Civil War

  • Compromise of 1850

    Compromise of 1850

    In 1850 Texas was paid $10 million to scale back its land claims in the West. Washington, D.C. was required to end the slave trade in the city, but slavery was still legal. California was admitted as a free state.
  • Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

    Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

    Stated that all fugitive slaves must be returned to their masters. Any person who was caught being nice to a runaway slave could be subject to up to six months in prison.
  • Uncle Tom’s Cabin 1852

    Uncle Tom’s Cabin 1852

    Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Toms Cabin is a book. It is about an old slave who is treated horribly by his master. Many joined the abolitionist movement after learning the harsh realities of life as a slave.
  • Kansas Nebraska Act 1854

    Kansas Nebraska Act 1854

    The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed each territory to decide the issue of slavery on a vote. Kansas with slavery would violate the Missouri Compromise and "Bleeding Kansas” is violently torn in half for years between pro-slave/anti-slave.
  • Dred Scott Decision 1857

    Dred Scott Decision 1857

    Supreme Court ruled that Dred Scott was property and not a citizen and had no right to sue. The ruling declared that the Missouri Compromise prohibiting slavery in the Northern territories was unconstitutional. This was not good.
  • Harper’s Ferry 1859

    Harper’s Ferry 1859

    Brown leads a group of men to attack the weapons arsenal at Harpers Ferry. The goal is to gain control of weapons and lead a slave revolt. The raid fails and Brown is captured and hanged for treason.
  • Lincoln’s Election 1860

    Lincoln’s Election 1860

    Lincoln was the only candidate against slavery. He won, but the election showed that the country was divided. No southern states voted for Lincoln. South decided to leave because of him.
  • Attack on Ft. Sumter 1861

    Attack on Ft. Sumter 1861

    Ft. Sumter was a federal fort in South Carolina. The South fired upon Fort Sumter as the Union tried to resupply it. Fort was nearly out of food and ammunition and badly outnumbered. So they surrendered the fort to the Southern Army. The war had begun.