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Civil War
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Invention of the cotton gin
The amount of cotton that could be produced by the cotton gin made the amount of cotton to be grown increase which then entitled to the need of more slaves. The cotton gin also led to the invention of many machine tools in the early 19th century. -
Invention of the cotton gin
On March 14, 1794 Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. The cotton gin was a machine that automated the separation of cottonseed from the cotton fiber. The cotton gin automated the seed separation process. This machine generated up to fifty pounds of cleaned cotton daily. The invention of the cotton gin revolutionized the cotton industry in the United States. This made cotton production profitable for the southern states. The cotton gin increased the need for slavery. -
The Missouri Compromise
The southerners wanted more power so that there would be more slave states while the northerners wanted more power so that there would be more free states. Missouri became a slave state which switched the balance of power to the southern side. Henry Clay then came up with the idea that Maine should be amitted as a free state so that the power in congress would be balanced. Henry Clay’s idea because the Missouri Compromise. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was established to keep the balance of slave states and free states. This compromise made it so that one side would not have more power than the other. The Missouri Compromise specified that all the Louisiana Purchase territory north of the southern boundary of Missouri, except Missouri, would be free, and the territory below that line would be slave. -
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was group of people who helped fugitive slaves escape to the North and Canada. It was not run by any single organization or person but it consisted of mainly black individuals and many whites as well. The Underground Railroad effectively moved more than 100,000 slaves to freedom. The Underground Railroad had many prominent participants. Levi Coffin assisted more than 3,000 slaves. Harriet Tubman made 19 trips to the South and helped more than 300 slaves to freedom. -
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso banned slavery in any territory gained from Mexico in the Mexican War. David Wilmot introduced the Proviso in the House of Representatives. The idea presented by Wilmot split Congress. The House passed the idea but the idea failed in the Senate. It failed the Senate because the South had greater Representation and they were for slavery. The Wilmot Proviso was never passed into a law. -
Compromise of 1850
Henry Clay presented the Compromise of 1850 to congress and with the help of Stephen Douglas, bills were presented as well. According to the compromise, Texas would surrender their land but, in compensation, would be given 10 million dollars to pay off its dept to Mexico. Also, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah would be organized without slavery. The slave trade would also be abolished in Washington D.C.. Lastly, California would be admitted as a free state. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 accomplished what it set out to do; it kept the nation united. The Fugative Slave Act was passed as a result of the Compromise of 1850. This Act required citizens to assist in the recovery of fugitive slaves. It also denied a fugitive’s right to a jury trial. The passing of the Fugitive Slave Act gave abolitionists a bigger reason to put an end to slavery. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom’s Cabin is an anti-slavery novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. The novel displays slavery at its harshest. The novel helped fuel the abolitionist cause in the 1850’s. Stowe was an abolitionist. Her book was a huge seller in the north, Europe, Asia, and Great Britian. The book was banned in many southern states. The book became popular because it displayed how bad slavery was. When Abraham Lincoln met Stowe he stated, “So this is the little lady who started this great war.” -
Caning of Charles Sumner
Sumner recognized Senators Stephan Douglas and Andrew Butler in his speech. Preston Brooks, Douglas’ relative, did not take kindly to Sumner’s remarks about Douglas. He then went behind Sumner and beat him repeatedly in the head with his cane. -
Caning of Charles Sumner
The Caning of Charles Sumner was an attack on Senator Charles Sumner by Senator Preston Brooks. This event was one of the most dramatic moments in the Senate’s entire history. The caning was inspired by the speech Sumner addressed to the Senate three days earlier. The speech was about whether Kansas should be a slave state or a free state. Sumner recognized Senators Stephan Douglas and Andrew Butler in his speech. -
Dred Scott Decision
