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Civil War Timeline
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Invention of the Cotton Gin (increase need for slavery)
In 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. Whitney was a farmer from Massachusetts that moved to South Carolina. On a plantation in South Carolina, Whitney noticed how long it took slaves to seperate the green seeds from short-staple cotton.He developed a machine that allowed the task to be completed 10 times faster. This allowed more cotton to be processed in a shorter amount of time. It made cotton one of the largest cash crops in the South. -
Invention of the cotton gin (increase need for slavery)
This led to the spread of slavery because the plantations needed more slaves to pick cotton in the fields. -
Underground Railroad (Approximate date started)
This was significant in that southern farmers felt robber of their property. Between 1810 and 1850, it is thought that almost 100,000 slaves were freed throught the underground railroad. -
Underground Railroad (Approximate date started)
The Underground Railroad was a way for slaves in the South to escape to freedom in the North. It was not an actual railroad, but it did use similar jargon as railroads. The most famous "conductors" were Hariet Tubman, Levi Coffin, and John Fairfield. This was not run by a single person, but by many individuals. People set up "stations" along the way to rest and eat in peoples homes. They had to travel at night to avoid detection. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise is also known as the Compromise of 1820. The issue was how to admit territories as states to the Union. Also, maintaining the balance of free and slave states was important. The solution was to admit two states to the Union. Maine was admited as a free state. Missouri was admitted as a slave state. Another significance of this compromise was that it prohibited slavery north of the 36"30' line. Missouri would be the only exception. -
Wilmot Proviso
David Wilmot was a Democrat in congress. During the Mexican War, he proposed the Wilmot Proviso. This would ban slavery in the territories aquired from Mexico. This bill was passed by the House in 1846. It was then denied by the senate. This bill was the basic plank of the Free-Soil Party. The significance of this event is that it further spread the sectionalism between the North and South. It was one of the original attempts to bring an end to slavery. -
Compromise of 1850 (Include Fugitive Slave Act)
The United States aquired large amounts of land following the Mexican War. Henry Clay was determined to resolve this issue and came up with this compromise. This compromise added California to the Union. Also, Texas was given 10 million dollars to give up the disputed land. The slave trade was banned in Washington D.C. To please southern representatives, congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act. This law allows citizens to assist in returning of escaped slaves. Slaves were denied a jury trial. -
Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Date published)
The book Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. This book shows the life of a slave. This slave refuses to betray his other slaves at the cost of his life. This book was important because it came from a non-threatening white woman. Many northerners were able to see the harshness of slavery. Southerners hated the book, many having burnings of the book. 5,000 copies of the first edition were printed.They sold within 2 days. 300,000 copies were sold in America in the 1st year. -
Caning of Charles Sumner
Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner had insulted Senator Andrew Butler. Representative Preston Brooks retaliated by assaulting Sumner in the senate chambers. Preston Brooks was Andrew Butler's cousin. He beat Sumner with his walking cane. Sumner was hit in the head and lost conciousness. The cane was splintered and broken following the beating. This represented the resentment of the North from the South. Brooks was sent canes from constituents to "hit him again". -
Dred Scott Decision (Date of Decision)
Dred Scott was a slave. He was bought by Dr. John Emerson in a slave state. They all moved to the Wisconsin territory. Then they moved to St. Louis. When Dr. Emerson died, he left Scott to his wife. Dred Scott attempted to purchase his freedom, but was denied. He sued and it went to the supreme court. The supreme court ruled that blacks could not be US citizens and not sue in federal court. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates (Include Freeport Doctrine…use year)
In Illinois, their was a fierce battle for the position as senator. A small town lawyer named Abraham Lincoln was the Republican representative. Incumbent Senator Stephen Douglas with the favorite. He was the Democratic representative. They both traveled across Illinois debating the issue of slavery. Each side strategically criticized the other. The debate climaxed in Freeport, where Douglas was forced into a bad response. The state legislature elected Douglas to the senate. -
Raid on Harper's Ferry, Virginia
John Brown was a radical abolitionist. He believed in the idea that he had the ability to free all the slaves of the south. He organized an attack on the federal armory in Harper's Ferry. John Brown and 21 other men took control of the armory. They had hoped to arm slaves and lead a rebellion. The slaves were afraid, and failed to arrive. Federal troops arrived and took back control of Harper's Ferry. John Brown was captured and put on trial. He was found guilty and hung, becoming a matyr. -
Election of 1860
The Republican party was represented by Abraham Lincoln. They met in Chicago. The democratic party was split into two. They were unorganized, having two conventions in Baltimore. The northern Democrats nominated Stephen Douglas. The southern Democrats nominated John C. Breckenridge. With multiple democratic candidates, votes were more widely disperesed. The Republicans had a more concentrated vote. Abraham Lincoln won be vitorious, becoming the 16th president. -
Formation of the Confederate States of America (Include President)
The states that seceded from the Union met in Montgomery, Alabama to form the Confederate States of America. They had a similar constitution to the United States'. One difference was a 6 year term for president. Another difference was the prohibition of protective tariffs. The new government had a unicameral legislature. It is odd that international slave trade was prohibited. Jefferson Davis of Mississippi was the presidential candidate, being the former secretary of war. -
Fort Sumter
In the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina, a secluded fort sat surrounded by water. This was a Union fort under sontrol of Major Robert Anderson. Confederates couldn't stand a foreign fort in their territory, so they issued an ultimatum to evacuate. When Lincoln attempted to resupply the fort, confederates attacked. This is the first conflict of the civil war. Mary Chestnut heard the bombshells going of at 4:30 AM. This was the point of no return for the confedracy. Lincoln considered this war -
First Battle of Bull Run
Also known as the Battle of Manassass, this battle was the first head to head combat between both sides of the Union and the Confedracy, People overestimated the battle, bringing picnic baskets to watch. The confederate troops were greatly outnumbered, but held them off. -
Battle of Shiloh
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Battle of Antietam
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Siege at Vicksburg (Date Ended)
This was the last Confederate palace that the Union took. Being on the Mississippi, it was the gateway to the west for the confederacy. When the Union took control, it split the confedracy in two. -
Emancipation Proclamation (Went into Effect)
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Battle of Gettysburg
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Gettysburg Address
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Siege of Richmond (Date Started)
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Sherman's ""March to the Sea" (Date Started)
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Election of 1864
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Freedmen's Bureau (Year Started)
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Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia
This is where the Confederacy surrendered to the Union army. The confederates could no longer possibly win the war. They had been overpowered and overrun. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
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13th Amendment (Date Ratified)
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14th Amendment (Date Ratified)
This amendment granted citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States,”.This allowed former slaves to become citizens. It also prevents states from denying a person the right to life, liberty, and property. An exception to this is through due process. In other words, it is granted to law abiding citizens.This same phrase was used by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence.This amendment is referenced more than any other amendment in litigation. It expanded civil right -
15th Amendment (Date Ratified)
"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." This amendment gives all men the right to vote. White men had been able to vote. Now black men also could vote.This ended poll taxes for voting. It also ended literacy tests for citizens to vote. Women were excluded in this amendment. It did not allow blacks to hold office, though many thought it should have. -
Election of 1876 (Include Compromise of 1877)
In the Election of 1876, the political parties wanted to stray away from corrupt politicians. The democrats nominated Samuel Tilden. He was the Governor of New York. The republicans nominated Rutherford Hayes. He was the Governor of Ohio. Tilden won the popular vote, but not an electoral college majority. The compromise of 1877 was needed to decide the president. Under this agreement, federal troops would be pulled out of the south, halting reconstruction. Hayes became president.
