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invention of the cotton gin
the cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney. The cotton gin revolutionized the process of growing cotton by increasing the rate of production. Before the invention of the cotton gin the cotton seeds had to be handpicked out of the cotton consuming massive amounts of time. Because of the increased production rate of cotton slavery was stimulated. Slavery increased tremendously creating even more tension between the north and the south. -
underground railroad
In the United States, the Fugitive Act of 1850 increased slave owners’ rights regarding the capture and return of slaves, and even threatened free Blacks living in the Northern states. South of the mason Dixon line people could legally detain any African Americans as a runaway slave. Therefore there was a need for a safe way of travel for escaped slaves. The most well known conductor of the Underground Railroad is Harriet Tubman. She helped over 200 slave families escape to the north. -
missouri compromise
when Missouri became a state it was thought that it would be a slave state. But in February eighteen nineteen the New York representative James Tallmadge proposed a amendment to end slavery in all new territories. This created a large conflict with the south because the southern economy depended on slave labor. -
wilmot proviso
the Wilmot proviso was a amendment to a funding bill. Created by president James K. Polk to fund peace negotiations with Mexico to end the Mexican American war. The document said that all land acquired by mexico from America must be free from slavery. The Wilmot proviso never passed but the bill did. -
compromise of 1850
the compromise of 1850 was a series of five bills intended to end sectional tension. The first bill was that califorinia would be entered in to the union as a free state. The second bill was that new mexico and Utah would be ran by popular sovereignty. The third bill was that texas would give up all land as a republic and mexico would get ten million dollars. The forth bill was that the slave trade would be abolished in the district of Columbia. The fifth was the enactment of the fugitive slave -
uncle tom's cabin
uncle tom’s cabin is a book written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. In the book it expresses the hardships that southern slaves faced every day. The reason this book became so popular is because it put a face on slavery. It created a up roar in the north against the south -
caning of charles sumner
Charles Sumner was the leader of the antislavery forces in Massachusetts and the leader of the radical republicans. He believed in punishing the ex-confederate states after the civil war. In 1856 South Carolina representative Preston Brooks nearly killed Charles Sumner on the senate floor after disrespecting slave owners using such words as harlot. -
dred scott decision
dred scott was a escaped slave that fled to a free state. When caught he tried to sue for his freedom which made it to the supreme court. The decision was that dred scott was property and could not sue for any reason. -
lincoln duglas debates
the debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas were held during the 1858 campaign for the U.S. Illinois senate seat. There were seven debates, each held in a different congressional district. Lincoln was relatively unknown at the beginning of the debates. Unlike Douglas having been elected In 1847. Douglas helped enact the compromise of 1850. Also was responsible for the Kansas Nebraska act. -
raid on harpers ferry
the raid on harpers ferry was led by John brown. The raid only consisted of him, his sons, and few abolitionists. John brown led the on a arsenal because he believed if he could take over the arsenal, slaves would us the weapons and begin revolting against the slave owners. He did succeed in capturing the arsenal but none of the slaves showed up. -
election of 1860
In the presidential election of eighteen-sixty, the four candidates was Abraham Lincoln, john c. Breckinridge, john bell, and Stephen A. Douglas. Abraham Lincoln was elected by Illinois as a republican. John Breckinridge represented the southern states as a democrat. Stephen Douglas was also a democratic candidate. John bell ran for the constitutional union. Lincoln did not win the popular vote but he did win the election. His vice president was Hannibal Hamlin. -
first battle of bull run
the first battle of bull run was the first real conflict of the American civil war. The union army led by General McDowell consisting of 28,000 troops fought the confederate army led by general Beauregard consisting of 33,000 troops. Around the fifth hour of battle the confederates began to retreat. Except for general Jackson’s brigade of troop which held their ground and set the standard for confederate troops. Because of general jacksons stubborn battle technique he was given the nickname “sto -
battle of antietam
