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Compromise of 1850
Senator Henry Clay attempted to appease the North and South and avoid conflict by passing laws that both sides would appreciate. The South received a new and effective fugitive slave law while the North would be satisfied with the fact that the newly formed state of California would be admitted as a free state. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This act passed by Congress enabled people in Kansas or Nebraska territories to decide whether or not to allow slavery within their borders. -
Dred Scott v. Sanford
Dred Scott was a slave whose owner had spent time in Illinois and Wisconsin, both areas being free territory. Scott felt that he should be a free man because he was living and working on free territory. After his owner passed, Scott sued master's widow for his freedom. The verdict of the trial was that Scott was not able to sue for his freedom because he was considered property and not a citizen. This decision left the North outraged, causing tension to increase between the two sides. -
Abraham Lincoln's Election
Lincoln won the majority of the electoral votes in this 1860 election, beating John C. Breckinridge. Citizens found this election controversial because his name wasn't found on most of the ballots in the South. -
Battle at Fort Sumter
The Confederate soldiers fired the first shots on the Union troops at this famous fort near Charleston, South Carolina, initiating the Civil War. The South took a victory, as well captured the fort. -
Battle of Bull Run
Being the first major battle of the Civil War, the South came out on top. This major loss shocked the Union and the North soon realized that Robert E. Lee and his men were determined to win. -
Battle of Antietam
This battle is known as the single bloodiest battle of the entire Civil War. The Union took the victory, but their victory resulted in hundreds of deaths and casualties. -
Emancipation Proclamation
This proclamation gave more than 3 million slaves in the Confederate states their freedom and the opportunity to fight on the Union side. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Gettysburg is a crucial battle because it's considered the turning point in the war. It was starting to look like the South would come out on top in the end, but this victory for the Union boosted their morale and gave them their confidence and determination back. -
Battle of Vicksburg
The Union took the victory during this battle, as well as gained control of the Mississippi River, isolating the Western Confederacy. -
Fort Wagner
On Morris Island near Charleston, South Carolina, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry fought long and hard against the Confederate soldiers, attempting to infiltrate the almost impenetrable fort. The Union soldiers ended up taking a loss, but they made history as being the first all African-American regiment to fight in the war. Their determination in this battle played a key role in bringing slavery to an end once and for all. -
Gettysburg Address
President Abraham Lincoln's speech to the people helped Americans look ahead and start coming together and rebuilding. His speech has become one of the most well-known and important speeches in American history. -
Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
Robert E. Lee surrenders to General Ulysses S. Grant ending the Civil War. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
After the war finally came to an end, President Lincoln was assassinated before he could implement his plans to rebuild and reunify the nation. He was shot by John Wilkes Booth in Ford's Theatre, Washington, D.C. -
Thirteenth Amendment Ratified
This amendment changed the nation by finally abolishing slavery throughout the country.
