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Period: to
Civil War
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Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was used to move slaves from the South to the North for freedom. This showed that we fought the war because of the slave issue and how we did it. -
Personal Liberty Laws
These were laws passed by the North as a reaction to the South making the Fugitive Slave Act stricter. The two laws wents against each other and really showed that the North and South wanted different things. This caused tension and showed why we fought the war. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Published
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote this anti-slavery novel and opened the eyes of the Union to the horrors of slavery. This novel showed why we fought the war. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This act split Nebraska into two seperate states and gave them the option of popular sovereignty, which meant they could choose if they wanted slaves or not. This angered the North because they thought it was a way to increase slavery. This shows why we fought the war. -
Harper's Ferry
John Brown, a white abolitionist, tried to start a slave rebellion. He and a few followers attacked a federal arsenal hoping to steal guns to arm slaves, but John Brown was captured and hanged. This pushed the North and South even further apart and showed why we fought the war. -
Election of 1860
In the election of 1860, Abraham Lincoln won which made the South feel as though they had lost all political power. This caused Southern states to leave the Union and added even more tension to the situation. This added to why we fought the war. -
Monitor v. Merrimack
Monitor v. Merrimack was when the North's ships went against the South's ships. This showed how we fought the war. It showed that war wasn't just on land, but also on the ocean. -
Fort Pillow
This is the site where Confederates murdered over 200 African American war prisoners. This showed the North why they were fighting and affirmed what they were doing. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation, ordered by Abraham Lincoln, was made to free all slaves behind Confederate lines. This pumped up the African Americans in the North and made them want to enlist in the Union army. This also made the South angry and even more determined to win. This shows how the South used the Emancipation Proclamation to motivate them and why we fought the war. The South wasn't willing to give up. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
This battle, that the Union won, lasted three days and was the bloodiest battle in the war. This battle motivated the North to keep going and gave them the extra boost they needed while the South became crushed after they lost. This shows how the North used this battle to gain momentum and use it to their advantage. -
Gettysburg Address
This famous speech given by President Abraham Lincoln honored the dead and spoke to Americans, asking them to rededicate themselves to the Union ("The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract." - Abraham Lincoln). This helped motive the Union and again, use it to their advantage. -
Abraham Lincoln's Death
After getting shot by John Wilkes Boothe, Abraham Lincoln died on April 15, 1865 marking the end of the war.
