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Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner, an African American slave, led a slave rebellion. A group of over 70 slaves went into Southampton County, Virginia and viciously killed over 50 people. As a result of this, hundreds of African Americans were killed after the rebellion was put down, even many that weren’t a part of the rebellion. Nat Turner was able to escape when the rebellion was put down, and managed to survive for a while in hiding. Out of the three attempted slave rebellions, it was the most successful, -
Beginning of the Mexican War
The Mexican War occurred between the United States of America and Mexico. It occurred due to several conflicts, such as the annexation of Texas, Mexico owing money to Texans, territory disputes and “Manifest Destiny.” It started when Americans stepped onto Mexican territory, and lasted for over one and a half years. It ended on February 2, 1848, when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was created. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is the treaty which ended the Mexican War. It was signed on February 2,1848. On behalf of America, it was signed by Nicholas Trist and on behalf of Mexico, Luis G. Cuevas, Bernardo Couto, and Miguel Atristain signed it. One of the conditions of this treaty was that America gains control over Texas, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and California. In return, USA paid $15 to Mexico. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was related to the issue of slavery which eventually ended to the Civil War. The Compromise was related to the newly acquired land from the Mexican War, and whether they should be considered slave states or free states. The Compromise was created by Henry Clay, who was also known for the American System proposal. It said that New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah would not be slave states, and slavery would be abolished in the District of Columbia. -
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Act was aimed towards slavery. It was for people living in the North, and it said that all slaves that are captured must be returned to their owners. This was another thing that enraged abolitionists, and it led to them fighting even harder to abolish slavery. -
Publishing of Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe, an abolitionist and author, published the anti-slavery book Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The book talked about the horrors that slaves faced, and because of it, people in the North finally realized what was happening in the South. The book was very influential, becoming the 2nd most popular book of the century. It was one of the major causes of the Civil War. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act could be called one of the causes of the Civil War. This act brought the term "Popular sovereignty." It allowed residents of states to decide whether it would be a slave state or a free state.The act repealed the Missouri Compromise from 1820. -
Bleeding Kansas
“Bleeding Kansas” is the name for a series of battles that took place in and around Kansas. It stated when pro-slavery groups went into Kansas and killed several people. Kansas residents retaliated, and thus it started a series of bloody battles between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups. -
Battle of Bull Run
The Bull Run was the first major battle of the Civil War. It occurred in Prince William County, Virginia on July 21, 1861. The idea behind this battle was for the Union to be able to get into the capital of the Confederate, which was Richmond, and end the war before it really even started, but it did not turn out the way it was planned. -
Creation of the Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln. It allowed slaves in the South to finally be freed. Lincoln came up with this decision after the victory at the Battle of Antietam, which is known as one of the single bloodiest battles in history. -
Beginning of Reconstruction Era
After the Civil War, which was one of the bloodiest wars in American history, the country was in social, political and economic distress. In an attempt to bring the country back to normal, several reconstruction plans were proposed, but the one that won in the end was the Congressional plan. The reconstruction era was officially from January 1 1863 to March 31 1877. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg was the last battle of the Civil War which occurred in Adams County, Pennsylvania. It was led by Robert E. Lee on the Confederate side and and George G. Meade on the Union side. It’s known in history as the most famous, and it resulted in 53,000 deaths. -
Lincoln's Plan
Lincoln’s reconstruction plan was written before the Civil War ended, as he was so confident that the Union would win. However, with him being assassinated right after the end of the Civil War, he did not live to see how reconstruction happened. His plan included bringing the South back into the United States, and even pardoning the Confederate soldiers and officials, as he wanted to see it become one country again. -
Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln
President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. He was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor at the time, during a play that he was attending at Ford Theatre. Booth initially planned to kidnap Lincoln and take him over to Richmond in March of 1865, but when that didn’t turn out the way it was planned, he assassinated him when he went to see “Our American Cousin” hoping to overthrow the United States government -
Johnson's Plan
At the end of the Civil War, Andrew Johnson proposed a plan for reconstruction. The plan was very similar to Lincoln’s, in the sense that it required 10% of voters to pledge loyalty to bring back the Southern states. The one difference however was that Johnson’s plan not only pardoned Confederate soldiers and officials, but politicians as well. -
Adding the 13th amendment
The 13th amendment was passed by Congress on January 31st 1865, and ratified by all states by December 6th 1865. The amendment officially abolished slavery of all forms. The 13th amendment says “"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.". -
Radical Reconstruction Plan
The reconstruction plan that eventually won in the three plans proposed was the Congressional plan. It involved putting the Southern states under military supervision and did not give any pardons, unlike the other two plans. The biggest difference however was that the plan focused on rights of freed slaves much more than the other two plans did. The reconstruction officially started on March 2 1867. -
14th Amendment
Adopted on July 9th 1868, the 14th amendment was a part of the reconstruction plans following the Civil War. The amendment not only made all former slaves official citizens, it also stated that all citizens had rights and must be given safety. The amendment says “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside” -
Ulysses S. Grant becomes president
On March 4, 1869, the former Union leader Ulysses S. Grant became president of the United States. Being so well known for his leadership in the Civil War, when he aligned himself with the radical republicans, many voted for him in the hopes that he would help save the country. However, he was a weak leader when it came to being president, and did not help the country as much as expected. He was in office for one term, until March 4, 1877. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment was ratified on February 3rd 1870. It allowed universal male suffrage in the nation, and it said that no man was allowed to be denied the power to vote, no matter what race, color or previous slavery background. It officially stated “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” -
End of Reconstruction Era
The end of the reconstruction in the United States was in 1877. It’s believed to be in this year because it was when the military supervision organized in the Southern states was finally taken off. At this point, the Southern states which had previously been the Confederate states during the Civil WAr were once again seen as a more equal part of the United States of America, thus ending the reconstruction area. It ended officially on March 31 1877.
