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1864 BCE
Sherman's March
President Lincoln put Ulysses S. Grant commander of all Union armies, so Grant put William Tecumseh Sherman to be the commander of the military division of Mississippi. Both believed in total war in order to destroy the south's will to fight (confederation end). Grant planned to destroy Lee's army in Virginia while Sherman raids Georgia. Sherman's army burned houses and destroyed livestock & railroads in Georgia followed by burning most of Atlanta. After, he regroups with Grant to take out Lee. -
1861 BCE
Formation of the Confederacy
South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas were part of the Confederacy which met in Montgomery, Alabama. They made a constitution that was similar to US, but it protected & recognized slavery in new territories. Pres of Confederates: Jefferson Davis of Mississippi -
1861 BCE
Income Tax
Collect taxes to help pay for the war, and took a specified percentage of one's income. -
1860 BCE
Abraham Lincoln becomes president
Northern Democrats: Douglas; doctrine of popular sovereignty.
Southern Democrats: VP John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky; Ded Scott decision.
Know-Nothings & Whigs; Constitutional Union Party (South): John Bell of Tennessee.
Lincoln won with 1/2 of the popular votes (no electoral votes) from South, and did not appear in most slave states (South). Southerners were convinced that the struggle over slavery was part of conflict between states' right of self-determination & federal government. -
1858 BCE
Abraham Lincoln & Stephen Douglas Debates
Abraham Lincoln & Stephen Douglas were debating on the issue of slavery in the territories. Douglas strongly believed in popular sovereignty while Lincoln believed that slavery was immoral. Win: Douglas (senate) -
1852 BCE
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom's Cabin which was about the stresses of slavery was not just a political contest, but a great moral struggle. It also expressed her hatred of slavery. Uncle Tom's Cabin influenced Northern Abolitionists to further protest against the Fugitive Slave Act, while the South viewed it as a threat. -
1850 BCE
Compromise of 1850
Compromise of 1850 was presented by Henry Clay which appeased both Northerners & Southerners by California being a free state (North), and more effective fugitive slave law (South). For both North and South, popular sovereignty was taken place to vote for or against slavery for New Mexico and Utah territories. -
1850 BCE
Fugitive Slave Act
Alleged fugitive slaves were not entitled to a trial by jury. Anyone convicted of helping a fugitive was liable for a fine of $1,000 and imprisonment for ≤ 6 months. Later some Northerners resisted by creating a vigilance committees to send African Americans to Canada for their safety. Other used violence to rescue fugitive slaves. -
1850 BCE
Underground Railroad
Harriet Tubman started the Underground Railroad as a conductor. Its purpose was to help escort fugitive slaves to either the North, or others go to Canada. -
1849 BCE
Harriet Tubman
Slave in Maryland in 1820. She escaped to Philadelphia after her owner died with rumors of being sold. After Harriet Tubman became a conductor of the Underground Railroad, She helped 300 slaves including her own parents go to freedom (19 trips back to South). -
1847 BCE
The North Star
Frederick Douglass wrote The North Star which was about the guidance for runaway slaves to freedom. -
1845 BCE
Manifest Destiny
Belief that the US was ordained to expand to the Pacific Ocean and into Mexican and Native American territory. Settlers moved west for new markets, personal economic problems (east), and wanted a fresh start. -
1836 BCE
Oregon Trail
Stretched from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon City, Oregon. The first travelers were two Methodist missionaries, Marcus & Narcissa, which proved that wagons could go through the trail. -
1836 BCE
Texas Revolution
Rebellion in which Texas gained its independence from Mexico. -
1833 BCE
Stephen F. Austin goes to jail
Austin travels to Mexico City to present petitions to president Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna for a better self government in Texas which resulted in Austin getting imprisoned for inciting revolution. -
1831 BCE
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Slave rebellion in Virginia led by Nat Turner. Nat Turner & 50+ followers attacked four plantations and killed 60 whites. -
1829 BCE
Mexico abolishes slavery
Cultural issues between Anglo settlers and Mexican government because most of the settlers were southerners which brought slaves which conflicted with the Mexico's abolishment of slavery in 1829 (insisted to free slaves). -
1828 BCE
The Liberator
The Liberator was made by William Lloyd Garrison which was about freeing slave. -
1821 BCE
Santa Fe Trail
780 mils from independence, Missouri, to Santa Fe in the Mexican province of New Mexico in trading groups. -
1821 BCE
San Felipe de Austin
Colony that was established by Stephen F. Austin, and said. "No drunkard, no gambler, no profane swearer, and no idler" is allowed. His father (died) was granted land from Spain that was planned to be between Brazos and Colorado, so Stephen carried the plan (permission from Spain/Mexico). -
1820 BCE
Missouri Compromise 1820-1821
Maine: free state & Missouri: slave state, and was divided by the 36°,30' north latitude (North free except Missouri, South slavery). Pres: Andrew Jackson -
