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The Kansas-Nebraska Act
The purpose of this act was to open up thousands of new farms and make feasible a Midwestern Transcontinental Railroad. The sovereignty clause of the law led pro and anti-slavery elements to flood into Kansas. This Act was drafted by Stephen A. Douglas and President Franklin Pierce. It allowed people in Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery. -
Dred Scott Case
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a slave named Dred Scott was not entitled to his freedom; that African Americans were not citizens of the United States. Red Scott was a slave who had lived with his owner in a free state before returning to the slave state of Missouri. Scott argued for emancipation. This decision heightened North-South tensions and led to war just three years later. -
Abraham Lincoln Elected 16th President of the United States
Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th president of the United States and becoming the first Republican to win the presidency. Lincoln was known for her stance on the slavery issue during the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Lincoln argued against the spread of slavery. The announcement of Lincoln's victory lead to the secession of the Southern states. -
The American Civil War Begins
Fort Sumter in South Carolina's Charleston Bay was where General P.G.T. Beauregard opened fire on the Union when they refused to evacuate Fort Sumter. The battle lasted 34 hours where 50 confederate guns launched more than 4,000 rounds. -
Prohibiting Slavery
President Abraham Lincoln signs legislation that prohibits slavery. This bill forbid slavery in all U.S. territories. -
Emancipation Proclamation
This was an executive order that was written by Abraham Lincoln that changed the legal status of more than 3 million slaves in the South from being a slave to being free. It came into effect on January 1, 1863 and led to many slaves to escape their masters and cross Union borders to obtain their freedom. -
Lincoln's Assassination
President Lincoln was assassinated by a man named John Wilkes Booth while attending a play at Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C. This assassination was part of a large conspiracy theory in a plan to revive the Confederate clause. He was hit on the back of his head while watching the play and passed away the next day. -
Andrew Johnson Appointed President
Andrew Johnson was appointed the 17th President of the United States after the assassination of Lincoln. He was known for being a honest and honorable man. He became president during the ending of the Civil War.