Key Events in U.S. History: 1844-1877

Election of James K. Polk (1844)

Polk's victory signaled support for Manifest Destiny, leading to U.S. expansion efforts including annexing Texas and acquiring Oregon.

Mexican-American War (1846-1848)

Armed conflict between the U.S. and Mexico sparked by border disputes and expansionist goals; resulted in U.S. acquisition of vast western lands.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)

Ended the Mexican-American War. Mexico ceded California and much of the Southwest to the U.S., intensifying debates over slavery expansion.

Seneca Falls Convention (1848)

The first women's rights convention in U.S. history; issued the Declaration of Sentiments demanding equal rights, including suffrage.

Compromise of 1850

A five-part compromise admitting California as a free state, enacting a strict Fugitive Slave Law, and leaving slavery up to popular sovereignty in new territories.

Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852)

Anti-slavery novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that exposed the horrors of slavery and intensified sectional tensions.

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

Repealed the Missouri Compromise; allowed settlers to decide on slavery via popular sovereignty—led to violent conflict in 'Bleeding Kansas.'

Creation of Republican Party (1854)

Formed to oppose the expansion of slavery; attracted former Whigs, Free-Soilers, and anti-slavery Democrats.

Bleeding Kansas (1856)

A series of violent political confrontations in Kansas over slavery; highlighted failures of popular sovereignty.

Sumner Attack (1856)

Senator Charles Sumner was beaten by Representative Preston Brooks after criticizing slaveholders—intensified North-South animosity.

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

Supreme Court decision ruling that African Americans were not citizens and that Congress could not ban slavery in territories.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates (1858)

Series of Senate debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas focused on slavery; elevated Lincoln's national profile.

John Brown's Raid (1859)

Failed attempt by radical abolitionist John Brown to start a slave uprising by seizing Harper's Ferry arsenal.

Election of Abraham Lincoln (1860)

Lincoln's election, without carrying a single Southern state, led to secession of South Carolina and the start of the Confederacy.

Secession of Southern States (1861)

Following Lincoln's election, 11 Southern states seceded from the Union, forming the Confederate States of America.

Battle of Fort Sumter (1861)

Confederate forces fired on Union-held Fort Sumter in South Carolina, officially starting the Civil War.

Homestead Act (1862)

Law granting 160 acres of land to settlers willing to farm it for 5 years; promoted westward migration and expansion.

Battle of Antietam (1862)

Bloodiest single day in American history; Union victory enabled Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

Emancipation Proclamation (1863)

Executive order by Lincoln declaring slaves in Confederate-held territory free; redefined war goals to include ending slavery.

Battle of Gettysburg (1863)

Major Union victory and turning point in the war; ended Confederate attempts to invade the North.

End of Civil War (1865)

Confederate surrender at Appomattox ended the war; Union preserved, but the South was devastated.

Assassination of Lincoln (1865)

President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth; created instability during early Reconstruction.

13th Amendment (1865)

Formally abolished slavery throughout the United States.

Reconstruction Era (1865-1877)

Period of rebuilding the South and integrating freed slaves into society; marked by conflict over rights and federal power.

Reconstruction Acts (1867)

Laws dividing the South into military districts and requiring Southern states to ratify the 14th Amendment and protect Black suffrage.

Military Reconstruction

Enforcement of Reconstruction in the South by federal troops to ensure civil rights and voting protections for freedmen.

15th Amendment (1870)

Prohibited states from denying voting rights based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Compromise of 1877

Resolved the disputed 1876 election; Hayes became president, and federal troops were withdrawn from the South, ending Reconstruction.