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The Free-Soil Party
After the continuous failure of a proposal to keep all Mexican-gained land free, a new political party called the Free-Soil party was created. It demanded to end slavery, and it called for Congress to give westerners free homesteads. Candidates ran behind the idea of "Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Labor, and Free Men" and were able to win 13 seats in Congress. -
North Has Majority Of Resources
Because of the boom in immigration and the industry booming, the North was able to have more people, more factories, more money, and bigger cities. The South's rural setting made it a more exclusive region. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Living in Cincinati, Harriet Beecher Stowe was horrified of seeing escaped slaves be returned to the South. She published a book called "Uncle Tom's Cabin", which was wildly popular. The book sold a quarter of a million copies in the first year and set off a wave of abolitionist movement. -
Nebraska-Kansas Act
In order to build a transcontinnental railroad that would head West into the uncharted territory west of Chicago, Stephen Douglas proposed the creation of two new territories, Nebraska and Kansas. Since they were north of the Missouri Compromise Line, Douglas proposed the scrapping of the Missouri Compromise so he could also win the support of the South. -
Republican Party Founded
Angry at the potential slave states, a group of antislavery activists banded together to organize the Republican Party in the summer of '54. The party had one main goal: To keep slavery out of the territories. In the congressional elections, it was clear how popular the Republicans were: They defeated 35 of the 42 Democrats who voted for the Nebraska-Kansas Act. -
Bleeding Kansas
By 1856, Kansas had two governments: A proslavery government that was the official government at the time and an unofficial antislavery government. Tensions were high, and in May of '56, a proslavery group attacked a town in Kansas. The abolitionists retaliated and killed five proslavery settlers. Hundreds would die, and Kansas would earn the nickname "Bleeding Kansas" before Kansas was returned to peace. -
Dred Scott Decision
After his master died while in a free state with his slaves, a slave named Dred Scott sued for his freedom. However, the court did not make him free. It stated that no people of African ancestry could sue the court. Second, it said that the law of the location he was currently in was what mattered. Lastly, the court said the Missouri Compromise was unconstitiutional and said slaves were protected under the Fifth Amendment while in territories. -
Lincoln Wins Election
With the Democratic party divided between slavery and sovereignty, the Republicans jumped at a chance to win the election and nominated a lawyer from Illinois. Lincoln had only 40 percent of the popular vote, but won because he won in the more populous Northern states. The South was outraged because they misunderstood the goals of President Lincoln. -
South Carolina Leads the Way and Secedes.
Leading the charge, South Carolina seceded from the Union because they feared what would happen if Lincoln took office. They believed that they would not have the power of self-government if they allowed Lincoln to be their president. In the next six weeks, six other states would join them and form the Confederate States of America. -
Civil War Begins
When relief was sent to the seiged Fort Sumter, tensions were high. Would the Confederates allow the relief ship to pass, or would it be fired upon? The answer was clear when they fired on the fort for 34 hours. As fire crept across the fort and made its way to the gunpowder cache, the officers knew they must surrender. No one was hurt, but nevertheless, war had begun. -
Lincoln Calls for Troops
In order to combat the Confederacy and provide troops, President Lincoln called for the states to provide 75,000 militiamen for 90 days, expecting that the war would not last long. The order did not sit well with some states, who disliked the idea of gathering troops to fight other Americans. In the following weeks, four more states would join the Confederacy. -
South Sets Up Capital
With Virginia now on the side of the Confederacy, the South had much more potential. As an insult to the North, it established its capital in Richmond, Virginia. It was located only 100 miles away from the Union capital of Washington, D.C. -
Battle of Bull Run
In mid-July, the Union troops who signed on for only 90 days of service marched. They met a Confederate force of 20,000 at a stream called Bull Run. The raw-recruit soldiers were forced to retreat and caught up and became entangled with sightseers of the battle. The South failed to take advantage, however, because they were disorganized and surprised by their victory. -
Women Begin to Play Roles In War
In the war, the wives of soldiers often came along to aid the troops while they fought and to help as nurses. The women of the North formed aid societies and even dressed up as men so they could fight. In the Union army, 3,000 women would serve as nurses. The Confederacy was more reluctant to allow women to help, but they realized the importance and let them aid troops in 1862. -
Virginia VS. Monitor
To break the blockade, Confederate ships captured a Union ship called the Merrimack and refitted it with iron sides and renamed it to the Virginia. After totalling three Union ships, the Virginia faced off against the ironclad Union ship, the Monitor. The two ships fought for two hours, but neither could sink the other. The battle ended in a draw. -
Battle of Pea Ridge
Earl Van Dorn, a commander in the Confederate Army, was planning a surprise attack with 16,000 soldiers and some local Cherokee Indians. However, a Union army of 11,000 stood in the way. The readiness of the Union Army was no match for the Confederates. They scattered the Confederates and it took Van Dorn two weeks to regather his troops. -
Union Takes Confederate Harbors
To smother the economy of the South, President Lincoln ordered a blockade around the Southern ports. At first, 9/10 ships got through the blockade. However, the Union came out with better ships and took the Southern ports, making it much harder for blockade-runners to get through. -
Battle of Shiloh
A Confederate commander named Albert S. Johnston ordered a retreat to Corinth on the Western Front. His army was not going to wait for the Union to attack them while they were waiting for fresh troops. They attacked the Union forces at Shiloh. Johnston was killed in the battle, and command was given to General Pierre Beauregard. During a thunderous night, Union boats delivered fresh troops and forced the Confederates to retreat. -
Battle of Antietam
With hopes of winning a battle in the North and forcing Lincoln to talk peace, Robert E. Lee made plans to invade. However, an officer left the plans in a camp. The plans were later found and the Union decided to attack first. They met the Confederates at Antietam Creek. The two armies fought all day, but no ground was gained for either side. The Confederates were the first to withdraw after losing 1/3 of their troops. -
Emancipation Proclamation
At first, President Lincoln did not intend to end slavery when the Union joined the Civil War, he only wished to preserve the Union. But he realized how important slavery was to the war, and decided to free all of the slaves in Confederate states on the first day of 1863. Since it was seen as a military action to weaken the South, Lincoln could do that. However, he could not free the slaves in border states. -
Battle of Gettysburg
It all started when General Lee sent out a patrol looking for shoes when they stumbled upon Union cavalry. Thus, the battle of Gettysburg had begun. For three days, they two sides fought until General Lee ordered 15000. General George Pickett became known for "Pickett's Charge", a charge toward a Union-controlled ridge that ended with half of the men killed and the other half not being able to hold their position on the ridge. -
Battle of Vicksburg
On Independence Day of 1863, General Grant and his army finally took the city of Vicksburg after a seige that lasted three months. Although the Battle of Gettysburg was important, Vicksburg gave the Union complete control over the Mississippi River. -
The Civil War Ends!
With the Union army now twice the size of General Lee's, Lee headed for the mountains before learning that another Union general was waiting for him. Lee realized there was nothing he could do, and he met with Grant to discuss surrender. In the small town of Appomattox, the Confederate army was finished. -
President Lincoln Assassinated
While at a showing of the popular comedy, "My American Cousin", a confederate supporter named John Wilkes Booth approached where the president was sitting and watching. He shot Lincoln in the head. Lincoln was taken across the street to rest, but the bullet in his brain was too deep to be pulled out. He died the next morning.
