Road to Civil War

Ratification of the Constitution

The process by which the Constitution was formally approved by the states, requiring nine out of thirteen states to consent before it could take effect.

Invention of the Cotton Gin

An invention by Eli Whitney in 1793 that revolutionized the cotton industry by greatly increasing the speed of cotton processing.

Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions

Political statements drafted in 1798 and 1799 that argued states had the right to nullify federal laws deemed unconstitutional, asserting states' rights.

Louisiana Purchase

The acquisition of the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803, which doubled the size of the United States and facilitated westward expansion.

Missouri Compromise

A legislative agreement made in 1820 that aimed to balance the power between free and slave states, allowing Missouri to enter as a slave state and Maine as a free state, while establishing a line demarcating future slave and free territories.

First issue of The Liberator published

in 1831 by William Lloyd Garrison, advocating for the immediate abolition of slavery.

Nullification Crisis

A conflict between the federal government and South Carolina in the 1830s over the state's attempts to nullify federal tariffs, asserting states' rights.

Gag Rule (Pinckney Resolutions)

A legislative action adopted in the 1830s by the U.S. House of Representatives to prohibit discussion or debate on the subject of slavery, effectively silencing anti-slavery petitions.

Mexican-American War

A conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848, resulting in significant territorial gains for the U.S.

Wilmot Proviso

A proposed amendment in 1846 that aimed to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico during the Mexican-American War.

Compromise of 1850

A series of legislative measures aimed at resolving issues related to slavery and territorial expansion, including the admission of California as a free state and the strengthening of the Fugitive Slave Act.

2nd Fugitive Slave Act

Part of the Compromise of 1850, it strengthened the original Fugitive Slave Act, requiring citizens to assist in the capture of runaway slaves and imposing penalties on those who aided their escape.

Publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin

A novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852 that highlighted the harsh realities of slavery, influencing public opinion in the North and contributing to the abolitionist movement.

Formation of the Republican Party

A political party established in the 1850s, formed by anti-slavery activists and modernizers to oppose the expansion of slavery into the western territories.

Kansas-Nebraska Act passed

in 1854, this act allowed settlers in Kansas and Nebraska to decide on the legality of slavery in those territories through popular sovereignty, effectively repealing the Missouri Compromise.

Brooks attacks Sumner

a violent confrontation in 1856 where Representative Preston Brooks physically assaulted Senator Charles Sumner in Congress due to Sumner's anti-slavery speech, escalating tensions over the issue of slavery.

Bleeding Kansas

a series of violent conflicts between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas during the 1850s, sparked by the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

Dred Scot vs Sanford

a landmark Supreme Court case decided in 1857 that ruled African Americans could not be American citizens and that Congress lacked the authority to prohibit slavery in federal territories, exacerbating sectional tensions.

John Brown’s Raid

a failed 1859 attempt by abolitionist John Brown to initiate an armed slave revolt by capturing the U.S. arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, which further inflamed tensions between North and South.

Presidential Election of 1860

The election that resulted in Abraham Lincoln's victory and significantly contributed to the secession of Southern states from the Union, as his anti-slavery platform alarmed pro-slavery factions.

Secession (1st wave)

The first wave of secession occurred after Lincoln's election in 1860, when seven Southern states left the Union to form the Confederate States of America.

Fort Sumter

The first battle of the Civil War, fought in 1861 when Confederate forces attacked the Union garrison at Fort Sumter in South Carolina, leading to the outbreak of armed conflict.

Secession (2nd wave)

The second wave of secession occurred in 1861 after the outbreak of the Civil War, when four additional Southern states joined the Confederacy following the attack on Fort Sumter.

1st Battle of Bull Run/Manassas

The first major battle of the Civil War, fought in July 1861 in Virginia, resulting in a Confederate victory and a retreat of Union forces.