Timeline Flashcards
1793:
Cotton gin invented.
1793: Cotton gin invented.
By eli whitney
he noticed a decline in the profit from tobacco because of the soil being too used up, and other plantation owners were looking for cotton to become the new main crop for income
Big comb and put cotton on comb and teeth of comb pull apart cotton when cranking handle
made cotton production immensely faster
King cotton
Increased want to slaves and land because of profits from cotton
Causes slave trade to explode
Slavery going down bc of tobacco crop failing then starts going up bc cotton gin
By eli whitney
1808:
Slave trade (with Africa) is abolished. But domestic slave trade grows
1808: Slave trade (with Africa) is abolished. But domestic slave trade grows
Childs status determined by mothers status
Created incentive for habitual rape and “breeding” of enslaved women
Southern states threatening to split from the new country if it was banned
Didn’t want to give a definite answer on slavery which would cause turmoil in the country
Philadelphia Convention
1815: There’s a balance of power in Congress: 11 free states, 11 slave states
The veil of balance made it so that the southern states did not succeed (they had more money and power) Latitude line
1820:
Missouri Compromise
1815:
There’s a balance of power in Congress: 11 free states, 11 slave states
1820: Missouri Compromise
Henry Clay
Drafted comprise
Missouri comes as slave
Maine as free
Congress decreed that all future states were to be determined slave or free based on above or below line
Abolitionists only ones that didn’t want compromise
Start of abolitionist movement
Coincided with 2nd great awakening
Keep ties in senate
Significance: Nothing can be done to outlaw the slave system, nor accept it.
1831: William Lloyd Garrison publishes The Liberator. Nat Turner’s Rebellion kills over 60 whites, and Turner and his accomplices are executed.
W.L.G fought slavery from 20s till death
Organized interracial crusade for immediate emancipation and black citizenships
Diff than original views- (wanted gradual emancipation)
Nat Turner
Believed he was divinely chosen to be a prophet for enslaved people
Highly intelligent
Escaped and went back to free others
Formulated plan to free slaves and kill slave owners
His account was written by lawyer in “The confessions of nat turners”
1831:
William Lloyd Garrison publishes The Liberator. Nat Turner’s Rebellion kills over 60 whites, and Turner and his accomplices are executed.
1838:
Underground Railroad organized
Catalyst for abolition of slavery
Aided enslaved people escape
Exposed the realities of slavery by freeing formerly enslaved people who would tell their stories
Gave hope to enslaved people
Hair used as maps
1838: Underground Railroad organized
Catalyst for abolition of slavery
Aided enslaved people escape
Exposed the realities of slavery by freeing formerly enslaved people who would tell their stories
Gave hope to enslaved people
Hair used as maps
1845:
Admission of Texas into the Union
1845: Admission of Texas into the Union
Mexican american war started because of immigrants to texas didnt want to follow mexico’s laws
Comanche people lived and thrived as war people on the land and defending it from the Mexican people who tried to settle there by ransacking their towns and killing everyone
It was impossible for the settlements to last, so they made an agreement with the U.S. that 300 families could have Mexican citizenship and live on the land if they defended it from the Comanche
This appealed to southern families looking for plantation land, however when slavery was banned from Mexico in 1829, the families in Texas were furious.
Sam Houston led the rebellion against mexico
defeated the Mexican army and declared independence in 1836.
They immediately request to join the Union but are denied until 1845 because there was no other free state to admit as well to keep the balance.
1846:
Purchase of the Oregon Territory by President Polk from Great Britain
1846: Purchase of the Oregon Territory by President Polk from Great Britain
President Polk purchased the Oregon Territory from Britain because he wanted to expand America and gain more ports.
Advertised he was willing to go to war for the land, but he really was only planning on making a deal with Britain
since they were majority white, he saw no need to go to war with them.
Manifest Destiny,”
The Oregon Trail
attempted it because of the new fertile land and they believed
The natives were able to profit off the American’s journey by helping the Americans across rivers in exchange for clothing
1848:
Mexican-American War ends with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. A huge amount of new western territory is added to the Union. Gold is found in California.
1948: Mexican-American War ends with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. A huge amount of new western territory is added to the Union. Gold is found in California.
The American army invaded all the way in their capital of Mexico City eventually causing them to surrender.
President Polk sent Nicholas Trist to negotiate a treaty with Mexico
America would gain Texas, California, and New Mexico and give Mexico 15 million dollars in return (trying to be different)
Americans believe that Polk should have attempted to take all of Mexico, many questioned why Polk was so eager to go to war with Mexico instead of continuing to attempt a compromise like he did with Britain in order to gain Oregon.
gold found in California
All different races of young men went
1850:
Compromise of 1850 passed
1850: Compromise of 1850 passed
Steven a douglas (democrat) (pro-slavery)
Broke it up into 5 parts
California is a free state (GOLD)
Wanted asap
How will we keep union together
Arizona, new mexico could choose via popular sovereignty
Fugitive slave act of 1850: if a slave runs away to anywhere in north, then north must capture them
Slavery exists everywhere
We should be able to kick out indigenous
Banning of slave auctions/ trade in D.C.
