Compromise of 1850- In September 1850, five laws were passed by congress on the issue of slavery. This resulted in California becoming part of the Union, the Fugitive Slave Act was approved, and slave trade in Washington D.C. was abolished. Some of Texas and New Mexico combined into a territory called New Mexico.
The Kansas Nebraska Act- In March of 1854, Congress passed a law where people living in the Kansas- Nebraska region, could choose whether to allow slavery. This act abolished the Missouri Compromise.
Bleeding Kansas- This was a term given in 1854, following The Kansas Nebraska Act. Since people could choose whether to allow slavery or not, pro-slavery supporters and anti-slavery supporters collided in Kansas, and much violence occurred.
The Dred Scott Decision- On 1857, a slave named Dred Scott lost a case in the Supreme Court. In Dred Scott v. Sanford, the Supreme Court decided that African Americans, whether free or not, were not American citizens, as well as they had no constitutional rights.
Lincoln- Douglas Debates- On 1858, Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, and Stephen Douglas, a Democrat, had seven debates for the Illinois State Senate. Much of the debates were about slavery and what they would do about the issue. Douglas won Senate, but many thought Lincoln should run for president, after these debates.
Harper’s Ferry- On September 1862, Robert E. Lee’s army invaded Maryland and Harper’s Ferry, Virginia. This was a major victory for the Confederacy, although losing over 200 men.
Lincoln’s Election- In 1860, Abraham Lincoln ran for president of the United States.The big issue in the election was all about slavery. Although Lincoln wasn’t an abolitionist, he did want to eventually see all men equal. These views, along with his great speeches, got many votes from the North, and got Lincoln into the White House.
Fort Sumter- On April 1861, the Battle at Fort Sumter was the first attack, that started the civil war. The Confederacy opened fired at the Union Soldiers, and the Confederacy ended up winning this battle.
Bull Run- On July 1861, in Virginia, the first big battle took place. The Union and the Confederacy fought, in which there were nearly 850 casualties and it was the second bloodiest battle in the Civil War.
Antietam- In September of 1862, in Maryland, the first major battle on Union terf occurred. In one day, 22,717 people were dead or missing. It was the bloodiest day in American History.
Emancipation Proclamation- On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation. He stated "all persons held as slaves … shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” but it applied only to states designated as being in rebellion, not to the slaveholding border states of Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri or to areas of the Confederacy that had already come under Union control.
Gettysburg/Gettysburg Address- In July of 1863, The Battle of Gettysburg took place, where the largest number of casualties in the war occurred. There were over 46,000 casualties or missing soldiers in this battle. Later, in November of 1863, President Lincoln delivered a speech about the bloodiest battle in American History. The speech is still remembered to this day.
Andersonville Prison- This prison is a Confederate prison-camp in Georgia. It held over 45,000 Union soldiers, 13,000 which died in the prison. The prison was known to be very hard, and the conditions for the Union soldiers were very bad.
Surrender at Appomattox Court House- On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant. After being surrounded, Lee and forces tried to break the line of Union cavalry, only to realize they were heavily outnumbered. Robert E. Lee and forces had to eventually surrender.
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln- On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary, went to see a show at Ford’s Theater. Confederate, John Wilkes Booth, trying to spark the South, snuck up into Abraham Lincoln’s viewing box and shot him. Booth bolted and escaped, only to be captured a few days later in a wild shootout.
Reconstruction- After the Civil War, the nation was very down. Many Americans had died, as well as the president, and many people feared for the worst for the U.S. Luckily, with the help of a few presidents, America was back to a one sided nation and everything kept going, although the past was never forgotten.