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The Liberator goes into print
The Liberator was an anti-slavery newspaper founded by William Lloyd Garrison. Garrison was one of the first white abolitionists to call for an immediate end to slavery. Its first publish date was January 1, 1831. -
Compromise of 1850 passed
Henry Clay, a senator, created resolutions in order to help the crisis between the North and the South. The Compromise of 1850 overturned the Missouri Compromise. The Compromise consisted of adding California as a free state, creating Utah and New Mexico territories with the question of slavery in each to be determined by popular sovereignty, settling a Texas-New Mexico boundary dispute, ending the slave trade in Washington, DC, and making it easier for southerners to regain fugitive slaves. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was a book published by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It was published in 1852. It revealed the truth about slavery and is said to have laid the groundwork for the Civil War. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act Passed
A bill that ordered popular sovereignty, allowing settlers of a territory decide whether slavery would be allowed in new state's boarders. It was proposed by Stephan Douglas, who was Abraham Lincoln's opponent in the Lincoln-Douglas debates. The bill overturned the Missouri Compromise's use of latitude as the boundary between slave and free territory. Conflicts arose because of this bill between anti-slavery and pro-slavery settlers. Also because of this bill it later resulted in Bleeding Kansas -
James Buchanan Sworn into Office
Buchanan was America's 15th president, he was in office from 1857 to 1861.He was also a democrat, who was morally opposed to slavery but thought it was protected by the US Constitution .When in office, seven Southern states seceded from the Union and the country was on the brink of the civil war. As the president he tried to keep peace between anti-slavery and pro-slavery groups in the government but the tension only escalated. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a man born into slavery around 1800, he was originally from Virginia. His second owner, who was a military doctor, brought him into free territory. Scott found a wife at this time and then his owner bought her too. Scott's current owner ended up dying and his widow wouldn't let him buy his freedom. So, Scott went to court multiple times and the final decision was that he was still a slave and he was not a citizen. -
John Brown's Raid at Harpers Ferry
John Brown was a white abolitionist who lead a small group to an arsenal in Virginia, current West Virginia. They tried to arm slaves with guns from the arsenal but word got out and Brown's raid was defeated. A total of 10 men from Brown's raid were killed. Because of the raid Brown was given a death sentence .Brown was put to death on December 2, 1859. -
Lincoln elected 16th President
Lincoln, a republican, went up against Douglas, a northern democrat in the election. Lincoln also went up against Breckenridge and Bell. Lincoln's stand on slavery was leave it alone but ban it in new territories. Lincoln won the election. By the time he was put into office seven states had seceded forming the Confederate States with Jefferson Davis as their president. A month later the Civil War started. -
South Carolina Secedes From the Union
South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union on December 20th, 1860. They threatened to secede when Continental Congress sought to tax all the colonies on the basis of population that would include slaves. Once South Carolina seceded more states continued to also secede later forming the Confederate States. -
Battle at Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is an island fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. It was originally constructed as a costal garrison. Fort Sumter is the site of the first shots of the civil war. -
Battle of Bull Run
The Battle of Bull Run was the first major battle in the Civil War. It took place near Manassas Junction, Virginia. About 35,000 Union troops marched from Washington, D.C. to strike the Confederate force of about 20,000 along a small river known as Bull Run. It was a defensive battle eventually breaking the Union sending the Federals into a retreat back to Washington.The Confederate's victory gave the South confidence and made the North realize the war wouldn't be as easy as they hoped. -
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh was also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing. This battle was a two day battle that took place from April 6th to April 7th. It was one of the many early engagements of the Civil War. It began when the confederate's launched a surprise attack on the Union forces in southwestern Tennessee. At first there was initial success for the Confederate's but they were unable to hold their position leading to a Union victory. -
Battle of Antieam
The Battle of Antietam is also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg. It occurred at Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland. It remains America's deadliest one day battle in all of American military history. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg occurred on December 13, 1862. This battle involved nearly 200,000 combatants, which is the largest concentration of troops in any Civil War battle. The Union ended up having nearly 13,000 casualties and the Confederate’s had little than 5,000. The results of this battle sent the Union’s morale down. -
Emanipation Proclamation Went Into Effect
President Lincoln put the Emancipation Proclamation into effect. It stated that all slaves in rebellious states as of January 1st, 1863 would be free and forever free. It didn't free a single slave but it was an important turning point in the war, making the war a fight for human freedom instead of to preserve the nation. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
The battle of Chancellorsville lasted from April 30 to May 6, 1863. It took place in the wilderness region of Virginia. This battle is considered Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s greatest victory during the American Civil War. Lee had his 60,000 men split into two and they attacked Union General Joseph Hooker’s 80,000 men. Hooker was forced to retreat across the Rappahannock River. The Union had a total of 17,278 casualties while the Confederate’s had 12,826. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The battle of Gettysburg lasted from July 1 to July 3 1863 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This battle is considered to be the most important engagement of the American Civil War. On July 1 advancing Confederate troops met with the Union's army of the Potomac commanded by General George G. Meade.Lastly on July 3, General Robert E. Lee ordered an attack by fewer than 15,000 troops. The cost of thousands of rebel casualties caused Lee to retreat. -
Vicksburg surrenders to the North
The Vicksburg campaign was the Union’s best success of the war. Even though Union General Ulysses S. Grant’s first attempt to take Vicksburg failed, he tried again and succeed . Grant’s troop of 70,000 against Confederate General John C. Pemberton’s troop of 29,00 was soon to capture Vicksburg. On July 4, 1863 Pemberton surrendered giving Vicksburg to the Union. -
Sherman Marches To Sea
November 15 to December 21, 1864, Union General William T. Sherman led about 60,000 soldiers on a 285-mile march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. The purpose of the march was to frighten Georgia’s population into abandoning the Confederate’s. The soldiers didn’t destroy the towns they passed through but they did steal livestock, food, and burned the buildings of people who tried to fight back.
