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Compromise of 1850
In September of 1850, a group of five bills passed which defused the confrontation between the slave states of the South and the free states of the North that lasted four years regarding the status of territories aqcuired during the Mexican-American war. (Sept. 9-Sept. 20, 1850) -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska act created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, opening new lands for settlement. It had the effect of repealing the Missouri Compromise (1820) by allowing settlers in those territories to determin through Popular Soverignty whether they would allow slavery in each state. -
Bleeding Kansas (Bloody Kansas, Border War)
Bleeding Kansas was a series of violent political confrontions involving anti-slavery free-staters and pro-slavery elements. It took place in the Kansas Territories and the neighboring towns of Missouri between 1854 and 1861. Bleeding Kansas was a proxy war between Northerners and Southerners over the issues of slavery in the U.S. -
The Dred Scott Decision
The Dred Scott Decision was a landmark decision by the U.S. supreme court that people of African decent brought into the U.S. held as slaves, or their decendants, slaves or not, were not protected by the constitution and were not U.S. citizens. -
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates
These were a series of seven debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas trying for their respective parties to win control of the Illinois legislature. The last debate was on October 15, 1858. -
Harper's Ferry
Harpers Ferry is a historical town that is located at the metting of Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. This town is best known for John Brown's raid in 1859 and -
Lincoln's Election
A presidential race between Abraham Lincoln and John C. Breckenridge resulted in Lincoln' winning. -
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a sea fort in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina in which shots from the American Civil war were fired at the Battle of Fort Sumter. -
Bull Run (First Manasses)
Bull run was the first major land battle of the Civil War. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam was the first Civil War battle to take place on Union ground. There were about 23,000 casualties on both sides and was known as the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued by President Lincoln during the Civil War using his war powers. It proclaimed the freedom of slaves in ten states that were till in rebellion. -
Gettysburg Address
This is considered one of the most well known speeches in American history. It was given by Abraham Lincoln and dedicated to the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburh, Pennsylvania. -
Andersonville Prison
Andersonville Prison was a prison-of-war camp built in April, 1864. 12,913 of approximately 45,000 died of starvation, malnutrition, disease, or execution from gaurds. -
Surrender at Appomattox
Robert E. Lee had no choice but to surrender his army during the Battle of Appomattox. At the Wilmer McLean house in the village of Appomattox Courthouse there was a meeting that lasted an hour and a half that concluded the battle. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln was shot while watching the play, Our American Cousin with his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln at Ford's theatre in Washington, D.C. John Wilkes Booth, a well-known stage actor, was the assassin. His co-conspirators, Lewis Powell and David Herold, were assigned to kill Secretary of State, William H. Seward and George Atzerodt, but failed.
