Important Events 1851-1876
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin led to worldwide hatred of slavery. (1852)
- Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe
- Showed the evils of slavery
- Best selling novel of the 19th Century
- Helped to lay the groundwork for the Civil War
- Caused on-the-fence people to become anti-slavery
Confederate States of America
The formation of the Confederate States of America (CSA) was a formal separation between free and slave states. (1861-1865)
- Made up of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina
- Its formation led to the Civil War
- President Jefferson Davis believed in slavery
- Capital: Montgomery, Alabama
- Army led by Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation liberated slaves in the CSA. (1863)
- Gave the North something to rally behind
- Although it legally did not free any slaves it is considered a turning point in US policy and the Civil War
- Issued by Abraham Lincoln
- Over 200,000 slaves escaped to the North
- Armed forces were sent to liberate slaves in the CSA
- Allowed recruitment of freed slaves and blacks into the US military
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment ended slavery. (1865)
- Heavily impacted the South's economy
- First step in creating a US where everyone is truly equal
- Considered to be Abraham Lincoln's greatest accomplishment
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment gave all male citizens, regardless of race, the right to vote. (1870)
- However, many former slave states created poll taxes and literacy tests to prevent blacks from voting