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Invention of the Cotton Gin
In the south, the main cash crop was cotton. Cotton was very easy to grow and produce. It was a problem to though to pick all the seeds out of the cotton. In this year, Eli Whitney created the Cotton Gin. This machine was able to pick the seeds out the cotton more efficienty than by picking it by hand. This invention is important because it led to the increase in slaves. More cotton was being produced by this machine, so farmers needed more slave hands to pick the cotton. -
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Tiffani"s Civil War Timeline
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Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was started in the south in the early 1800s. There was no single person that organized this. The main conductor of this railroad was Harriet Tubman. She helped hundreds of slaves escape to the North and Canada to gain their freedom. She also took about 19 trips to the south to help these slaves escape. The south lost about 100,000 slaves within 40 years from this railorad. This event is important because it led to abolitionist parties forming. -
Underground Railorad
The Underground Railroad is significant to the Civil War because it led to more slaves trying to escape and more hope of freedom for enslaved African Americans -
Missouri Compromise
slavery could not exist in the territory purchased from Mexico. This territory is also known as the Louisiana Purchase Territory or the 36 30 line. This compromise is important because it sets the standard for which territories can be admitted as free or slave states into the Union. -
Missouri Compromise
The territory of Missouri wanted to be admitted into the Union for statehood. This created controversy because admitting Missouri in the Union as a slave state would upset the free and slave state balance. In 1820, Manie also applied for statehood. Henry Clay, The Great Compromiser, came up with the Compromise of 1820 which is also known as the Missouri Compromise. In this compromise, Missouri would be admitted as a slave state and Mainie would become a free state. The compromise also said that -
Wilmot Proviso
of where slavery would occur with the addition of new territories from Mexico. The effects of this document were that it never did end the debate of slavery and it created more controversy because many southerns did not want there to be more free states than slave states -
Wilmot Proviso
In 1846, President James K Polk wanted to gain the territory of Texas and other Mexican territories. Thus, the Mexican War came about because the Mexicans fired on an American who was near their land. David Wilmot proposed a plan to Congress. His plan was called the Wilmot Proviso. In this plan, slavery would not exist in the territories gained from the war. This plan was passed by Congress but it was never put into effect. This document is important because it was an attempt to end the debate -
Compromise of 1850
Thirty years after the Compromise of 1820, the debate of slavery rises again. Henry Clay presents another compromise, this time it is the Compromise of 1850. In this Compromise, Texas was given ten million dollars to pay off their debts to Mexico and it would give up some of its land. The slave trade in the Distict of Columbia would be banned too. This means that no more slaves could come into the United States. Another part of this compromise was that the territories of New Mexico, Nevada, -
Compromise of 1850
Arizona, and Utah would become territories without the issue of slavery until they applied for statehood. One of the main parts of this compromise was the Fugitive Slave Act. This act required people from the north to help catch runaway slaves that escaped from the south to north if they were asked to. The effects of the Fugitive Slave Act led to the capture and return of many slaves. This compromise is important because it ensured that slaves didn't have their freedom. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
in the south. The effects of this novel caused it to be banned in the sourth and caused many people in the north and in European countires to become abolitionists. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
The woman who published this novel was Harriet Beecher Stowe. She was from Hartford, Connecticut. She and her family were anit-slavery. She wrote this novel in response to the Fugitive Slave Act. Her novel describes the life of a slave in the south, in this case Uncle Tom. This story describes the troubles and hardships that slaves had to go through in the south. This book is very significant because it allowed many people in the north to open their eyes to how slaves were really being treated -
Canning of Sumner
of the House intervened, Sumner was so badly beaten that it took him three years to recover from the beating. This event was important because it showed how bad slavery had affected those in the south with the balance of free and slave states. -
Canning of Sumner
On May 19-20, Senator Charles Sumner gave his speech called the "Crimes against Kansas," In this speech Sumner insulted a member of Congress. This member of Congress had a cousin named Preston Brooks, and he was a senator from South Carolina, To avenge his cousin, Brooks personally went to Sumner's office and talked about how he did not like how Sumner insulted his cousin. Then Brooks started attacking Sumner with his walking cane. He repeatedly beat Sumner over and over again. When two memebers -
Dred Scott Decison
a slave. The term "all men are created equal" was not referring to slaves because they were property. This case is significant because it led to more people wanting slavery to destroy itself and more abolitionist organizations. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slave who was purchased by a man. Dred Scott and his master moved to the free states of Illinois and Wisconsin. He even married a free black woman and they had children. When Scott was denied his right to freedom, he took matters into his own hands and went to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court Justice, Roger Taney, ruled that Scott would remain a slave. He made this decision because Scott was black and was not a citizen of the United States. He was also bought and treated as -
