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Just before the end of the war, Lincoln attended a play at Ford's Theater where well known stage actor John Wilkes Booth shot him dead while watching the play. Wilkes tried to revive the Confederate Cause by murdering key figures leading the the fist assassination of a President. The assassination changed the course of history as Johnson became president and reconstruction changed dramatically.

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The infantry regiment was the first African American regiment in US history which was authorized by the Emancipation Proclamation which enlisted African Americans. These new regiments led to further Northern dominance in the War as they gained a much larger force of soldiers who had a huge cause they were fighting for. Proving that they could fight as well or better than white soldiers, these regiments supplied the North with determined fresh troops to crush the South.

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Issued after the Union Victory at Antietam, Lincoln created the proclamation to re shift the focus of the war effort. Originally intended to preserve the Union, Lincoln changed the reason of the war to free slaves from the Confederacy. The proclamation announced that any state in rebellion of the Union would be emancipated from the system of slavery freeing the slaves from the Confederacy. Lincoln avoided the total freedom of slavery as he still needed to hold the border states. The proclamation shifted the meaning of the war along with starting the civil rights movement of reconstruction.

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Senator Lyman Trumbull using the fugitive slave laws, which benefited the South greatly, used the laws against the South with the new Acts. The slave laws called slaves property that could be reclaimed by the owners when they run away. Trumbull uses this by saying that any state in rebellion losses its rights to property which the North can confiscate. With slaves, the North would capture the Souths "property" and release the property to freedom. Using the Confiscation Act the North effectively frees hundreds of thousands of slaves before the Emancipation Proclamation and 13th amendments.

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With the South being destroyed by Union forces and ports being either taken or blocked by the Union blockade, the South's economy began to crash. Cotton which was the basis of the Southern Economy began to be quenched by the war as fields were burned. England which had been blocked by the North began to develop cotton in India and Egypt effectively replacing the American import which crushed the Southern Economy. With no ability to export and competition, the South lost the War and its Economic system with the death of cotton.

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A diplomatic incident that led to the threat of war between the US and GB. At the start of the war the US Navy with the blockade captured two Confederate diplomats who were heading to negotiate assistance from GB. The South calls GB to join the Civil War as the capture was an act of war which broke tradition. Lincoln cleverly avoided the war by calling the Civil War a fight against a insurgency or rebellion not a war. this situation settled the definition of the war along with the end of allied force for the South.

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The Border States were the slave states that did not leave the Union as the South seceded which proved pivotal to the North. These states were the primary battlegrounds of the War which were divided internally and externally. Lincoln recognizing the importance took the national guard to take the governments of the states stating that staying in the Union would determine who would win the war. Kansas was the border territory as Bleeding Kansas effectively split the state. West Virginia split as the state struggled with the idea, while Lincoln took Maryland for protection of DC. The Border States allowed the Union to Win.

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Outlined by General in Chief Winfield Scott, The Anaconda Plan or Scott's Great Snake was the Northern strategy to collapse in on the Confederacy starting with the sea and frontier. The plan first outlined that every port needed to be blockade choking out all British trade to the South. Secondly a spearhead of troops needed to ride down the Mississippi River to choke out cities. The plan in the end worked as the South had no ability to transport equipment being sufficiently "choked".

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The informal and unwritten deal settled the debate over the Election of 1876 which resulted in the US pulling troops from the South as General Hayes pulled troops from Louisiana, SC, and Florida. With the army, the white Republicans also left the South with redeemer Democrats resuming roles while Black Republicans were left with no power. This compromise formally ended the Reconstruction Era.

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The Amnesty Act was a relaxation of the penalties of the South. The Act took away penalties from the 14th amendment such as removing the voting restriction and office holding restrictions against the secessionists. The Act represents the relaxing tensions between the North and South were the War tensions had started to resolve with time.