1820 BCE
Abolition
The movement to abolish slavery. James Forten (leader of free black community) wanted to resettle free blacks in Africa, and opposed slavery. -
Mexican-American War
The war was caused because of the decline of incorporating Texas into the US , northern political interests against having another slave state, and Mexican government encouraging border raids & warning that any annexation would lead to war. James K. Polk also wanted New Mexico & California to be part of the US along with Texas. Republic of California was established when American settlers seized town of Sonoma in June 1846. -
Texas enters the US
March 1845, Mexican government recalled ambassador from Washington because of the anger by US-Texas negotiation on annexation. Slavery was annexed by president James K. Polk. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Agreement that Mexico would put the Rio Grande as the border between Texas and Mexico, and gave up New Mexico & California. In addition, US paid $15 million for California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, most of Arizona, and parts of Colorado & Wyoming for the Mexican cession. 1853, President Franklin Pierce authorized James Gadsden to play Mexico $10 million more for South Gila River to make southern railroad route to Pacific Ocean. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Divided Kansas & Nebraska by putting Nebraska in the north and Kansas in the south. It also repealed the Missouri Compromise, and established popular sovereignty for Kansas and Nebraska. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott is a slave whose owner took him from slave state of Missouri to free territory in Illinois and Wisconsin and back to Missouri. He sued for his freedom because he was living in a free state, Illinois and free territory, Wisconsin which made him a free man. It was denied by Supreme Court because he lacked legal standing, and can't be a citizen. It also ruled over slaves moving to a free state does not make a slave free (protected by 5th amendment). -
John Brown's raid/Harpers Ferry
John Brown is an abolitionist that also has the financial backing from several prominent Northern abolitionists. He led 21 men (black/white) into Harpers Ferry, Virginia (West Virginia). Brown's plan was to seize the federal arsenal, and start a slave uprising. The plan was shut down by troops, and Brown was executed. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
Confederacy formed Confederate soldiers in each secessionist state to seize federal installation such as forts. Most important fort for the south was Fort Sumter (island in Charleston harbor). Lincoln decided to not abandon Fort Sumter, but did not reinforce it. -
Battle of Bull Run
Union had the upper hand, but Confederates held firm which was inspired by General Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson), and sent reinforcements that led to the first Southern victory. -
Conscription
A draft that forced men into the army to replenish the heavy casualties in both the North and the South. In the North, led to draft riots in NYC. Wartime economies changed in the roles of African Americans & Women. -
Battle at Antietam
Bloodiest single day battle in American history with casualties over 26,000. The next day, McClellan led the Union army, but did not pursue the Confederate army into Virginia (chance of ending the war) so he was removed from command. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was designed to free slaves within designated States & parts of States, and will be paid reasonably in labor. It did not free any slave instantly because it only referred to area behind Confederate lines, but it gave the war a moral purpose to fight for the freedom of slaves. Compromise is not possible. -
Battle at Vicksburg
Vicksburg was above the river that could control all water traffic. Grant started weakening Confederate defenses then sent Benjamin Grierson to search for Confederate troops in Mississippi, and took over Jackson (Capital of state). Grant sieged by bombarding Vicksburg with artillery which led to the Confederate command to surrender. Port Hudson, Louisiana was also destroyed. Confederacy was divided in half. -
Battle at Gettysburg
Started when Confederate soldiers led by A.P. Hill encountered several brigades of Union cavalry under command of John Buford. First battle: 90,000 Union troops (General George Meade) vs 75,000 Confederates (General Lee). Second battle: Confederates took control of the town, but North had Cemetery Ridge. Confederates fall back to Virginia because of the artillery from the North . Third battle: 23,000 Union men & 28,000 Confederates killed/wounded (>30% casualties). -
Gettysburg address
A speech dedicated to a cemetery in Gettysburg which stated that the US was one unified nation, not just a collection of individual states. -
Surrender at Appomattox Court House
Appomattox Court House is located in Virginia town, and Grant & Lee arranged a Confederate surrender. This ended the Civil War. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in Ford's Theatre in Washington to see Our American Cousin (British comedy) during the third act. The assassin was John Wilkes Booth that was a 26 year old actor & Southern sympathizer, and then was shot by the Union cavalry when he was trapped in a Virginia tobacco shed. -
Thirteenth Amendment
Stated neither slaver nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the US.