on june 24, 1863 general lee led his army across the Potomac river. In response to lee invading the north Lincoln replaced his army commander general Joseph Hooker, with general George mead. Mead led the Union Army north from Washington. Meade's effort was inadvertently helped by Lee's cavalry commander, Jeb Stuart, who, instead of reporting Union movements to Lee, had gone off on a raid deep in the Union rear. -
emancipation proclamation
after the battle of Antietam Lincoln issued a decree stating that unless the confederate states return to the union all of the slaves in those states would be freed. The proclamation also allowed black citizens to enlist in the union army. -
siege at vicksburg
Vicksburg was the last confederate strong hold on the Mississippi and large enough to keep union ships from passing. On may 18, 1865 general grant and his army surrounded Vicksburg and told them to surrender. Grant let all civilians leave but any confederate troop had to surrender. The confederate troops inside of Vicksburg were starved in to surrendering. This allowed the union to control the Mississippi and help complete the anaconda plan. -
battle of gettysburg
on june 24, 1863 general lee led his army across the Potomac river. In response to lee invading the north Lincoln replaced his army commander general Joseph Hooker, with general George mead. Mead led the Union Army north from Washington. Meade's effort was -
gettesburg address
speech by President Lincoln, also one of the most well known speeches ever. President Lincoln dedicated the speech to the soldier’s national cemetery. Even though the speech’s overall time was close to five minutes Lincoln addressed human equality and redefined the civil war as a fight for freedom. -
election of 1864
the election of 1864 was held during the civil war. Lincoln ran under the national union ticket against the democratic candidate George B. McClellan. McClellan was Lincolns former top general while fighting in the civil war. McClellan ran as the “peace candidate” but he did not personal believe in his party’s platform. On November 8th Lincoln won by over 400,000 popular votes. -
sherman's march to the sea
close to the end of the war general Sherman led a invasion of the south. General Sherman believed in total war, meaning destroying the enemy totally. Sherman’s invasion started in Louisiana and ended in D.C. destroying everything along the way. He and his 65,000 troops destroyed crops, houses, railroads and killed women and children. -
13th amendment
the 13th amendment abolished any slavery or any involuntary servitude except for punishment for a crime. It passed senate on april 8 1864 and was adopted on dec. 6 1865. This showed that the emancipation proclamation was a temporary solution to slavery. -
siege of richmond
Richmond was the confederate states capital. Not only was Richmond the capital of the confederate states but it also served as a supply of weapons, supplies, and manpower. In early 1865 grant planed to take Richmond to complete the anaconda plan. In april of 1865 grant attacked Richmond at a bad time for the confederacy because lee’s army was running low on supplies. Lee’s army had nowhere to go because Sherman’s army was approaching Richmond from the south. -
appomattox courthouse,virginia
lees army was surrounded, weak and tired at Appomattox court house. Lee realized that he would have to surrender on april 9, 1865. General lee and general grant met at wilmer mcleans house. The meeting lasted for two and one half hours. After the meeting concluded the bloodest battle In u.s. history ended. -
assassination of abraham lincoln
the assassination of Lincoln occurred on “good Friday”. April 14, 1865, as the American Civil War was drawing to a close. The assassination occurred five days after general lee’s army surrender to general grant at Appomattox courthouse. The assassination occurred in the ford theater. John Wilkes Booth walked up behind Lincoln and shot him in the back of the head then escaped. -
14th amendment
the 14th amendment was enacted to protect the rights of newly freed slaves. By prohibiting any state to deny the right of any American citizen. Most southern states refused to ratify the 14th amendment because they felt it to be unfair to whites. The radical republicans argued that the same measure be imposed on the former Confederacy. The result of this was the 1867 reconstruction acts that divided the south in to five military districts. -
15th amendment
the 15th amendment to the constitution prohibited states from denying any American citizen the right to vote. This amendment was enacted as a part of the reconstruction acts. This amendment specifies that no state can limit any American citizen the right to vote due to their race, color, or ethnicity. -
election of 1876
the presidential election of 1876 was one of the most disputed elections in American history. Samuel j. tiden of new York outpolled ohio’s Rutherford b. hayes in the popular vote. Tiden had 184 electoral votes hayes had 165 electoral votes and 20 uncounted votes. South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana all claimed that there candidate won in each of their state. The 20 disputed electoral votes were ultimately awarded to Hayes after a bitter legal and political battle, giving him the victory.