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Period: to
Pre-Civil War Era
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David Walker
David Walker (1796 - August 6, 1830) was a free black man from North Carolina who argued against slavery through bible citations and pamphlets. He wrote ‘Appeal…To The Colored Citizens of The World” in 1829, urging people to fight for freedom. While rejected by most at that time, it inspired many abolitionists in the North. -
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a connection of people who offered shelter and aid to slaves escaping from the south. It was first mentioned in 1831, but the Quakers are believed to be the first organized group to help slaves escape. “Conductors” would guide enslaved people to hiding places, such as churches or homes. There were multiple different routes stretching through the North and South -
Nat Turner’s Rebellion
On August 21, 1831, a slave rebellion was led by Nathanial Turner. He enlisted the help of four other enslaved men, and Turner and six others killed the entire Travis family. Turner enlisted and armed around 75 other slaves for an insurrection that resulted in 55 white people dead. His actions caused the massacre of about 200 black people, and stricter slave codes and conviction were put in place. -
Attack on North Carolina Post Office
The American Anti-Slavery Society proposed a plan to flood the south with abolitionist literature. The South had responded by seizing and burning all of the abolitionist literature they could get their hands on. One example took place on July 29th, 1835 in Charleston SC. About 3000 people gathered at the post office to destroy anti slavery writing and materials, alongside 3 statues of abolitionists. -
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was a major recession that lasted from 1837 to around the mid 1840s. High cotton prices increased land purchased, and fueled the growing need for slavery. The increase in land sales and the importation and exportation of goods caused inflation, and many banks closed. Southerners used the panic to justify their use of slavery to the North. -
Know Nothing Party
The Know Nothing Party was an up and coming political party in the 1850s, that had over 100 elected congressmen. They were highly anti-immigration, and supported deportation of foreigners, and elimination of Catholics from public office. While the group wasn’t known for violent interactions, their racism and harassment of immigrants created tension among Roman Catholics and Nativists. The Know Nothing party collapsed due to the pressure of deciding their stance on slavery. -
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, published in 1852 by Harriet Beecher Stowe, is an anti slavery novel that greatly influenced abolitionist ideas and was widely printed. It tells the story of Uncle Tom, a slave, and Simon Legree, a brutal slave owner. Around 300,000 copies were sold nationally and it also sold in England. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska act was legislation designed to organize the territory of Nebraska. It created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, but repealed the Missouri compromise and reopened the national struggle over slavery in Western territories. It left the decision of slavery up to the people, and both Pro-slavery and Antislavery activists rushed into these territories to fight for their cause. -
Dred Scott v Sandford
Dred Scott was born a slave in Missouri, belonging to Dr John Emerson. When traveling to Wisconsin, a free state, Emerson allowed Scott to marry and stay there. When Emerson died in 1843, Dred Scott attempted to buy his freedom from Emerson’s widow, and when she denied, he sued the Executor of Emerson’s Estate .The Supreme Court held that African Americans were not citizens of the United States, and therefore couldn’t sue for their freedom. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
The Lincoln Douglas Debates consisted of 7 debates between Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln between August and October of 1858. Their debates mainly focused on the topic of slavery and its extension into certain territories. Douglas eventually won against Lincoln, with the Democrats gaining 46 seats compared to the Republicans 41. -
John Brown
John Brown (May 9, 1800 - December 2, 1859) was born in Torrington, Connecticut to a family with extreme anti slavery views. He supported the abolitionist movement by being a conductor of the Underground RailRoad and sparking a bloody conflict in 1856. John Brown moved to Kansas and led men to Pottawatomie Creek where they brutally murder 5 men, and later raided a US Arsenal to get weapons for a slave revolt. He was defeated, and executed.