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Missouri Compromise
A compromise to balance the amount of slave and free states in the Union. Missouri would join as a slave state, Maine would join as a free state, and slavery was prohibited for land above the parallel 36°30′. Happened under James Monroe's presidency. -
Santa Fe Trail
One of the busiest routes for settlers heading west. Went 780 miles from Independence, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico. -
Harriet Tubman
A former slave, she became one of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad. She made 19 trips South and helped 300 slaves escape to freedom. -
San Felipe de Austin
Established in 1824 by Stephen F. Austin when Mexico offered cheap land in Texas, San Felipe de Austin was the main settlement in Texas at this time. -
Mexico Abolishes Slavery
After abolishing slavery, Mexico insisted that the Southerners that settled in Texas also free their slaves. This upset the Texan settlers and eventually led up to the Texas Revolution. -
The Liberator
Written by a radical white abolitionist by the name of William Lloyd Garrison, it was a newspaper that called for immediate emancipation. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Led by Virginian slave Nat Turner, he and 50 other slaves attacked 4 plantations and killed 60 whites in August 1831. Eventually, the rebels were captured and most of them executed. -
Stephen F. Austin Goes to Jail
After going to Mexico City to present petitions for a more independent Texas, Austin was detained for inciting rebellion in Texas. -
Oregon Trail
Blazed by two Methodist missonaries (Marcus and Narcissa Whitman), this trail stretches from Independence, Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon. These missonaries proved that wagons could travel on the Oregon Trail. -
Texas Revolution
After Austin returned to Texas in 1835, he thought war was the only way to obtain an independent Texas. Santa Anna marched with his army toward San Antonio to keep Mexican law, while Austin and his men were busy arming themselves for battle. -
Manifest Destiny
The belief that God intended for Americans to settle westward. This inspired countless settlers to head west. -
Texas Enters the United States
After debating whether or not annexing Texas would offset the balance of slave and free states, Texas was eventually let into the Union in the name of westward expansion. -
Mexican-American War
After Texas joined the Union, events quickly led to war between the U.S. and Mexico. At the end of the war, the U.S. paid $15 million for the Mexican cession of present-day California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, most of Arizona, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. -
The North Star
Started by Fredrick Douglas, an escaped slave, The North Star was an anti-slavery newspaper. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The treaty that ended the Mexican-American War. It agreed that the Rio Grande would be a border between Texas and Mexico, and that Mexico ceded New Mexico and California territories to the U.S. -
Abolition
The movement to abolish slavery. Began in the 19th century, and became the most important of a series of reforms in the U.S. -
Fugitive Slave Act
A law made in the Compromise of 1850 to appease the South. Under the act, alleged fugitives were not entitled to a trial by jury, anyone convicted of helping a fugitive was fined $1,000 and imprisoned for 6 months. -
Underground Railroad
Started by free African Americans and white abolitionists, the Underground Railroad was made up by a network of people whose mission it was to help free slaves. They used a system of escape routes and secret tunnels to do this. -
Compromise of 1850
A compromise set to please the North and South. Under the compromise, California would join the Union as a free state, and the South would get a new and more effective fugitive slave law. In addition, slavery would be either voted for or against in the New Mexico and Utah territories. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, this novel stressed that slavery was not just political, but very much a moral issue. It stirred Northern Abolitionists to increase protests against the Fugitive Slave Act while the South saw it as an attack. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
An act to determine whether slavery would be allowed in the Nebraska and Kansas territories. The act would repeal the Missouri Compromise and establish popular sovereignty in both territories. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
A slavery-related court case. Scott argued that he should be a free man because he lived in free territories. The court ruled that he had no legal standing because he was not a citizen and that living in a free territory does not grant freedom. -
Abrahma Lincoln and Stephen Douglas Debates
A series of debates over slavery in the territories. Douglas believed deeply in popular soveignty, while Lincoln thought slavery was immoral. Douglas won, but Lincoln drew national attention and was considered as a presidential candidate for 1860. -
John Brown's Raid/Harpers Ferry
John Brown, a radical abolitionist, believed it was time for a slave uprising in the U.S. On October 16, 1859 he led 21 men into Harpers Ferry, Virginia with the intention of seizing a federal arsenal there and starting a slave rebellion. The rebellion was put down, and Brown was put to death. Both the North and South had extreme reactions to his execution. -
Formation of the Confederacy
After Lincoln was elected president, the South felt like they lost their representation in the government. South Carolina led the way and seceded from the Union on December 20. Mississippi soon followed along with Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. In February 1861, delegates met and created the Confederacy. -
Abraham Lincoln Becomes President
Promised to stop the spread of slavery, but not get rid of it. Democratic party was divided between two candidates, so Lincoln won with less than half of the popular vote. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
Confederate army attacked to gain control of fort from Union. Fort was on an island in Charleston Harbor. Lincoln neither abandoned or reinforced the fort. -
Battle of Bull Run
First bloodshed on the battlefield, it occurred just 25mi away from Washington D.C. Went back and forth until the South eventually won. Confederate moral skyrockets, and soldiers leave thinking the war is over. -
Income Tax
With the Northern economy growing, Congress wanted a way to help pay for the war. They created the first income tax, a tax that takes a percentage of a person's income. -
Battle at Antietam
McClellan ordered his men to pursue Lee, and the two
sides fought on September 17 near a creek called the
Antietam. The clash proved to be the bloodiest
single-day battle in American history, with casualties
totaling more than 26,000. The next day, instead of pursuing
the battered Confederate army into Virginia and possibly
ending the war, McClellan did nothing, so Lincoln removed him from command. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln realized that he could authorize Union troops to emancipate slaves. On January 1, 1863 Lincoln issued the proclamation, allowing the troops to free slaves they come across. -
Conscription
After each side of the war had heavy casualties and widespread desertions, they each imposed conscription. It was a draft that forced men to serve in the army. In the North, there were draft riots. -
Battle at Gettysburg
The most decisive battle of the war. Began July 1 when Confederate troops led by A.P. Hill ran into several brigades of Union cavalry under the command of John Buford. Union lost 23,000 men; Confederacy lost 28,000 men (30% casualty rate). Broke charm of Robert Lee's invincibility. -
Gettysburg Address
At a ceremony to dedicate a cemetary for Gettysburg, Lincoln gave a speech just longer than 2min. The speech helped the country realize it was not a bunch of individual states, but a whole, unified nation. -
Battle at Vicksburg
The Union army led by Ulysses S. Grant fought to take over Vicksburg, one of the last Confederate strongholds. After several attempts, Grant was able to force the Confederate command to surrender, and the city fell on July 4. -
Sherman's March
Spring, 1864, William Tecumseh Sherman began his march southeast through Georgia to the sea, creating a path of destruction. Destroying everything in their way, Sherman's forces, along with 25,000 former slaves, reached the sea and turned to help Grant. -
Surrender at Appomattox Court House
April 9, Lee and Grant met at a private home to arrange a Confederate surrender. Terms were generous. Within a month, all remaining Confederate resistance collapsed. -
Thirteenth Amendment
This stated that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States." Got rid of slavery. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
At Ford's theater in Washington, Abraham was approached from behind and shot in the back of the head by John Wilkes Booth. Booth was a Southern sympathizer and was shot down 12 days after the assassination.
