-
Compromise of 1850
The compromise stalled the Civil War by implementing the Fugitive Slave Act. It also banned slave trade in Washington D.C. and California became a free state. Popular sovereignty was instated in the Mexican Cession. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The act created Nebraska and Kansas as states and gave the people in those territories the right to chose to be a free or slave state through popular sovereignty. -
Bleeding Kansas
Also known as Border Wars, Bleeding Kansas refers to the series of bloody battles within the state between those opposing slavery and those supporting. It was a result of the Kansas-Nebraska act which instituted popular sovereignty. -
The Dred-Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slave from Missouri who went to court to ask for freedom on the basis that his owner lived in a free state. This resulted in the denial of his freedom, as well as the decision that slavery was once again allowed in all territories. Northern lawmakers could not keep slavery out of their states. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
These were a series of seven debates between the Republican candidate and the Democratic candidate Stephen Douglas. They were running against each other for Senate. The two main disputes were slavery and popular sovereignty. Lincoln was part of the Free-Soil party which meant he did not want slavery to expand into new territories. Oppositely, Douglas was a supporter of popular sovereignty and believed that the decision should be made by local governments. -
Harper's Ferry
John Brown was an extreme abolitionist and believed that violence was the way to rid the United States of slavery. He and some of his men raided an arsenal in hopes that local slaves would rebel and join in his efforts, and that they would be rewarded with freedom and weapons. He was not supported by nearly as many slaves as he had hoped, and ended up getting imprisoned and tried for treason among other things. -
Lincoln's Election
Lincoln was elected as the sixteenth president. He was part of the Republican party and was elected at a crucial time in U.S. history. He was tasked with trying to repair the divided nation, and solving the issue of slavery. He ultimately abolished slavery and attempted to restore the peace between the North and South. His Reconstruction plans were not liked by Northerners who thought he was brushing over important issues in the South. He was the first president to be assassinated. -
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter was the first battle and the beginning of the Civil War. The Union Army was attacked by the Confederate Army from all sides (Fort Sumter is on an island in South Carolina). The Union Army eventually surrendered to the Confederate Army. -
Bull Run
The battle of Bull Run was the second battle of the Civil War, and the first on complete land (not an island, like Fort Sumter). The Confederate army won, which created momentum for the South, while the North was devastated and doubtful. -
Antietam
General E. Lee led the Confederate Army north into Maryland, hoping to advance as far as possible. The Union Army was using measured amounts of men while the Confederate Army was using all the men they could to keep off the Union Army. The Union Army eventually claimed victory after General E. Lee began to take his troops back to Virginia. President Lincoln changed his views after this battle from a Free-Soil supporter to an abolitionist. -
Emancipation Proclamation
This proclamation given by Lincoln reflected his new abolitionist views. It officially freed all slaves in Confederate states and allowed them to join the Union Navy and Army. This did not free the slaves in the Union slave holding states. This was a political move because Lincoln did not want the slave holding states to join the Confederacy, but he did want free slaves to fight for the Union. -
Gettysburg and Gettysburg Address
The battle of Gettysburg was won by the Union, and was the most devastating battle in the Civil War by death toll. It was often described as the turning point in the war.
The Gettysburg Address was a famous speech given by Lincoln four months after the war. He reminded the people of the principles the country was founded on, and the good will of its Founding Fathers. At the end of the two minute speech, he stated that the people could make a better future, with a united country and no slavery. -
Andersonville
Also known as Camp Sumter, Andersonville was the largest Confederate prison used in the last twelve months of the Civil War and was a holding place for captured Union solders. The prison was brutal, and lacked enough housing, medical equipment, and food. -
Surrender at Appomattox Court House
General Robert E. Lee officially surrendered his Confederate troops to the Union General Ulysses S. Grant. This surrender ended the Civil War. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
The famous sixteenth president was shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford Theater in Washington D.C. while watching a play. The death of such a great leader brought despair to much of the public. -
Reconstruction
The Reconstruction Era refers to the time period after the war, when the South was in shambles and needed assistance in rebuilding itself. It also referred to the need to reunite the country and the steps taken to attempt this. Lincoln planned out steps for this process but was assassinated. Andrew Johnson tried to carry out his plans but wasn't very successful. He was impeached due to his failure to rid the South of the Black Codes and other reasons. The Freedman's Bureau was established.