The court ruled that no slave or descendant of a slave can be a US citizen. A noncitizen is not allowed to sue. This denied Scott of his freedom. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott, a black slave in Missouri, was taken by his master to the free state of Illinois. He was then taken to Wisconsin where he lived for many years. He then moved back to Missouri with his master. Scott went to trial to sue his master for enslaving him again. Scott believed that he should be free since he had been free when he lived in a free state. Ten years later, his case was taken to the United States Supreme Court. Scott’s freedom was denied. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
Lincoln did not believe in messing with states that already had slavery in them. Douglas took this to his advantage to make Lincoln seem to be a black republican. Lincoln lost the Senate race against Douglas in 1858. In the second of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, Douglas tried to revive popular sovereignty through the Freeport Doctrine. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates were a series of debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephan A. Douglas. The Debates were sparked as the result of them running against each other for the position of the Senator of Illinois. The debates were held at 7 sites throughout Illinois, one in each of the 7 Congressional Districts. The debates were mainly about the main issues divining the US. These issues included slavery, popular sovereignty, and black social statuses. -
Raid on Harper's Ferry, Virginia
On October 16, John Brown set out for Harpers Ferry, Virginia. With him were 21 men, including 5 blacks. First, they captured the federal armory and arsenal. They then captured Hall's Rifle Works. Brown and his men rounded up 60 citizens of the town and held them as hostages. They hoped that their slaves would join the fight but no slaves came forth. Their plan ended up backfiring on them. They ended up being surrounded and captured by Robert E. Lee. -
Raid on Harpers Ferry, VA
Two months after the raid, John Brown was trialed, found guilty, and was hung. -
Election of 1860
In the election of 1860, slavery was the number one issue. This election was the most important and divisive presidential election in American history. The Northern Democrats nominated Stephan A. Douglas and the Southern Democrats nominated John C. Breckinridge. Abraham Lincoln received the nomination from the Republican party. During the campaign, Lincoln warned against secession and pledged that he would act with the conviction of Andrew Jackson in the nullification crisis. -
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln, the first republican, was elected president. He received 180 of 303 possible electoral votes and 40 percent of the popular vote. Lincoln stated, "Government cannot endure permanently half slave, half free...". -
Formation of the Confederate States of America
The formation of the Confederate States of America started when South Carolina seceded from the Union. They were then followed by six other states. In February 1861, representatives from the seven seceded states met in Montgomery, Alabama to found the Confederate States of America. The confederates made a new constitution that was noticably similar to the Union’s constitution. They elected their first president; Jefferson Davis. -
Fort Sumter
The battle of Fort Sumter began at 4:30 when P G T Beauregard warned the Union to evacuate and they did not. He then opened fire on Fort Sumter. On April 13,1861, Anderson surrendered. There was only one death in this battle and only three causalities. -
Fort Sumter
The first battle of the civil war was located at Fort Sumter. Even though this battle was bloodless, it led to the United States deadliest war. The battle at Fort Sumter started when Anderson told Lincoln of how Fort Sumter needed supplies and food. Since the Confederates did not want the Union to have any power in the South, they wanted the shipment of the supplies to Fort Sumter to be stopped. -
First Battle of Bull Run
The First Battle of Bull Run was the first real major conflict of the Civil War. This first head to head battle is also known as Manassas. The battle started when 35,000 Union troops marched from Washington D.C. to meet with the Confederate troops of 20,000 along a small river called Bull Run. The Union’s leader was McDowell and the Confederates leader was Beauregard. The Union’s plan was to beat the Confederacy and make their way to Richmond. -
First Battle of Bull Run
This was not allowed by the Confederates who sent the Union troops back to where they came from. Jackson received the nickname “Stonewall Jackson” during this battle because he stood throughout the battle like a stonewall. The Confederate victory gave the South a sense of confidence. It also made the North realize that the war was not going to be as easy as they thought. -
Battle of Shiloh
The Union experienced a greater loss than the Confederate forces. This battle made leaders realized that the Civil War was not going to end quickly. -