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These were a series of three Force Acts that were published to combat the attacks on the suffrage of African Americans by state officials or violent KKK groups.The Act prohibited discrimination by state officials in voter registration on the basis of race, color, or previous condition of servitude and authorized the President to employ the use of the army to uphold the act. With lynching, corruption, and threats, voting rights were prohibited by white Southerners who rejected the new rights of African Americans. These acts were the start to combat the Southern protest against the Reconstruction Amendments.

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Share cropping is to gain small parts of land in exchange for a portion of the crops to go to the owner of the land. As African Americans saw rights change, no concrete effort was made for land acquisition other than the freedman's Bureau which did little after Johnson. Sharecropping became dominate across the economically destroyed South as  freedmen rented land at a fixed rate. The cotton industry expanded with the system, however Europe had already replaced American exports with India/Egypt. The system gave freedmen some economic opportunity while the Southern economy continued to fail.

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After the Civil War, many Northern Republicans saw economic gain in the South as workers for the emancipated slaves which the South saw as Republicans profiting off the misfortunes of the region calling them Carpetbaggers who took jobs/ politics/ and opportunities away off their reconstruction. Some Southern men and women who saw the rise of Republicans supported their ideals due to advantages in support rather than opposition which were called Scalawags who abandoned their Southern ideals. These showed the change of ideals in the South by a small group who adapted to the change.

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Also known as the Enforcement Act, the Act was the response to the South's continued civil rights violations to African Americans giving them equal treatment in public accommodations which would have prevented segregation. The Act was poorly enforced as it had a large public backlash showing the continued racism of not just the South but the North. The Act was never enforced and eventually was deemed unconstitutional. This marked the end of the civil rights movement of reconstruction.

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The last of the Reconstruction Amendments, this amendment prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on the citizens "race, color, or previous condition of servitude". Due to Grant's election and previous amendments, the Republican party gave African Americans the right to vote seeing the benefit to the long run of the party. The Amendment continued to progress Civil Rights while advancing the popularity of the Republican party.

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Due to Johnson's clash with the Republican Party, Johnson was impeached which led to the election in 1868. The Republican Nominee Ulysses S Grant won the election due to his popularity from the Civil War, the Democratic party losing power, and freed slaves voting. Democratic Nominee Horatio Seymour lost in a landslide electoral vote controlled by Republicans. This election was the first post war election and election with African Americans with the new 14th amendment. The political dominance of the Republican party followed as the Democratic party held the "Bloody Shirt" which meant that the party was held responsible for the Civil War.

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The Acts were the statues that Southern Confederate states needed to pass to be readmitted into the Union. The fulfillment of the statues addressed in the Act would led the state to be readmitted.  The statues were that the South was divided into five military districts and governed by military governors until acceptable state constitutions could be written and approved by Congress, all males, regardless of race, but excluding former Confederate leaders, were permitted to participate in the constitutional conventions that formed the new governments in each state, new state constitutions were required to provide for universal manhood suffrage (voting rights for all men) without regard to race, and States were required to ratify the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendment in order to be readmitted to the Union. These statues were met with all thirteen states to ratify these statues while growing the political dominance of Republicans.

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After the impeachment of President Andrew Jackson, congress was able to continue the Reconstruction Acts with the 14th Amendment. The amendment addresses many aspects of citizenship and the rights of citizens with the primary goal to give freed men citizenship. The first section says that any person born or naturalized in the US has citizenship and no government gave pass legislature that deny rights as a citizen. Section two readjusts representation of States as minorities are adjusted to the number of citizens. The Third addresses the Civil War which states that no man can run for politics who had previously rebelled against the state unless congress pardons them. The Fourth continues by saying any debts occurred during the war to suppress rebellion are not ignored while any debt from insurrection will be payed by the US. The final fifth section says congress can enforce this Amendment. This gave citizenship to the freed slaves of the Civil War

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Lincoln during the Civil War created the 13th amendment to the constitution to abolish slavery/ involuntary servitude except as a punishment. With Lincoln's refocused goal of the Civil War, by ending slavery it gave the North the goal of rescuing the slaves while declaring the full abolition of slavery that started with the Emancipation Proclamation. This was the first of the three reconstruction acts that gave freed slaves freedom, rights, and citizenship.

