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Chris Connelly
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Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a secret network of routes, anti-slavery supporters including stationmasters, conductors, stockholders, etc. that led runaway slaves out of the South towards freedom. There were many different routes including the Mississippi River, the Appalachian Mountains, and low-lying swamps throughout the Atlantic Coast, which were all very dangerous. After runaway slaves traveled through the treacherous routes to the north, there were many anti-slavery helpers. -
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Underground Railroad Part 2
These helpers consisted of stationmasters, people who took slaves into their home to protect and hide, Conductors, people who found and/or were sent a group of slaves and led them to safe houses, and stock holders, people who donated many things to the runaways of the Underground Railroad. Some famous helpers were, Thomas Garrett, John Rankin, and Harriet Tubman. The Fugitive Slave Act was what really made the Underground Railroad popular. Franklin Pierce was the president during this time. -
Missouri Compromise
Slave owners from the South had already migrated to the Missouri Territory. Congress said no more slaves be brought into Missouri.The United States was no longer a union of equal states. Missouri was a slave state after gaining admission from the Union. This Compromise made the imaginary line called the 36’30’ line. Any land in the Louisiana Territory north of 36’ 30’ would be free with the exception of Missouri and any land South would be slave. -
Missouri Compromise Part 2
The North thought Missouri should join as a free state seems how it is above the line. The South thought Missouri should be a slave state because there were already slaves there. Maine became a free state which balance out the free and slave states. On March 3, 1820 Congress passed the Missouri Compromise that temporally resolves the clash of the Slavery and Antislavery people. This compromise solved the problem between the disagreement of Missouri becoming a free or slave state. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
From August 22nd to August 23rd, 1831 Nat Turner led a 48 hour rebellion of about 60-70 slaves in Southampton, Virginia. Turner started this rebellion his “payback” for how the slaves were treated. Within the 48 hours the group killed the Travis Family which owned Turner. Over 60 plantation owners and family were killed along with 200 slaves. It took 3000 Virginia Militia to catch the slaves and send them to court or kill them. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion Part 2
After the rebellion slaves could not be in groups more than five out in the field because of suspicion. They could not have right, be trusted with guns, or testify in court. Many slaves were killed in a rampage of slave owner because they were scared that the slaves were going to start another rebellion. Later on, the slaves had strict laws put on them. these laws were called The Black Codes, which lasted through and after the Civil War. Andrew Jackson was the president during this time. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion Part 3
Slaves couldn’t own guns, vote, speak to each other, or even buy or sell goods. This really impacted the country, because it made the North and South just completely fall away from each other and led towards the Civil War. -
The Compromise of 1850
In 1849 the gold rush in California grew as did the population. California applied for statehood after they saw everyone coming to the territory. The state made a constitution that forbade slavery. Many southerners were angered by this. The South figured, because most of California lay south of the 36’ 30’ line it should be open to slavery. This line only applied to the land in the Louisiana Territory. -
The Compromise of 1850 Part 2
On January 29, 1850 Henry Clay, presenter of the Missouri Compromise, presented another compromise The Compromise of 1850. The Compromise of 1850 admitted that California was a free state. During this compromise, Millard Fillmore, the president at this time, signed The Fugitive Slave to calm the Southerners down. The Fugitive Slave Act said, if any slave seen on the move to capture them and said them back to their owner, and any abolitionist seen helping runaways be fined. -
The Compromise of 1850 Part 3
This compromise also affected the U.S capitol, Washington D.C. Congress promised that they would stop slave trade in Washington. The territories of New Mexico and Utah were able to decide for themselves if they wanted to be a free or slave state by popular sovereignty. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
Stephen Douglas, a senator of Illinois, wanted to become president. He wanted to make Kansas and Nebraska states so he could link the railroad to the west and also make Chicago the hub. The South wanted Kansas to become a slave state so they could move slavery to that territory. This interfered with the 36’ 30’ line because anything north of this line would be free states. Pro/Anti slavery settlers were moving to Kansas rapidly. -
Kansas Nebraska Act Part 2
Douglas wanted to keep the North and South on his good side for presidency. He thought it would be a good idea for the people in that territory to choose if they wanted to be a free or slave state. This did not go as he planned. Congress had to get rid of the Missouri Compromise and the 36’ 30’ line. Stephen Douglas presented this act to Congress in January of 1854. This act was passed by Congress on May 30, 1854. Franklin Pierce was president during this time. -
