civil war in the US

• from 1619 during British colonisation, slavery developed slowly until the tobacco trade and more workers were needed. by the middle of the 18th century there were hundreds of thousands of slaves working the land
• the demand for slavery increased again with he introduction of cotton as a plantation crop particularly after the invention of Eli Whitneys cotton gin
• the cotton gin made quicker preparation of cotton, and therefore required the raw material to be harvested more rapidly
• slaves were sold at auctions, higher prices were paid for healthy, young, trained slaves. some owners branded them like cattle with heir initials or marks on their body
• sometimes slaves could buy their freedom. They would pay a fee to the slave owner and then buy their freedom
• some slaves ran away to Canada to be free via the underground railway. many escaped with the help of good people. so many escaped that a law was passed in 1793 making it illegal to hide runnaways
• in Europe and America, many begin to call for an end to slavery. they were called abolitionists.
• the earliest abolition society was founded in Britain by a man named Thomas Clarkson. he spent the next twenty years campaigning for abolition.
• the British government finally ended the slave trade in 1807, America followed suit but continued to breed slaves at home
• the bloodiest revolt by slaves was on august 21st 1831 when nat turner and six other slaves in Virginia attacked their owners in their beds
• turner and many of his followers were eventually captured and hung
• John brown was a white abolitionist who attempted to start a slave trade in the town of harper ferry in Virginia. he wanted to break into the local arsenal and give weapons to slaves so they could join him. he had 21 followers
• John brown took several hostages. they did not get far. the towns people and militia captured brown and his men. nine of his followers were killed including two of his sons. the remaining rebels including John brown were hung
• 1830 to 1840 the abolition movement grew. the newspaper, the liberator was made in 1883, and the American anti slave society was established during the same time and grew to a quarter of a million, both white and black were members
• fredrick Douglas was born a slave but escaped. he wrote a best selling autobiography about his time in slavery. he spoke out all over the world to raise awareness
• harriet tubman, was born a slave but escaped and helped lead other slaves to freedom along the underground railway
• harriet brecher Stowe, a white abolitionist published uncle toms cabin, and told the story of a slave and became a best selling book
• in the southern states, slavery was legal. farmers made their living growing crops and needed slaves. in the northern states, slavery was illegal and was more industrialised as they went through an industrial revolution
• the north wanted tariffs on imported goods and wanted to encourage Americans to grow American products. the south depended on trade of agriculture and was against tariffs.
• each state elected representatives according to the number of people living there. in the north, population was rising, giving them more representatives and influence in the government
• southern states lost political power because the population did not increase as fast and slaves didn't count as people
• Missouri compromise of 1820 had already declared slavery illegal in the northern states, but the southerners had no such ruling. many wanted slavery, some did not
• compromise of 1850. it was decided slavery would be illegal in California but in New Mexico and Utah people would be able to vote to decide. slavery would be abolished in the district of Colombia
• fugitive slave act- made any federal officer who didn't arrest a runaway slave liable to a fine
• dred scott- born a slave, sold to army surgeon. Scott didn't claim his freedom although he was in states that abolished slavery. he was allowed to marry.
• when Scott's master took a job in Louisiana, a slave holding state, he left Scott and his wife in Wisconsin, but they went after their master and continued to serve hum until he died
• Scott and his wife went to his dead masters wife, and Scott tried to buy his freedom, but she refused. Scott tried to sue for his freedom, and the issue was debated for several years, going to the US supreme court
• Scott lost the case, the supreme court declared that no slave or descendant of a slave could be a us citizen. Scott and his wife remained slaves.
• the red Scott ruling effected every enslaved and free black in the us. now no person of African descent had any rights which contrasted with he Declaration of Independence
• the Supreme Court also ruled that congress had no right to outlaw slavery. many northerners were shocked, many southerners please
• Abraham Lincoln- lawyer and republican politician who spoke out against slavery. he was elected president in 1860. many southerners were upset
• after Lincoln was elected, many southerners threatened to leave and form a body of their own. Lincoln vowed not to let this happen, he was going to keep the country united
• the southerners declared they would form their own country- the confederate states of America, with Jefferson Davis as its president
• the confederates demanded that the soldiers in fort summer leave and the fort be turned over to the confederates. Lincoln refused, confederate soldiers surrounded the fort and forced the commander and soldiers to surrender
• Lincoln declared war on the confederate states. not all northern states were happy and some left to join the confederates including Virginia and many told Lincoln they wouldn't fight
• many didn't think the war would last long. Lincoln hired ulysses s grant as the union general
• Robert E Lee led the confederate army. he didn't support slavery but wasn't happy with the way the southern states didn't have any representation
• slaves came to the union after hearing Lincolns declaration and worked in labour jobs
• soon blacks were allowed to fight in the army and impressed many despite also facing discrimination in the army
• emancipation proclamation- 1863. Lincoln stated all slaves would be free. now the civil war was not only about keeping the states together but now also ending slavery