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This was the Act of Congress to define citizenship and affirm that all citizens are equally protected by law. The Act was to protect Civil Rights and the thirteenth amendment as free blacks were still denied freedom. Johnson as a Democrat vetoed the law twice until the two thirds majority overcame the veto. Congress did not have the power to enact the law until 1871 with the 14th amendment in 1868 after Johnson's impeachment. This act gave the 14th amendment more power and identifies the rights of citizens.

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Congressional / Radical Reconstruction 1867

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Congressional / Radical Reconstruction 1867

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With the sweeping victory of the Republican Party in the Congressional elections, the Republican party gained enough power to override all of Johnson's vetos allowing congress to pass its radical plan for reconstruction. Republican's viewed Johnson as a illegal body who wanted to overthrow the government. Johnson ignored mandate as he encouraged the South to not ratify the 14th amendment as the Republicans passed acts for freedmen. The period of the President and Congress fighting for power until his impeachment is refereed to as "Congressional Reconstruction". The debates led to Johnson's impeachment and legislature that was postponed and fought over.

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The House of Representatives charged Johnson of "high crimes and misdemeanors" in accordance to article two of the Constitution. Due to the Congressional Reconstruction Era as Johnson vetoed and denied the Senate with undefined power. The final charge was due to his veto in 1867 of the Tenure of Office Act. Johnson had removed Secretary of War Stanton who the Act protected and attempted to replace him with Ulysses S Grant while the Senate was out of session. The article was passes to hold the trial in the Senate which was first postponed but the impeached Johnson. Johnson who had largely was a Democrat debated lengthily with the Republican Senate who disagreed with how to handle reconstruction. This gave full power to the Republican Party

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The egotistical man who was the only Southerner left in Congress wanted to follow in Lincolns footsteps for reconstruction, however his judgement was somewhat clouded. His first plan was to take away the vote from any Confederate leader who gave up the power when they left office. This took away the power of the Southern Democrats. Secondly he planned to take away wealthy plantation owners land/ power, however due to his ego if anyone made a oath to the president they get a full pardon "I'm sorry give me my land". All thirteen states ratify the thirteenth amendment into their constitutions. Although they do not accept citizenship/ voting which leads to the 14/15th amendments. Johnson allowed the South to maintain racism such as black codes/ misogynistic laws while taking power away from the government. Black codes dogged the thirteenth amendment by calling slavery apprenticeship. Misogynistic Laws didn't allow blacks to marry whites.

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The speech was held in the final days of the Civil War and a month before his assassination. The speech Lincoln delivered was a addressed to the South saying that he had no malice to the Southern States which he wants to rejoin the Union. With the speech he encouraged Southerners to support the end of the war as Lincoln's plan was to re admit the States

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The Bureau was Lincoln's response to the thirteenth amendment and reconstruction where freed blacks would need aid after slavery. The Bureau offered 160 acres which would be taken from plantations and a mule to all freed slaves (until the assassination of Lincoln ended the plan) with education to farm their own farms. The Bureau supplied food, water, shelter, and schools that would teach primary school to all and how to farm their own land. This was the first financial aid state sponsored program that would aid slaves during and after the war. Opposition throw black codes tried to take away freedman's land and rights. By taking voting rights and calling "slaves" "apprentices" as they took away children or with racism lynched freedmen threw the KKK.

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The bill proposed by radical republicans Wade and Davis that outlined the reconstruction of the South. The Bill outlined that to be readmitted into the Union, the Confederate States had to have a majority population who had taken the Ironclad Oath which said that a person never supported the Confederacy. The bill was passed in both houses until Lincoln vetoed the Bill, because it was against his ten percent bill. The effect of the bill in the future took away the political dominance of the South as both houses rejected the democratic party.

