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Antebellum
The Antebellum is the time span of which the history of the United State is that between the start of the Civil war and the end of the Revolutionary War. The total number of free blacks in America in 1850 were approximately 434,495 where as the number of slaves was around 3,204,313. -
Jackson wins the Battle of New Orleans
When the British marched to attack New Orleans, they found militiamen under Gen. Andrew Jackson strongly holding the Rodriquez Canal. Jackson had only lost eight men and had 14 of them wounded, where the British Gen. Pakenham had died, and nearly 2,000 of his men were killed, wounded, or missing. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise began because of an argument of whether or not slavery should be allowed in Missouri. Henry Clay decided that Missouri would be a slave state, where as Maine would be a non-slave state. This Compromise also stated that the Louisiana Purchase territory south of Missouri would pro-slave, and territory north of it would be anti-slave. -
Nullification Crisis in S. Carolina
Vice President. Calhoun and others were outraged at a new tariff that would raise taxes on imports in the South, but would make a profit for the North. At that time, Calhoun wrote an essay on the theory of nullification, in which he made a legal case for states to disregard some federal laws. This would allow states to nullity laws which they disliked, or secede from the Union. -
The Mexican War has ended
When the Mexican war ended it posed the problem of whether or not these new territories, as they became states, would be free or slave? Congress passed the Compromise of 1850, which helped to make California free and it gave the people a choice to pick in Utah and New Mexico. -
Fugitive Slave Act is passed
The Fugitive Slave Law was passed by the United States Congress as a part of the compromise between Southern slave-holding interests and Northern Free-Soldiers. It said that all runaway slaves in caught were to be returned to their masters. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin is Released
Uncle Tom's Cabin or, Life Among the Lowly, was written by Harriet Stowe. The book showed the evils of slavery and was a best seller at the time. It helped further the cause of abolition, even President Lincoln said this was a factor that lead up to the Civil War. -
Charles Sumner is Attacked
Preston Brooks, a congressman from South Carolina, attacked Charles Sumner, a congressman from Massachusetts. Sumner had given a speech about anti-slavery a little before, that had language the South found offensive. He blamed pro-slavery forces for the violence occurring in Kansas. -
James Buchanan elected president
James Buchanan, 15th President of the United States. Serving as president during the run-up to the Civil War; some historians say that his presidency a failure because of his inability to stop the Southern States drive toward secession. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott lost his case proving that he should be free, because he had been held as a slave while living in a free state. The Supreme court said that his petition could not be seen because he did not hold any property, and he was the property of his owner. This caused abolitionists to increase their efforts. -
Lecompton Constitution Rejected
When the Kansas-Nebraska Act passed, Kansas was allowed to choose if it wanted to be a free or slave state. President James Buchanan pushed for the Lecompton Constitution to go to congress to be accepted, but there was enough opposition that it was sent back to Kansas for a vote. Kansas voted to be a free state, even though it delayed their state-hood. -
John Brown Raided Harper's Ferry
To raid an arsenal located in Harper's Ferry, John Brown led a group of seventeen people, he was captured by the troops of Colonel Robert Lee. John was soon after tried and hung for treason. -
Lincoln Wins Close Race
Abraham Lincoln wins a four-way race for President of the United States, but the Southern States majority don't support him as president. -
South Carolina First to Secede
S. Carolina is the first states to secede from the union. -
Jefferson Davis becomes the president of the Confederacy
Jefferson Davis was undisputedly elected president of the Confederacy. -
The Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America is formed with Jefferson Davis as President. -
Confederate Constitution Signed
The Constitution of the Confederate States of America is signed in Montgomery, Alabama. -
Shots fired at Fort Sumpter
Tensions finally erupted in civil war, when Confederate artillery opened fire on Fort Sumpter. Fort Sumpter surrendered 34 hours later. The union soldiers would try for almost 4 years to take it back. -
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The Civil War
The Civil War was fought between Northern Free States and Slave Holding Southern States. Roughly 1,264,000 American soldiers have died in the nation's wars. 620,000 died within the Civil War. -