Lincoln Douglas Debates
debate took place in Freeport, Illinois. It stated that people had the right to choose whether they wanted their state to have slavery or not. This document is important because it is the first time that the people will decide if their state will have slavery or not, not the politicians decision. -
Lincoln Douglas Debates
The Lincoln Douglas Debates were debates between Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln for the Illinois senate seat. Douglas supported the idea of popular sovereignty, which is when the people decide whether they want their state to be a free state or a slave state. Lincoln on the other hand believed that the United States could not survive on being split up into half free states and half slave states. Lincoln lost the senate election. One outcome of the debates was the Freeport Doctrine. This -
Raid on Harper's Ferry
John Brown was against slavery even though he was from the south. He wanted to help runaway slaves and attack those who were slaveholders. He devised a plan to attack the arsenal on Harpers Ferry and take control of it. He had figured that he would be able to take over the arsenal with the help of the slave hands that lived around the area. On October 16, he and 21 men crossed the river and took over the arsenal and armory. None of the slaves he thought would come to help him came. The local -
Raid on Harpers Ferry
army came and began shelling the arsenal. One of Brown's sons went out with a white flag to surrender, but he was shot and killed. The militia captured some of the men, while a few others escaped. John Brown was captured and then executed. This event is significant because it shows how willing the south was to fire on one of their own southerners because he did not support slavery. -
Election of 1860
candidate was Abraham Lincoln. They chose him because he was known for his debates with Douglas and they knew that he would win majority of the electoral college. Lincoln does win the election. This election is significant because many southern states seceeded from the Union because Lincoln was elected as President. -
Election of 1860
In this election there were not two candidates, but three. The Democrats held their national convention in Charleston, South Carolina where they nominated Stephen Douglas because they thought that he had the best chance of winning the election. Many southern Democrats saw Douglas as a traitor because he supported the idea of popular sovereignty, so the Democrats had to meet again. When they met up again, they nominated John Breckenridge. The Republicans met in Chicago, Illinois and their -
Formation of the Confederate States of America
the Confederate States of America. The south began taking over all southern forts from the federal soldiers in charge of them. Then all the rest of the south joined the confederacy includng North Carolina, Virigina, Arkansas, and Tennessee. This event is significant because the south was breaking away from the Union to become their own country and abide by their own rules. -
Formation of the Confederate States of America
The first state to seceed from the Union was South Carolina on December 20, 1860. After South Carolina seceeded so did six more states including Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Florida, and Louisiana. Their reasons for seceeding from the union were that the Fugitive Slave Act was not being enforced, the goverment wouldn't allow slavery in the new territories, and they felt that the Constitution had been broken because they were protecting property. Jefferson Davis became the President of -
Fort Sumter
In 1861, the Confederacy had gained control of all the forts and armories in the south except for one. The one they hadn't gained control of was Fort Sumter, which was in the Charleston Harbor. The man in charge of this fort was Major Anderson. He was asked by General Beauregard to surrender for the Union. Anderson refused, so the Confederates made sure that no food or supplies made it to the fort. They were planning on making the people within the fort run out of supplies. After a few days, -
Fort Sumter
of shelling and bombardment, Anderson surrenders and has the garrison evacuted. This event is important because it is the first opening engagement of the Civil War. -
First Battle of Bull Run
The fighting continued for several days. The Union ended up retreating back to Washingto, D.C and the Confederates were too tired to follow them. This event is important because it is the first combat fighting of the Civil War and it made Lincoln realize that the was going to be very long and costly. -
First Battle at Bull Run
Lincoln's goal in ending the war was to capture the Confederacy's capital at Richmond and end the war. This however was not the case. On July 21, Union commander General McDowell and Confederate Commander General Beauregard met in Manassas. The fighting began when a shot was fired. Though the Confederacy lacked in the number of men, one man stayed back to fight while others ran. His name was Thomas Jackson. He is best known as Stonewall Jackson because he stayed to fight as though he had no fear -
Battle of Shiloh
The loss of Fort Henry, led the Confederate General Johnston to take his troops into western Tennessee. Union General Ulysses s. Grant was ordered to move his troops to western Tennessee as well and up the Tennessee River to invade the Confederate Troops. Johnston planned to surprise attack Grant and send him back down the Tennesee River. The fighting began and the Confederates had gained control of the Union camp. The battle was fought around the Shiloh Church. It lasted for two days. The Union -
Battle of Shiloh
gained control of the rail junction at Corinth which was a part of the Confederacy. This event is important because it was an opportunity for the south to change the course of the war and it also showed that the war would be long. -