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Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction 1863

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Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction 1863

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The proclamation outlined how Lincoln would reunify the union, and what his plan would be for reconstruction. The plan was based on forgiveness as Lincoln believed that the South as a general had not seceded but the official of the South did. The proclamation first stated a full pardon to all those involved in the rebellion except for the Confederate/ Congressional/ Military Officials. Secondly it allowed the states to rejoin when 10% of the population gave an oath to the Union. Thirdly the states had to accept a system to aid freed slaves after the war recognizing emancipation. This plan helped shape the reconstruction of the South after the war.

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Appomattox                           April 9, 1865

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Appomattox                           April 9, 1865

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In the Morning of April 9th was the final battle of the war as the Confederate Chief General in Charge Robert E Lee with the Army of Northern Virginia surrendered to the Union army of Potomac under Chief General Ulysses S Grant who chased Lee who abandoned the Capital of Richmond after a nine months siege who hoped to join forces with the Army of Tennessee. Cavalry forces under Gen Philip Sheridan trapped Lee in the Virginia Courthouse of Appomattox who with no retreat surrendered to Grant. The surrender signaled a series of surrenders by Confederate Generals across the South.

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Sherman's March to the Sea (with Atlanta and Savannah) November 15 - December 21, 1864

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Sherman's March to the Sea (with Atlanta and Savannah) November 15 - December 21, 1864

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Union General William Tecumseh Sherman led a campaign in Georgia to take all major cities with the 'scorched earth" tactic which consisted of burning down all military, industrial, infrastructure, and civilian targets to disrupt the economy and transportation of the South. Sherman took Atlanta on November 15 to finally capturing Savannah on December 21. Being so far in enemies territory, Sherman broke the economy of the South without any supply lines which is considered to be one of the largest military achievements of the war. With the tactic, Sherman speed up the war as he took the state.

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Total War (Wilderness Campaign) May 5–7, 1864

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Total War (Wilderness Campaign) May 5–7, 1864

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This was the first battle between Ulysses S Grant's Virginia overland Campaign against Robert E Lee's Confederate Army of North Virginia. The battle of attrition was a stalemate as Grant pushed Lee's forces to the Capital of Richmond suffering major casualties. Grant used the tactic of total war as he mobilized all facets of his military capability while braking all laws of battle to pursue his goal of Lee's capture. After a nine month siege of Richmond, Lee would surrender at Appomattox. Grant burned down the surrounding forests, trade routes, and infrastructure.

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Gettysburg                              July 1–3, 1863

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Gettysburg                              July 1–3, 1863

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The three day battle was the bloodiest battle of the war as both sides lost massive amounts of troops with both sides losing around 23,000 troops. The battle between Robert E Lee's Army of North Virginia and Union General George Meade's Army of Potomac signaled a turning point in the war as the North successfully defended against Lee's attack ending his push into the North. Between 46,000 and 51,000 men died in the most costly loss of life in US History. With the battle, Lincoln would create the Gettysburg National Cementary along with redefine the North's purpose of war with the Gettysburg Address which called the war against slavery.

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Vicksburg (Siege)                May 18 – July 4, 1863

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Vicksburg (Siege)                May 18 – July 4, 1863

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In the final major battle of the Vicksburg Campaign fought in Vicksburg Mississippi, Gen Ulysses S Grant with his Tennessee army crossed the Mississippi river to fight the Confederate Army of Mississippi led by Lt. Gen. John C Pemberton which had taken defense in the fortress surrounding the city which Grant would siege.Vicksburg was the last stronghold of the Mississippi river and with the Confederate surrender on July 4 was a turning point in the war as the North had full control of the Mississippi River further ending the South's ability of mobilization and transport.