Bleeding Kansas Part 2
It was started by pro-slavery supporters who attacked a newspaper building, destroying everything. They called this “The Mini Civil War.” In retaliation to the attack in Lawrence, John Brown, an anti-slavery supporters, led an attack near Pottawatomie Creek, killing five pro-slavery men. Franklin Pierce was president while this corruption took place. The lotting at Lawrence and Brown’s attack near Pottawatomie Creek gave the name “Bleeding Kansas.” -
Bleeding Kansas
The tension in Kansas started in 1854 when the Kansas Nebraska bill was brought into law. Anti-slavery settlers from New England were moving into Kansas to fight against the Slave Power. There were also pro-slavery settlers moving into Kansas to, but for a different reason. These pro-slavery settlers were voting illegally hoping Kansas would become a slave state. The first act of violence in the territory occurred on May 21, 1856 in Lawrence, Kansas. -
The Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott was a slave who was taken into free territories Illinois and Wisconsin, by his owner. Scott thought that since he lived in free territory that he was a free man. He appealed to the Supreme Court that he should be a free man. The court ruled against him. He was not, and could never become a citizen, therefore, he could not sue in federal court. On March 6, 1857, Supreme Court decided that all African ancestry could never become a U.S. citizen. -
The Dred Scott Case Part 2
This included slaves, and blacks that were free. Dred Scott remained a slave. The 36’ 30’ line, made during the Missouri Compromise, kept slave owners from taking their property, slaves, into free territory. The Supreme Court “erased” the 36’ 30’ line, this let slave owners take their property where they wanted. The North was outraged by this, whereas the South loved it. This led to Abraham Lincoln going to the Republican party and the South succession from the Union. -
The Dred Scott Case Part 3
Peter Blow’s sons, childhood friends of Scott, helped him pay his legal fees from Court. The sons purchased Scott and his wife and set them free. Scott passed away just nine months after he was finally free. James Buchanan was president during this case. -
The Raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown, an abolitionist, led a group of other abolitionists, including blacks, to an attack on Harpers Ferry on October 16, 1859. His plan was to take over a military arsenal, and arm all the slaves in the area to fight back on the pro-slavery people. The group seized the arsenal, and took many hostages including George Washington’s great grandnephew. Brown brought extra guns, because he thought slaves from the area would join help group to help, but he thought wrong. -
The Raid on Harpers Ferry
Instead, U.S. troops, led by Robert E. Lee, stormed into the town, and further to the arsenal, killing Browns group. Brown was left alive, arrested, and tried for treason. He was sentenced, by court, to be hanged. Months later, on December 2, 1859, Brown was killed. Just before his death he wrote a note saying, “I John Brown am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away; but with Blood.” This raid split the North/South farther apart, and brought the Civil War -
The Presidential Election of 1860
The Presidential Election of 1860, split the nation apart. The Republicans chose Abraham Lincoln to run for president. Lincoln, who was moderate towards slavery, carried all of the northern states including California and Oregon. The northern Democrats chose Stephen Douglas to run. Douglas, who was fine with slavery and supported popular sovereignty, carried only Missouri and Southern New Jersey. The Southern Democrats chose John Breckinridge to run. -
The Presidential Election of 1860 Part 2
Breckinridge, who was committed to an aggressive policy of expanding slavery, carried the southern states including Delaware and Maryland. The Constitutional Union chose John Bell to run. Bell, who was a moderate slaveholder, carried only Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The election was held on Tuesday, November 6, 1860. Surprisingly, Abraham Lincoln won the the election without one southern vote! With Lincoln winning came lots of trouble. -
The Presidential Election of 1860 Part 3
The election finally broke the last straw between the North and South. First, South Carolina seceded, the first state to ever secede from the United States. In February of 1861, delegates met in Montgomery, Alabama, and created the Confederate States of America. -
Thomas Garrett
Thomas Garrett became the most active stationmaster on the Underground Railroad. This white abolitionist was a station master for more than four decades. He is credited with helping 2,700 runaways on their way to freedom. He paid up to $5,400 in fines from helping the runaways that stopped by his home. Garrett joined the anti-slavery cause, because he rescued an African American woman from his family. -
Thomas Garrett Part 2
Before he passed away he wrote a note saying that he should be carried to his grave by African Americans. He passed away on January 25, 1871. He is known for taking slaves from conductors and runaways that he found into his home to hide and protect from slave catcher. Like many other abolitionists, Thomas Garrett put himself in danger to help others.