Battle of Antietam
In Sharpsburg, Maryland, the confederacy was laying in wait for the union troops. General George McClellan of the Union army met General Lee's army across the Potomac River. There was a bridge that separated the two armies. When the Union tried to cross the bridge, the Confederates began to fire. It to the Union three tries to cross the bridge to get to the Confederates. The Confederates ended up retreating because the Union army outnumbered them. The effects of this war were that it showed that -
Battle of Antietam
the Union troops were easy to replace with men than the Confederate troops were. The Union army outnumbered the Confederate army. The significance of this battle was that it was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Union. The south wanted nothing to do with Union and Jefferson Davis was their President, not Lincoln. This proclamation was important because it issued that there was no slavery in the states at war with the Union. It was also the first time that a no slavery proclamation had been made. -
Emancipation Proclamation
After the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln decides that it is time to end slavery. He issues the Emancipation Proclamation. This proclamation states that all slaves are to be free in the states at was with the Union except for the five Border States. The border states were allowed to keep their slaves because they were staying neutral throughout the war. The Confederacy was not excited about this proclamation. They did not Lincoln or the fact that he was still acting like they were a part of the -
Battle of Gettysburg
several effects including that Britain decided to wait on recognizing the Confederacy. Another effect was that the south would not have another battle on northern soil. This battle is very important because it was the turning point in the Civil War. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Confederacy wanted to gain recognition from Britain because if they were recognized, then they would become their own country. The south came up with a plan to win a battle on northern soil to prove to Britain that they should be recognized. General Robert E. Lee and his confederate troops made their way to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Here, he was met with the General Mead and his Union army. The battle lasted for three days. The Union army came out on top and won the battle. This battle had -
Siege of Vicskburg
The Mississippi River at the time was a main route for trade for the south because of their much needed cotton trade. The war blocked the Mississippi River to the north. General Ulysses Grant and Admiral David Farragut devised a plan to gain control of New Orleans. Farragut traveled up the Mississippi River and was able to capture New Orleans. Now it was Grant's turn to capture the town of Vicksburg. When Grant arrived in Vicksburg he attacked the city immediately. Vicksburg was running low on -
Siege at Vicksburg
food. General Pemberton of the Confederate forces decided to surrender. Several white flags were raised in the air,and he and his troops were allowed to leave the city. This event is important because it made the Confederacy split in two because the Union now had control of the Mississippi River. -
Gettysburg Address
Another effect is that it became his famous speech. This address to the public served as a tribute to the major turning point of the war. This address is important because it shows that Lincoln does not want to punish the south and is remembering the soldiers who fought on both sides of the war. -
Gettysburg Address
President Lincoln returns to the site where the Battle of Gettysburg takes place in Pennslyvania. This speech was very short and is said to have taken about five minutes to give. In this speech, Lincoln dedicates the battle field as a cemetary for all the soldiers who had died during the war. He pays tribute to the Union soldiers who died there and and talks about wanting equality and order among the United States. The effects of this speech are that the battlefield becomes a memorial ground. -
Siege of Richmond
One of the main parts of the Anaconda Plan for the Union was to siege the Confederate's capital. By sieging the capital, the war would be over. In 1864, Grant and the Union army followed Lee and his army to Richmond. There was a brief battle in Richmond where the Union won and took over the town of Petersburg. Once the Union had control of Petersburg, they went after Richmond. In Petersburg, the Union army had starved Lee's army to the point where Lee had to surrender. Lee retreated to the west -
Siege of Richmond
of Virginia, while Grant took over Richmond. The Union army raised their flag of stars and stripes by taking down the Confederate flag. This event is important because the Union army gained control of Richmond which ultimately would come close to ending the war. -
Sherman's March to Sea
Shortly before the capture of Atlanta, a Union soldier named William T. Sherman asks General Grant permission to conquer Atlanta. He is granted permission. Sherman does not like the south at all. His plan is to destroy the econoy of the south as much as possible. The south's economy was already bad to begin with, but he wanted to destroy it. He and his men set out on food to Savannah, Georgia where they capture the town and burn it. He then moves on to Atlanta where he does the same exact thing. -
Sherman's March to Sea
He makes his way up to the Carolinas where he is still going through towns and destroying them. Finally, in December he stops his path of destruction when he recieves a surrender from Johnston in 1865. The effect of this event caused many southern economies to go down even more because the south did not have the money to fix the burned towns and crops. This event is important because it eliminated the resources for Confederate troops and people. -
Election of 1864