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Ft Wagner                                July 18, 1863

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Ft Wagner                                July 18, 1863

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With a first unsuccessful attack on the fort, the Second Battle of Fort Wagner was another major loss to the Union forces under Brig Gen Quincy Gillmore. The fort protected Morris Island south of Charleston Harbor. Confederates under Beauregard successfully protected Charleston Harbor blocking the US Navy from one of its only remaining central trade harbors as New Orleans had long been captured.

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Capture of New Orleans     April 25 – May 1, 1862

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Capture of New Orleans     April 25 – May 1, 1862

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Due to the military victories in Forts Jackson and St Phillips, the capture was unopposed to the North's invasion letting the city stand instead of being destroyed. Confederate Gen Mansfield Lovell with no options due to the Union army's break of the Confederate's defensive ring gave the city to Union Gen David Farragut. The Capture of the Confederates largest city was a major turning point as the Union had control of the South's trade out of the Mississippi.

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Chancellorsville                      Apr 30, 1863 – May 6, 1863

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Chancellorsville                      Apr 30, 1863 – May 6, 1863

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The battle is defined as Lee's "perfect battle" as his Army of North Virginia defeated Union General Thomas Hooker's Army of Potomac which doubled the size of Lee's army. By dividing his troops, Lee was able to capitalize on Hooker's poor decision making to have a Significant Confederate Victory. During the battle, 'Stonewall" Jackson was hit by friendly fire losing his left arm which led to his death. Lee compared the loss to losing his right arm leading to the loss of a Major Southern General.

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Shiloh                                      April 6-7 1862

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Shiloh                                      April 6-7 1862

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Fought in the western theater of Tennessee, the Union army of Tennessee under Ulysses S Grant fought the Confederate army of Mississippi under Albert Sydney and Beauregard. The battle was the bloodiest until Antietam which would surpass it. Under Grant the Union army developed the tactic of total war utterly destroying everything in the army's path with the inclusion of a naval force to shell on land forces. Grant gained the nickname Unconditional Surrender due to his tactic and victory during the battle as Confederates retreated. Lincoln would view Grant in this battle as the answer to his pressing need of a Commanding General naming Grant with the title.

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The first Ironclad Battleship engagement in history. The Virginia wreck havoc on the wooden Union blockade ships the first day and was mostly undamaged. The next day, the CSS Virginia came back to finish the job but the USS Monitor fired
had arrived to reinforce. The two fired and bounced canon balls off each other for four hours until the Monitor´s captain got injured allowing the Virginia to escape. It was tracked down and surrounded so the Confederates destroyed it to prevent its capture later in the war. This showed the world that wooden ships were outclassed and metal armored warships were the way of the future. This would later influence Roosevelt's Great White Fleet. British fleets would soon copy the innovation along with the rest of Europe.

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Fredericksberg            December 11-15, 1862

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Fredericksberg            December 11-15, 1862

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Described as a butchery to Lincoln, the battle was the most one sided victory by the Confederates who lost three times less troops than the Union. Fought in Fredericksberg Virginia, Robert E Lee held of Union troops under Major General Ambrose Burnside. The union plan was to attack Richmond however he was stopped by Lee's forces leading to another major Union defeat in the East Campaign. Brings massive fear in the Union army of the South along with fear of losing war.

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Antietam                      September 17, 1862

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Antietam                      September 17, 1862

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Robert E. Lee's Army faced off against McClellan’s army who outnumbered them 2 to 1. The Union army lead a series of offensives against confederate defensive positions. It soon turned into a blood bath with confederates trying not to be overrun and the union trying not to forced to retreat or break. There is massive loss on both sides with no real winner but technically south withdrew first so the Union claimed victory. The European powers spectated the South and they decide that the South will not win the war. The British start to grow cotton elsewhere like India and Egypt.

