some laws can be ignored but others are followed. -
Attack on Charles Sumner
Charles Sumner was an abolitionist from Massachusetts and he was brutally beaten on the Senate floor. Many supporters of Sumner getting beaten were pleased, however, the majority of the people thought that the issue had gone too far, and that there was too much divide in the Senate. It lead to even greater tension between pro and anti-slavery officials. -
Dred Scott v Sanford
Dred Scott was an enslaved man who traveled with his enslaver to a free state and free territory. After his enslaver died, he sued Sanford for the right to be a free man. The court ruled he was not a citizen because he was black so he did not have grounds to sue. Additionally, slaves were considered property of citizens so it was illegal to sue for freedom. Finally, the Missouri compromise was declared unconstitutional and Congress did not have the right to decide where slavery could expand. -
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Raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown led a group of followers to end slavery because he thought God wanted him to carry out his work. He gathered black slaves and white supporters and lead a raid in the South in an effort to stop slavery. Many people died, and Brown and his followers were killed for treason. The event also impacted southern militias. The southern military began to grow and become more professional and powerful. Southern militaries grew suddenly and rapidly as they prepared for a war. -
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln was elected for president in the Election of 1860. He won with less than 40% popularity, however, the majority of electoral college members voted for him. Ten states in the South did not even have Lincoln on the ballot. The south did not like this decision. They felt like their votes and voices were unheard.They felt ignored by the North and they did not like that their views on slavery would not be accepted. This led to the succession of 11 southern states from the union. -
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Southern Secession
11 southern states succeeded from the Union, and began their own government. This was based on the topic of slavery, and the fact that their voices were not being heard in the government. The South was no longer a part of the Union. This led to the North gathering its militia. Tensions rose and the war deciding the fate of slavery in America began. -
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Shots fired at Ft. Sumpter
This was the official start of fighting in the American Civil War. Union troops (northern troops) stationed at Ft. Sumter in South Carolina were attacked by the South Carolina militia. Union troops lost and surrendered the fort to the Confederate militia. Unlike previous acts of violence, this was the first time violence broke out between organized military troops. Fighting in the Civil War would continue for 4 more years after this event.