In this election, incumbant Lincoln runs again for his second term against George McClellan. McClellan was Lincoln's general for the Civil War, but McClellan never wanted to fight. He was very organized though. The Democratic pary split into Peace Democrats. They are the ones who nominate McClellan. Lincoln does not expect himself to win because so many people in the south do not like him. Lincoln does end up winning because he wins the popular vote. He is left to conclude the war. This is -
Election of 1864
important because Lincoln is electead to serve a second term and is in charge of ending the war and fixing the economies for both the north and the south. -
Freedmen's Bureau
The Freemen's Bureau also known as The Bureau of Refugees, Freemen, and Abandoned Lands was created by Congress after Lincoln was re-elected for a second term. The bureau was run by the War Department to help not only blacks but poor southern whites as well. It took care of land contracts and settling disputes between blacks and their masters. It also allowed justice for blacks in state courts. This organization helped provide food, shelter, and clothing for many refugees and blacks. One of the -
Freedmen's Bureau
things that the bureau did not provide was land. The Freedmen's Bureau played a significant part in helping both whites and blacks with their freedom and economic troubles. This institution is very important because it provided education to not only the poor whites, but the blacks as well. -
Appomattox Courthouse
is why he let southern troops go so easily. The importance of this event is that it marks the end of the Civil War. -
Appomattox Courthouse
The Union is catching up to General Lee and his army. Lee makes a final attempt to escape the approaching Union army by recieving suppplies in Lynchburg. He and his troops try to sneak to Lynchburg, but they are caught by the Union army. They are surrounded. Lee is left with no choice but to surrender since they have no supplies. Grant allows Lee and his men to leave and go back home. They have to leave their large weapons behind though. President Lincoln did not want to punish the south, that -
Assassination of Lincoln
was eventually caught and sentenced to death. Lincoln was buried in his hometown of Springfield, Illinois. This event is important because now the south will be punished by the next President. -
Assassination of Lincoln
President Lincoln and his wife go to the Ford's Theatre to see a play. At about 10 p.m. at night, actor and anti-Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth enters the Presidential box. He pulls out a pistol and shoots Lincoln in the back of the head. He then jumps off stage and breaks his ankle. He manages to escape. Lincoln is then rushed over to the hotel across the street from the Theatre. He survives the night, but remains unconscience the entire time. The next morning he is pronounced dead. John W. Booth -
13th Amendment
small steps with the Emancipation Proclamation. This amendment is very important because it ended slavery in all of the United States. -
13th Amendment
The ratification of this amendment came about eight months after the war. This amendment ends slavery everywhere in the United States. The Border States no longer are an exception to this rule. The effects of this amendment are that all the slaves are now free blacks. The blacks however were still subjected to racial comments and work. Though they were free, they still worked to feed their families and gain land. Lincoln proposed this amendment. He gradually wanted the slavery to end by taking -
14th Amendment
Before the Civil War, in the Dred Scott decision, slaves were not granted their freedom even though they lived in free states. Slaves were treated as property and no more. The 14th amendment states that anyone who is born or naturalized in the United States is given citizenship. Before the war, many slaves were not considered Americans because they were property and their anscestors were from another country. When the slave trade ended, slaves began to produce more children and those children -
14th Amendment
became African Americans. The 14th amendment also states no state should deny any person their life, liberty,due process and property. It also states that everyone will get equal protection under the law. Slaves were not given equal protection under the law because they were not allowed to defend themselves in court before. This amendment is very important because it gave blacks their rights in court. -
15th Amendment
Before the war, women and slaves were denied the right to vote. The 15th Amendment allows all men who are citizens to vote in elections. After this amendment passed, many people still try to keep blacks from voting in elections. They especially tried to keep them from voting for Republicans because they wanted the Democrats to dominate the south again. Many blacks were not very educated, so the whites would trick the blacks into not voting. They would even refrain from giving the free blacks -
15th Amendment
their citizenship papers to prove that they are a citizen so they can vote. One good outcome from this amendment was that blacks became more involved in politics and even ran for seats in the Senate and the House of Representatives. This amendment is important because it allows all men to vote regardless of their race and social class. -
Election of 1876
During this time the Democrats had gained control of all the southern legislatures except for Louisiana, South Carolina, and Florida. Republicans nomiate Rutherford Hayes to run as President. He runs agains the Democrat nominee Samuel Tilden. Rutherford is elected President. Allies of the Republican Party meet secretly with the southern Democratic Party to negotiate a deal with them so Hayes will be elected President. The Democrats agree not to block Hayes' victory if they can control the -
Election of 1876
legislatures of Louisiana, South Carolina, and Florida. This deal is known as the Compromise of 1877. This compromise solved the election. The effect of this compromise causes federal troops to be pulled out of the south. This event is important because it marks the end of the Reconstruction era.
