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In Massachusetts, a woman named Mum Bett sued for her freedom and won, leading to the abolition of slavery in the state. -
The U.S. Constitution counted enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person for purposes of taxation and representation. -
Established procedures for territories to become states and prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territory. -
Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, a machine that efficiently separated cotton fibers from seeds. -
A period of rapid industrial growth in the North, characterized by advancements in manufacturing and infrastructure. -
The U.S. acquired approximately 828,000 square miles of land from France, doubling the nation's size. -
A religious revival movement emphasizing individual responsibility and the potential for social reform. -
Admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining the balance between slave and free states; also prohibited slavery north of the 36°30′ parallel. -
A violent slave uprising in Virginia led by Nat Turner, resulting in the deaths of approximately 60 white individuals. -
Conflict between the U.S. and Mexico, resulting in the U.S. acquiring vast territories in the West. -
Discovery of gold in California led to a mass migration to the state, accelerating its admission to the Union. -
A series of laws aimed at resolving disputes over slavery, including admitting California as a free state and enacting a stricter Fugitive Slave Act. -
Douglass delivered a speech highlighting the hypocrisy of celebrating freedom while enslaving millions. -
Allowed territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether to permit slavery, effectively repealing the Missouri Compromise. -
A series of violent confrontations in Kansas between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions. -
Senator Charles Sumner was physically assaulted on the Senate floor by Representative Preston Brooks after delivering an anti-slavery speech. -
Supreme Court decision stating that African Americans were not citizens and that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories. -
Abolitionist John Brown led an armed raid on a federal arsenal in Virginia, aiming to incite a slave revolt. -
Eleven Southern states seceded from the Union after Abraham Lincoln's election, forming the Confederate States of America. -
Abraham Lincoln was elected President without carrying a single Southern state. -
This was the official start of the fighting in the American Civil War. Union troops (Northern troops) stationed at Fort. Sumter in South Carolina were attacked by the South Carolina militia. Union lost and surrendered the fort to the Confederate militia.