Lincoln calls for 75,000 militiamen
Following the incident at Fort Sumter, Lincoln called for 75,000 militiamen to put down the rising rebellion. -
First Battle of Bull Run
Gen. Irvin McDowell fights against the Confederate Army. McDowell is defeated nd is forced to retreat to Washington. -
Emancipation Proclamation is in effect
With victory at Antietam in hand, Lincoln announces that all slaves in the rebelling states would be free. This make European nations to recognize that choosing sides is to take make a choice and statement about slavery. -
The Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest day of the Civil War, and in all of American history. Gen. Lee's first invasion of the North failed with a horrible body count for each side with a total of 23,000 dead. -
The Battle of Chancellorsville
Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker was placing his troops on Gen. Lee's weak flank, but rather than retreating Gen. Lee attacked Hooker while he was still within the thick wilderness. The flank threatened Hooker’s position, but the Confederate attack actually ended with the mortal wounding of Stonewall Jackson. -
West Virginia admitted as a nonslave state
West Virginia, the 35th state to be admitted to the Union. -
The battle of Gettysburg
Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee had been concentrating his Army around Gettysburg. After much fighting they drove the Union defenders to Cemetery Hill. Lee attacked the Union center on Cemetery Ridge and was given a severe body count. Lee had lost the second attempt to invade the North. -
Ex parte Vallandigham
Former congressman Clement Vallandigham, violated an Army order against the public expression of sympathy for the Confederate States and their cause. He was tried before a military tribunal for treason. He later returned and appealed the action in the Supreme Court, but he had no further results made. -
The Battle of Petersburg
An attack was being focused on important railroad junctions and communications outside Richmond. The defenders of Petersburg under command of Gen. Beauregard were driven from their first line of defense. Gen. Lee rushed reinforcements to Petersburg from the, but by now the Confederate were heavily manned and the greatest opportunity to capture Petersburg without a siege was lost. -
Atlanta to Savannah
Union Gen. William Sherman led some 60,000 soldiers on march from Atlanta to Savannah. Gen. Sherman’s troops captured Atlanta on September 4, 1864. It falling made Southerners, even some of the most loyal, doubt that they could truly win the war. -
Gen. Lee surrenders
Gen. Robert Lee surrendered the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to Lieut. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. The surrender allowed the Federal Government to redistribute forces, and to increased attacks in other parts of the south causing the remaining armies of the Confederacy to surrender. -
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The Reconstruction
The Reconstruction is the period in which the U.S.A. was recovering from the Civil War, and the changes that were made afterwards politicaly, economically, and culturaly. After the war the population of the United States in 1870 was around 39.8 million. Black population was close to 4.9 million about 12.7% -
Lincoln's assassination
John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer, fatally shot President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. -
The Ku Klux Klan is formed
The Ku Klux Klan is formed in Tennessee. -
14th Amendment passed
14th Amendment passed by Congress, grants full citizenship to blacks, gives the Federal government the responsibility to protect equal rights under the law to all American citizens. -
South under military administration
Virginia was designated Military District Number One and Maj. Gen. Schofield was appointed commander. -
14th Amendment ratified.
This new ratification granted citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States,” which included former slaves recently freed. In addition, it forbids states from denying any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law." -
Gen. Robert E. Lee dies
Gen. Robert Lee Died of heart failure on October 12, 1870. -
Civil Rights Act of 1875
The Civil rights act of 1875 protected all Americans, No matter of what race the person might be from. They gained the rights to public accommodations and facilities and public transportation. This Act also protected the right to serve on juries. -
Presidential election of 1876
Democrats conceded that the election returns to Hayes, in return he would have to agree to withdraw the reamaining federal troops, putting an end to Reconstruction. -
Compromise of 1877
The Compromise of 1877 occurred after the Presidential Election of 1876, Congress then formed the Electoral Commission to resolve voting rights in the Southern States.