Battle of Shiloh
In the Battle of Shiloh, the Confederate forces were led by General Jonhston while the Union forces were led by Ulysses S. Grant. The battle began when the Confederate forces attacked the Union forces at Pittsburg Landing. The Union army was not prepared but held their own until replacements came. The Union succeeded in winning this battle. The Confederates lost their leader, General Johnston, in this battle. Between both sides, 23,746 men died. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam was one of the bloodiest days in U.S military history. The battle began when Hooker’s troops began to attack the Confederacy many times. The Confederacy did not give up and continued to fight. Stonewall Jackson stayed near Antietam Creek and waited for Burnside and his troops to cross. Burnside’s troops tried crossing Antietam creek while the Union fought to push them back. The Union succeeded during this battle. There were more than 23,100 casualities in this battle. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The proclamation also attached the issue of slavery directly to the war. Many of the newly freed slaves joined the army. The Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery. -
Emancipation Proclamation
After the Battle of Antietam, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This decree stated that the Union states were not allowed to have slaves. Even though the Union states were not allowed to have slaves, the border states were still allowed to have them. The border states included West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Missouri, and Kentucky. The Emancipation Proclamation also allowed black soldiers to fight for the Union. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg took place July 1-3. This battle is one of the most famous battles in history. The battle actually started over shoes. The Confederate troops were going into the town of Gettysburg to buy shoes when the Union troops met them there. The Confederates proceeded to run the Union troops out of the town to where the battle took place. The battle was head to head and was fought mainly across the battlefield. -
Battle of Gettysburg
This battle had the largest amount of causalities in the Civil War. The Union won the Battle of Gettysburg. -
Siege at Vicksburg
Grant successfully cut the Confederacy in half with his capture of the Mississippi River. Cutting the Confederacy in half helped majorly with the Union winning the war. The Union had accomplished one of the goals of the Anaconda Plan. -
Siege at Vicksburg
The Siege at Vicksburg started when Ulysses S. Grant and his armies converged on Vicksburg and trapped a Confederate army. The Union was lead by Ulysses S. Grant and the Confederacy was led by John C. Pemberton. This event started in May and didn’t end until early July. Confederates had a stronghold on the Mississippi River but Grant wanted to take over the Mississippi River. Grant surrounded the Confederates and the Union then surrendered to Grant. -
Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address was given by President Lincoln after the Battle of Gettysburg. This is one of Lincoln’s most famous speeches. Edward Everett introduced Abraham Lincoln in an introduction that lasted two hours. Abraham Lincoln’s speech only last two minutes. In this address Lincoln successfully summed up the consequences of the war in ten sentences. The speech by Lincoln, in a way, redefined the Civil War. -
Gettysburg Address
He stated that liberty and equality were the core components for the emancipation of America. Lincolns address was mainly about how he wanted to create a national cemetary to honor the soldiers whose lives were lost in the Battle of Gettysburg. -
Siege of Richmond
After Grant retreated, he was forced to give up Richmond to the Union. -
Siege of Richmond
One of the last acts of the Civil War is the Siege of Richmond. This event lasted nine months. There were more than 7,000 causalities. Grant and Lee battled desperately for control over the city of Petersburg. This city is where the Grant moved the Union troops to try to escape the Confederacy. The Union tried to attack the Confederacy many times. After many attempts of survival, Grant was forced to surrender. He retreated to Appomattox Court House. -
Election of 1864
In the Election of 1864, Lincolns chances for re-election were slim. Lincoln was weakened by citicism of his handling of the war. He also was criticised because of Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln was running against George B. McClellan. McClellan pledged to conduct the war more skillfuly than Lincoln. McClellan received 45 percent of the popular vote. Lincoln received more than half of the electoral votes. -
Election of 1864
None of the states loyal to the Confederate States of American participated in the Election of 1864. Lincoln was re-elected as President. -
Sherman's "March to the Sea"
