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Compromise of 1850
A package of five bills, pass which balanced the interestes of the slave states of the south and the free states of the north. California was admitted as a free state, the slave trade was terminated in the District of Columbia, and the Fugitive Slave Law was passed. Temporaily defused tension, postponing the Civil War. -
The Kansas Nebraska Act
Created the territories Kansas and Nebraska, opening new land for settlement. Settlers in those territores were allowed to use Popular Sovereignty to decide whether they would allow slavery within each territory. This created tension, and lead to pro-amd anti-slavery elements flooding into Kansas, which lead to a bloody civil war there. -
Bleeding Kansas
A series of violent and political confrontations involving anti-slavery and pro-slavery that took place in The Kansas Territory and the neighhboring towns of Missouri between 1851 and 1861. The heart of the conflict was whether Kansas would eneter the Union as a free state or slave state. Many lives were lost in this violent confrontaion. -
The Dred Scott Decision
The Supreme Court's decision againt Dred Scott, a slave who had been emancipated as a reslut of having lived with his master in the free state of Illinois and in federal territory where slavery was forbidden, Was the first instance in which the Supreme Court invalidated a major piece of federal legislature. The deicion declared that Congress had no power to prohibit slavery in federal territories, intesified the conflict over slavery. -
Lincoln- Douglas Debates
A series of 7 debates between Abraham Licooln (Republican) and Senator Stephen Douglas. They were trying to win control of the Illinois legislature. The main issue discussed in all the debates was slavery. Lincoln was not popular at the begining of the debates, and Douglas ened up winning him over, but Lincoln later then became president. -
Lincoln's Election
One of the most important elections in US history. Lincoln, republican president was elected. He brought his views of anti-slavery into the White House. He was involved in a mob, but was not injured. Lincoln had a lot on his plate to deal with including slavery, and then the Civil War would start about a year after he was elected. -
Fort Sumter
Took place in Charleston County, South Carolina, and lasted three days. The Union men where out-gunned, they did not have many supplies left, they could not do much damage to the Southern troops. The battle ended with the Confederate victory, and started the American Civil War. -
Bull Run
The first major land battle of the American Civil War, fought in Prince William Country, Virginia. The Union and Confederate armies clashed, when about 35,000 Union troops marched from the fedral capital in Washington D.C. to strike a Confederate force of 20,000 along the small river, Bull Run. Ended in a Confederate victory, and gave the South confidence and shocked many people in the North, because they realized the war could not be won as easily as they had hoped. -
Harper's Ferry
Lee's Army of Northern Virginia planned to capture the garrison and arsenal at Harpers Ferry, to seize its supplies of rifles and ammunition and to secure his line of supply back to Virgina. The battle lasted three days, and ened with a confederate victory. -
Antietam
Fought near Shapsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek. It was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Union Soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,00 casualties on both sides. Ended with a Union victory. -
Emancipation Proclamtion
An executive order pass by president Abraham Lincoln, durring the Civil War. It proclaimed freedom of slaves in ten states that were still in rebellion, applying to about 3.1 million slaves in the U.S. Immediately effected the freedom of 50,000 slaves. Did not outlaw slavery and didn't make the ex-slaves citizens. -
Gettysburg and Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Adress was a speach given by president Lincoln, at the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It is considered to be one of the greatest speaches in American history. The speach was given four and a half months after the Union armies defeated the Confederacy at the Battle of Gettysburg. -
Andersonville Prison
Located near the city of Andersonville, the largest Confederate military prision during the American CIvil War. A prision for enlisted men, and also Union officers that led United States Colored troops. -
Surrender at Appomattox Court House
The final engagement of Confederate State Army of Northern Virginia(led by Robert E, Lee) before it surrendered to the Union Army. Lee surrendered and signed the surrender documents, the effectively ended the war in Virginia. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Took place as the the American Civil war was coming to an end. He was the first American president to be assassinated. John Wilkes Both was the man who planned and killed Lincoln. This had a long-lasting impact upon the United States. Andrew Johnson became President after Lincon's death.
