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First Issue of the Liberator
The Liberator was a newspaper that supported anti-slavery. It was published by William Lloyd Garrison. -
Compromise of 1850- passed
Henry Clay suggested a compromise that California would be a free state, but other new territories would have no limits on slavery. The slave trade would be illegal in Washington D.C. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Published
Uncle Tom's Cabin is an anti-slavery novel that changed how Americans viewed slavery. It was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. -
Kansas- Nebraska Act- passed
Stephen Douglas introduced a bill to settle the issue of slavery. He called his proposal "popular sovereignty." The Southerners supported the bill, but the Northerners protested. The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed in 1854. -
James Buchanan Sworn into Office as the 15th President
James Buchanan defeated John C. Fremont in the election. Buchanan took all the Southern states except Maryland. He won the election with 174 electoral votes. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was an enslaved African American who was bought by a doctor in Missouri. They moved to Illinois, then to the Wisconsin Territory. The Northwest Ordinance banned slavery. Chief Justice Roger B. Taney wrote the Court's opinion: Dred Scott was still an enslaved person. Congress had no power to ban slavery. The Court's decision upheld what many white Southerners believed: Nothing could legally stop slavery. -
John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry
John Brown led a group on a raid on Harper's Ferry. His target was an arsenal. Brown wanted to arm enslaved African Americans and start a revolt against slaveholders. Local citizens and federal troops defeated Brown's raid. John Brown received a death sentence. -
Abe Lincoln elected President
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, and was also the first Republican President. His party wanted to ban slavery in new territories. -
South Carolina secedes from the Union
South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union. They didn't trust the Republicans to protect their rights. Many states followed them after South Carolina seceded from the United States. -
Battle at Fort Sumter Begins
Abraham Lincoln received a message from the commander of Fort Sumter, warning that the fort was low on supplies. He said that he was sending an unarmed group to the fort with supplies. Jefferson Davis ordered his forces to attack Fort Sumter before the Union supplies could arrive. The Union surrendered the fort on April 14. This was the beginning of the Civil War. -
Battle of Bull Run
This was the first major battle of the Civil War. Many people in the North were certain that they would win the battle, so they had picnics and watched from a hill. The South ended up winning the battle. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to free the slaves. The Emancipation Proclamation changed the focus of the war. It eventually set millions of slaves free. -
Battle of Gettysburg
This battle took 3 days. On the first day, the armies were coming together. On the second day, the armies were at full force. By the third day, General Lee decided to make an all or nothing attack.The Battle of Gettysburg was the deadliest battle of the Civil War. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
General Sherman marched to Savannah, Georgia to take control of the sea port. He decided that he could hurt the Confederacy by destroying cotton gins, lumber mills and other industries. When Sherman came to Savannah, the Confederate force that was there fled and the mayor of Savannah surrendered with little fight. -
The Surrender at Appomattox Court House
The surrender at Appomattox Court House was one of the last battles of the Civil War. General Robert Lee surrendered to Ulysses Grant. This signaled the beginning of the end of the war. -
Lincoln's Assassination
John Wilkes Booth entered Ford's Theatre and fatally shot Abraham Lincoln. He was the first president to be assassinated in U.S. history.