His campaign was to prove that the confederate government could not protect their people from any form of invasion. The March to the Sea effectively got rid of the region’s economic usefulness to the Confederate cause. -
Sherman's "March to the Sea"
Sherman’s March to the Sea began in Atlanta, Georgia and ended in Savannah, Georgia. Sherman and his men marched across Georgia and then up to the north. The march consisted of 13,000 men. They tore through cities destroying individuals property and land. Some men did not follow Sherman’s orders and raped women and beat men. Sherman only wanted to prove a point without harming anyone. -
Freedmen's Bureau
The Freedmen’s Bureau is also known as the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands. The Bureau was run by the War Department. The Freedmen’s Bureau was created by congress to assist the South, for one year, in their transition from slavery to freedom. After the war, many people were without homes, property, food, and clothing. The Freedmen’s Bureau helped these people get back on track. They helped white men and also the newly freed slaves. -
Freedman's Bureau
The Freedmen’s Bureau established a social order based on racial equailty. Their responsibilities included introducing a system of free labor, overseeing schools for freedpersons, settling disputes and enforcing contracts between the white landowners and their black labor force, and securing justice for blacks in state courts. -
Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia
Robert E. Lee and his army were weak and exhausted and trying to escape the Union troops. They were cut off by the Union. Lee surrounded the Union troops. They realized they had little choice and had to surrender to the army of General Grant. The Union troops won this battle. They agreed to meet on April9,1865 in the Villiage of Appomattox Courthouse. This was one of the last battles of the Civil War. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
After the surrender of Robert E. Lee and the announcement that Lincoln would be President again, John Wilkes Booth began plotting the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
John Wilkes Booth was a young southern actor and patriot of the Confederacy. On April 14, 1865, President Lincoln and his wife went to Ford’s Theatre to see “Our American Cousin.” During the play, Booth entered Lincolns box and shot him in the back of the head. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Booth jumped off the balcony and escaped through the back of the theatre. Lincoln was immediately taken to the hotel across the street where did the next morning. Booth was found days later and killed. Booth believed the assassination of President Lincoln would allow the South to succeed the North in power. -
13th Amendment
The 13th amendment abolished slavery for good in the United States of America. This amendment was passed on December 6, 1865. The only way to enforce this amendment is through the federal government. This amendment reenfored the Emancipation Proclamation. The amendment states that no form of slavery shall exist except if it is for a punishment for a crime. The 13th amendment is the first of the Civil War amendments. It is also one of the Reconstruction Amendments. -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment guarenteed the rights of all citizens to have equal protection under law. It also declared due process of law. The 14th amendment also protects civil rights of all citizens as well. This amendment gives everyone, no matter what race, equal protection. It also states that if you were born in the United States then you are an United States citizen. This amendment overrulled the Dred Scott Decision. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment declared the right to vote to all men. This amendment made it so that the right to vote did not depend on color, race or former enslavement. In the south many African Americans still not vote because some Southerns would deny blacks the right to vote. Also, most formerly enslaved men did not know how to read or write so they could not vote. This amendment is also a Reconstruction Amendment and is one of the Civil War amendments along with the 13th and 14th amendments. -
15th Amendment
This amendment was passed by Congress on February 26, 1869. It was not ratified by every state until february 3, 1870. -
Election of 1876
Rutherford B. Hayes was the Republican nominee and Samuel J. Tilden was the Democratic nominee in the Election of 1876. The election results left the nation in suspense. In order to win, one must have 185 electoral college votes. Tilden had 184 and Hayes had 165. The only votes still needed were from South Carolina, Louisiana, and Florida, which were all Southern Republican states. Each of these states submitted two ballots; one favoring Hayes and one favoring Tilden. -
Election of 1876
Congress appointed an Electoral Commission to find a solution to this problem. An agreement between the two partys took place in the “Compromise of 1877.” This made Rutherford B. Hayes the next president.
