-
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe's fictional exploration of slave life was a culture sensation. Northerners felt as if their eyes had been opened onto the horrors of slavery. The popularity brought the issue of slavery to life for those few who remained unmoved after decades of legislative conflict and widened the division between the North and the South. -
Bleeding Kansas
Popular sovereignty, its the residents of the territories who decide by popular referendum if the state is to be a free from slavery. Settlers from the North and the South poured into Kansas, hoping to swell the numbers on their side of the debate. The passions were puffed up and violence started. John Brown and his advocates killed five pro-slavery settlers. A war started between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces which ended up in the death of 200 people. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slave from Missouri, he and his owner had to moved to Wisconsin for four years and Scott's owner had died when the moved back to Missouri. Scott had sued for his freedom, he thought that he should be a free man since he had lived in Wisconsin which was a free state, so he thought he had the right to sue but he didn't. The result was Dred Scott was not given his right to freedom, and the Missouri Compromise was decided to be unconstitutional. -
Lincoln Douglas Debate
The campaign that lead up to Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas to be involved in seven public debates across the state of Illinois where Lincoln and Douglas debated over the issue of slavery. Even though Douglas won in the senate race, the debates pushed Lincoln to the national attention authorized his nomination for the 1860 presidency. -
Harper's Ferry
John Brown attacked federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry expecting to use weapon to free all the slaves, but the plan failed and his advocates were tried for treason against the state of Virginia and were hanged by Robert E. Lee. -
South Carolina secede from the Union
South Carolina seceded from the Union because Lincoln won the presidency. Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas also seceded from the Union. -
Abraham Lincoln Inauguration
Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated as the 16th President of the United States. The Southerners said that Lincoln's presidency was the last blow so they decided to secede from the Union. They thought if Lincoln was president then he would abolish slavery. When Lincoln was inaugurated as President he said in his speech that he will hinder with slavery in the South where it exists and that it was illegal to secede from the Union. -
The Start of the Civil War
The Civil War began when the Confederate bombed Union Soldiers at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
The Confederate bombardment, the Union held firm on July 3. General Pickett led 15,000 Confederates. Troops across open fields- Union mowed them down which was the "Pickett's Charge". Lee was defeated and retreated to Virginia. The Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point of the Civil War, it ended the last major Confederate Invasion of the North. Gettysburg is the largest battle in the history of the Western hemisphere, over 100,000 people died in 3 days. -
Gettysburg Address
President Lincoln made his famous speech in which he stressed liberty and equality for all. It was a speech dedicating cemetery on the sight of Gettysburg battlefield and it was a short speech. It was a powerful affirmation of Lincoln's desire to see the Union reunited. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
The Civil War started when General Pierre G.T. Beouregard's Confederate ordnance opened fire on Fort Sumter on the Harbor of Charleston in South Carolina. President Lincoln sent 75,000 volunteers to join the Northern Army. -
Battle of Appomattox Court House
After the Union forces captured needed Confederate supplies at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. The Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General grant stamping it the end of the Civil War. -
The assassination of President Lincoln
President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington, DC. Fort Sumter, South Carolina was also occupied again by the Union troops.