Free states: 16 vs Slave States: 15
Southerners did this basically to get back at north for adding in california
1854:
Kansas-Nebraska Act passed. The Republican Party forms in direct opposition to the act. They are not an anti-slavery party, but a party against the SPREAD of slavery.
1852:
Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes Uncle Tom’s Cabin
1852: Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Oppositional piece against the 1850 fugitive slave law
Tells the story of a fictional (based on real events obv) enslaved man who is saintly and dignified-> direct contradiction to the beliefs of whites
Slaves aren’t allowed to be virtuous (harriet jacobs)
Illuminized the cruelty and immorality of slavery emotionally rather than physically
Texas comes in with redefined borders
1854: Kansas-Nebraska Act passed. The Republican Party forms in direct opposition to the act. They are not an anti-slavery party, but a party against the SPREAD of slavery.
St louis to california
Unsettled area full of natives
So settle kansas as free state because longitudinal lines
Stephen A Douglas: makes nebraska a free state and kansas will decide by popular sovereignty
Direct undermining of missouri compromise
Leader of republican party is eventually abe lincoln
1855:
The conflict known as “Bleeding Kansas” begins
1856:
Pro-slavery Senator Preston Brooks attacks Anti-slavery Senator Charles Sumner with a cane on the Senate floor.
1855:The conflict known as “Bleeding Kansas” begins
Pro slavery and anti slavery people flood kansas creating a civil war
2 constitutions
Only becomes a state in 1864 because they were ignored
John brown: symbol of anti-slavery fanaticism (slavery through violence)
Believed that he was spoken to by god to kill slave owners
1856: Pro-slavery Senator Preston Brooks attacks Anti-slavery Senator Charles Sumner with a cane on the Senate floor.
Charles sumner anti slavery republican gave speech about if kansas should be free or not and called out two democratic senators, one being Andrew Butler
gag rule- can’t talk about slavery bc makes everyone too angry
Charles sumner ignores it and talks about how horrible it is
After the speech andrew butler beat him with a cane on the senate floor
Both were seen as heroes by their respective parties
1857: Dred Scott Supreme Court case (vs Roger Taney)
Ruled that enslaved people were not citizens and therefore wouldn’t expect any protection from government or courts
All people of african descent couldnt be citizens of the united states
Also said that congress had no right to ban slavery federally
Dred scott and wife sued to be free because they moved with slave owner in illinois but were still enslaved
Started in 1846 and went for 11 years
Made it to supreme court where they made the ruling, didn’t even bother with ruling if he was free, they were just like why is black man here
Verdict: dred scott= property which meant that they couldn’t be a citizen
Says that all founding fathers believed in inferiority of blacks
Slave owners can take slaves anywhere
Slavery exists everywhere
The north very upset, south happy bc thought slavery could go on forever
Congress doesn’t determine, citizens do
1857: Dred Scott Supreme Court case (vs Roger Taney)
Dred Scott Supreme Court case (vs Roger Taney)
1859: John Brown attacks Harpers Ferry, leading an insurrection intended to rally all southern slaves to overthrow slavery. It fails and he is executed.
Wanted to single handedly take down slavery
Start in the north and go down south, didn’t work and surrounded and shut down
Made south worried that north coming
South also outnumbered by north free states
1860: Abraham Lincoln is elected President. He is the first Republican president–ie, the first president from the party that is against the spread of slavery. Not a single Southern state votes for him.
Abraham Lincoln is elected President. He is the first Republican president–ie, the first president from the party that is against the spread of slavery. Not a single Southern state votes for him.
1860: Abraham Lincoln is elected President. He is the first Republican president–ie, the first president from the party that is against the spread of slavery. Not a single Southern state votes for him.
His name didn’t appear on the ballot in 10 southern states, still won by landslide
South saw this and wanted to separate from the union declaring war
11 states officially seceded
Start of civil war
1860:
South Carolina secedes from the Union
1859:
John Brown attacks Harpers Ferry, leading an insurrection intended to rally all southern slaves to overthrow slavery. It fails and he is executed.
1860: South Carolina secedes from the Union
Proclaimed northern states hostility
After abraham elected
South seceded peacefully
Abe wanted war to bring them back
1861:
Battle of Fort Sumter. Confederate army fires on the federal fort, Fort Sumter. Instead of accepting secession, Lincoln sees this as an act of war and declares war against the rebels. By 1861, all Confederate states had seceded: (in order of secession) South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas.
1861: Battle of Fort Sumter. Confederate army fires on the federal fort, Fort Sumter. Instead of accepting secession, Lincoln sees this as an act of war and declares war against the rebels. By 1861, all Confederate states had seceded: (in order of secession) South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas.
First 2 years- south is mostly winning
George mclellan
Did not want war to be about slavery bc
Emancipation proclamation of Jan. 1863
Lincoln explicitly says the war is about slavery
South victory becoming less and less
Battle of antietam
Bloodiest battle of american history
Enormous victory for north
Gives lincoln the opportunity to
Cartoon of abe lincoln “playing the race card”
Abe as bad
Brits were fighting for south bc they liked cotton but couldn’t fight once the war was about slavery
