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Fugitive Slave Acts
A set of laws that allowed the capture and return of any runaway slaves in the United States. These laws punished the slaves and any that helped them. These laws were extremely controversial and people did not always agree with them. -
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Abraham Lincoln
Elected in 1860, Abraham Lincoln was an amazing president that is still popular today. He is the creator of the Emancipation Proclamation and was a wonderful president. He was a self taught lawyer and legislator and sadly passed away when he was shot by John Wilkes Booth. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri compromise kept the balance of proslavery and antislavery states. The compromise made Missouri a slave state but also made Maine a free state. This created tension between the north and south because the north did not like that congress could aid in the expansion of slavery. This becomes an argument over power. -
The Compromise of 1850
A compromise that did admitted California as a free state and also created the Utah and New Mexico territories. These two territories were only allowed to have slavery if it was majority vote in that state. The Compromise of 1850 also settled a Texas-New Mexico boundary dispute and ended the slave trade in Washington D.C. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
A bill created in 1854 that mandated popular sovereignty. This allowed the settlers to vote on whether slavery should be allowed in that state's borders. The conflicts that arose between proslavery and antislavery helped pave the way for the Civil War later on. -
Dred Scott Supreme Court Decision
This was a decision from the supreme court to Dred Scott that stated that he was not free. Under the U.S. Constitution blacks were not considered a citizen. They stated that he was property and property could not be taken from his owner. -
Raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown leads a small group to raid a federal armory in an attempt to start a armed slave revolt and destroy slavery. He’s small group included 22 men and some Africans as well. Word spread of this raid and John and his group got surrounded and several were killed. This hyped up tensions for the election of 1860. -
Election of 1860
Abraham becomes the 16th president in an intense election. Lincoln received only 40% of the votes but defeated the other candidates. Lincoln's victory as the first republican president gave rise to secession in the south. -
Battle of Antietam
This was the first battle of the Civil War that was fought on northern soil. The winner is still inclusive but remains as the bloodiest day in American history as 22,000 soldiers lost their lives. This is a very important battle as it gave Lincoln the political cover to issue out the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Emancipation Proclamation
In 1882 Abraham Lincoln noticed that thousands of slaves were leaving the south to join the Union. This convinces Abraham Lincoln to abolish slavery as it would have then became a amazing military strategy to use and most likely been the best moral choice as well. This would not help free any slaves but instead turned the fight into one over human freedom than a fight for controlling the south. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The most important engagement during the Civil War that lasted a span of three days. After a amazing victory General Robert E. Lee lead the army towards the crossroads of Gettysburg where General George G. Meade and his army were located. Heavy and intense fighting took place and after much fighting General Robert E. Lee lead a charge known as “Pickett's Charge”. This assault caused many deaths and General Robert E. Lee was forced to withdraw his rebel army.