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Invention of the cotton gin
Eli and the need for an invention
A man by the name of Eli Whitney invented and patented the cotton gin, a machine that revolutionized the production of cotton. This machine greatly speeding up the process of removing seeds from cotton fiber. He struggled to earn profit because of rumors that he had copied the invention from someone else. Later, people could patent their own cotton gins. -
Missouri Compromise
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was an event by Congress to redirect the sectional and political party rivalries that was triggered by the request of Missouri. They wanted to become a slave state, but the free states for admission as a state in which slavery would be permitted. By then, the U.S had 22 states, evenly divided between slave and free. -
Wilmot Proviso
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso was not a person, but a treaty that was proposed to eliminate the slate territory before it was expanded. This was a result of the Mexican war as multiple congressman were in fear of an addition of a new slave-pro state. Although it was blocked in the southern states, the controversy about slavery led to the Forming of the Republican Party. -
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The Underground Railroad
Harriet Tubman and the underground railroad
The underground railroad was not an actual railroad and it wasn't even underground. The underground railroad was various routes throughout the south going into 14 northern states. The purpose of this was for the black community to escape slavery by taking trains and walking. Along the way, the slaves could stop at 'stations' where they could be aided. -
Compromise of 1850
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a set of laws that passed between two groups that had opposed it. They made California a free state in the United States, but other newly aquired states could choose on whether or not they wanted to be a free state. This compromise showed how hard it was to make opposing sides towards slavery accomidated although it was unsuccesful at preventing the Civil War. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin is published
Uncle Tom's Cabi is published
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote an anti-slavery novel that was published, selling 300k copies in only 3 months. Northerns bought the book and realized how violent and ruthless that slaves in the south were treated by their owners. The north became angry with the south as Stowe stirred up a lot of tension between the two. -
'Bleeding Kansas'
bleeding kansas
The anti and pro-slavery settlers influenced the name 'bleeding Kansas.' As the Kansas- Nebraska Act came out and the residents of the state could vote, out-of-state settlers tried to affect the outcome. Tensions rose between the two groups and quickly became violent as both groups tried to take control. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed by congress to allow Kansas and Nebraska to decide on their own if they wanted to be a pro-slave or 'free' state. People from both opposing sides fled into Kansas to affect the results of the election. Tensions rose between anti and pro-slavery supporters as the government did not accept the results because the pro-slavery settlers were accused of fraud by the anti-slavery settlers. -
Brooks-Summer Event
In the U.S congress, Representative Preston Brooks attacked senator Charles Sumner, an abolitionist, with a walking cane violently. Preston did this because of a speech given by Sumner two days earlier in which he fiercely attacked slave holders and also a relative of Brooks; Preston got his revenge. -
The Dred Scott Decision
A man by the name of Dred Scott had a legal case in the Supreme Court discussing his freedom and rights. The court ruled 7-2 that even though Scott lived in a free state, he wasn't permitted to that freedom. On top of that, they ruled out that African Americans could never be citizens of the United States. -
John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry
An abolitionist named John Brown led a small clan onto a ferry full of arsenal in what is now West Virginia. His attempt was to start a revolt and destroy slavery. He grouped together a group of hostages, some were even slaves. Brown was wounded when a U.S marine shot him. Brown was tried for murder and treason and was found guilty. He was executed in the gallows on December 2, 1859. This event was an important prepulsion of the Civil War. -
Election of 1860
This event was an American election that Republican, Abraham Lincoln, won over southern democrat John Breckinridge. The split between the north and the souths' electoral views definitely showed the sectional split between the two, especially dealing with slavery. After Lincoln's election, 7 southern states withdrew from the federal union, which set the stage for the Civil War to start. -
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The Battle of Fort Sumter
Battle of Fort Sumter
The Battle of Fort Sumter took place near Charleston, South Carolina. The "Confederation States" army wanted to seize the Union Garrison but their commander, Robert Anderson, refused to give it up. The south then bombarded Fort Sumter as the north could not return fire effectively. The confederate states won this battle as it was the opening battle for the civil war.
