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David Walker
David Walker was born on September 28, 1785 in Wilmington N.C. In 1826 Walker settled in Boston, Mass. and became an agent for Freedoms Journal. He also wrote Walker's Appeal. Walker's Appeal urged slaves, "If liberty is not given to you, rise in bloody rebellion." The south hated him and the state of Georgia even put a price on his head. Copies of Walker's Appeal were commonly burned. He died on June 28, 1830. -
Underground Railroad
In 1787 Issac T. Hopper began a system for hiding and aiding runaway slaves starting the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a secret network of people, places, and routes in the north that led slaves to freedom, mainly Canada. Abolitionists, mainly free blacks, served as conductors, stockholders, stationmasters, and shepherds. -
Underground Railroad
They would transport, hide, feed, and clothe escaped slaves on their way north. The Underground Railroad ended December 6, 1865 when the 13th ammendment was passed ending slavery. -
The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was a two-part compromise created in 1820 that helped to maintain the balance between free and slave states. When Missouri wanted to become a state there was a debate about whether it should be a free or slave state. There were reasons for both sides of the argument, but Missouri became a slave state. At the same time Maine was admitted to statehood and balance continued in Congress. The compromise also stated that the 36’ 30’ line be created and all states -
The Missouri Compromise
in the Louisiana Purchase below that line would be slave and all above would be free. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner's Rebellion was a slave rebellion led by Nat Turner, a black slave preacher, that happened in Virginia. The rebellion started on the morning of August 21 when Turner and his men killed the members of the Traveis family. During this rebellion 57 different white people were killed on different plantations. This rebellion succeed in creating an enormous amount of fear in the white communtiy. Many slaves were beaten and some were abused as a result of this. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a five part compromise proposed by Henry Clay. The first part of the Compromise was that California became a free state. This tipped the balance of free and slave states. The second part was the lands won in the War with Mexico was split into territories. Voters in these areas would be able to decide if their state would be free or slave. Third, slave trade was banned in Washington D.C., which had one of the largest slave markets in America. Fourth, the dispute of the -
The Compromise of 1850
wester border of Texas was resolved. If Texas gave up the land it was fighting for it would be paid $10 million. Lastly, the Fugitive Slave Act was passed which restricted the rights of slaves even more. It also stated that any slave found would have to be returned even if they were in the north. Anyone who did not return or harbored slaves would be fined. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
this would make him popular with the southern democrats and that the northerners wouldn't care. When he proposed the idea northerners were outraged, but the act was passed. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Stephen Douglas, a northern democrat, wanted railroads to be built to connect Chicago to the west, but he also wanted to become president. Douglas knew that pushing for the statehood of Kansas and Nebraska would make him unpopular with southern democrats because they would be free states. As a solution he proposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The Kansas-Nebraska Act proposed that popular sovereignty would be relied on to determine the free or slave condition of Kansas and Nebraska. He thought that -
Bleeding Kansas
After the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed Kansas voters were allowed to decide if slavery was to be permitted in the state. This caused both anti-slavery settlers and pro-slavery settlers to come pouring in to the territory. On (insert date here) John Brown, a highly opiniated abolitionist, led a group of men on an attack on the pro-slavery settlement of Pottawatomie Creek. In the attack the men killed 5 pro-slavery men in front of their wives and children. This act started one of the bloodiest -
Bleeding Kansas
summers in American history. -
Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott was an enslaved man who had been owned by an army surgeon, Dr. John Emmerson. After Emmerson died in 1843 Scott belived that since Emmerson had lived with him in Illinois and the Wisconsin Territory he was legally a free man. He sued Dr. Emmerson's wife, Mrs. Emmerson. After multiple court battles an abolitionist lawyer agreed to take Scott's -
Dred Scott Case
confiscate slaves. Slaves could be brought anywhere within the country. -
Dred Scott Case
case to the Supreme Court. The court not only had to decide the verdict, but whether Scott even had the right to be heard. The court eventually decided that since Scott was a slave he did not have any rights and therefore did not have the right to sue. The court also declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional. Since the government did not have the right to seize property without due process of law they could not constrict the area in which slaves were brought. -
Presidential Election of 1860
The presidential election of 1860 was a battle between Abraham Lincoln a republican who had a moderate veiw towards slavery, John Breckenridge a southern democrat and a supporter of slavery, John Bell from the Constitutional Union and a moderate towards slavery, and Stephen Douglas a moderate towards slavery. The election was held on November 6, 1860, and Lincoln won carrying the North, Oregon, and California. John Breckinridge carried the south. John Bell carried the border states. -
Presidential Election of 1860
Stephen Douglas carried Missouri and southern New Jersey. The winning of a Republican candidate without a southern vote outraged the south. The states decided that since they had decided to join the Union they could leave constitutionally. South Carolina suceded first followed by the Deep South. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
On April 10, 1861 General P.G.T. Beauregard ordered the surrender of the federal fort, Fort Sumter located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The commanding officer, Maj. Robert Anderson, refused. On April 12th Confederate batteries started to fire on the fort. This bombardment lasted 24 hours before Maj. Anderson surrendered on the 13th. This was the event that started the Civil War.