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Peninsula Campaign               March-July 1862

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Peninsula Campaign               March-July 1862

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Intended as a Union operation to take the Confederate capital of Richmond. The Virginia campaign led be Union General George B McClellan against Union General Joseph E Johnston turned into the Seven Days Battles  as Gen Robert E Lee joined the Confederation to defend his home state of Virginia. At the lands near Richmond Johnston was wounded leading to the final seven days of the battle under the command of Lee starting from June 25 to July 1. With Lee in command and Jackson troops on McClellan's flank, the Union retreated back to Washington DC under Lincolns orders. The battle brought Robert E Lee to the Confederate side while holding onto the capital of Richmond. With McClellan's horrible tactics by giving the Confederates time instead of marching from Washington, Lincoln would fire him saying "he's got a bad case of the slows".

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1st Battle of Manassas/Bull Run July 21, 1861

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1st Battle of Manassas/Bull Run July 21, 1861

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An army of Union troops marched from Washington, D.C. to strike a Confederate force near bull run river. The rebels rallied and were able to break the Union flank, sending the Union army into a chaotic retreat towards Washington. The Confederate victory gave the South a surge of confidence and shocked many in the North, who realized the war would not be won as easily as they had hoped.

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The election was a four way race of Republican Dark Horse Abraham Lincoln, Democrats Stephen A Douglas and John C Breckenridge, and Constitutional Union John Bell. The one term Senator Abraham Lincoln won due to his popular support from the Abraham-Douglas Debates. The division of the Democratic party along with the third party lead further to the lose of Breckenridge. Due to his election the South would secede due to the popular opinion that the North had elected Lincoln and would abolish slavery even though he wouldn't have. Had Breckenridge one the war would have been further postponed as every southern state had voted for him. The Civil War boiled over at this election with all the events leading to it.

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John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry 1859

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John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry 1859

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John Brown was a radical abolitionist who believed that he was Gods tool to fight against slavery. On his Holy crusade, John believed that the institution of slavery was sinful and he needed to purge it out of the South who he hated in response to their support of slavery.  His raid on Harper's Ferry was supposed to be a armed insurrection of the slaves to raid and free all slaves in the South by attacking the armory in Harper's Ferry. The slaves did not rise and Brown was captured by Robert E Lee with a death sentence following trial. In the North Brown was a martyr who died for abolition while in the South they viewed him as a terrorist and the impending North to raid and fight them to take away slavery leading to the division/secession of the South

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The debates were of Republican Abraham Lincoln and incumbent senator Stephen Douglas for the position of US Senator of Illinois. The debates held  were about slavery were Douglas won the position. Lincoln would come out to be the bigger winner as Lincoln would take the debates and publish them in a book giving Lincoln huge popularity. Due to his speeches the Republican party would nominate him for President which he would win. The South in response and previous events would secede from the Union starting the Civil War. These debates lead to the popularity and nomination for Lincoln as President.

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Dred Scott who had been brought to free states as a slave attempted to sue for freedom leading to the landmark supreme court case. The outcome of the trial stated that any black with ancestors brought in from another country as a slave or free man could not be a citizen of the US with no rights to sue. The federal government would also have no power to regulate slavery later this decision would be deemed unconstitutional. The North was outraged by the decision with Abolitionist proponent leading to the Civil War with its increase in tension.

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The Lecompton Constitution was the Second Constitution drafted by the Kansas Territory written primarily by proslavery supporters.
The document permitted slavery with the exclusion of free blacks from the state. Only male citizens could vote in the territory with three separate votes on the ratification. Due to Bleeding Kansas the issue was so divisive that the Constitution was rejected by the civilians. The Constitution shows that no diplomatic solution could cure the issue of slavery with the only solution being war.

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The Election between Democrat James Buchanan, former UK ambassador, Republican John C Fremont, and the third party American Party "Know Nothing" candidate former President Millard Fillmore. The heated debate pitted the popular sovereignty supported Democrats and antislavery anti Kansas-Nebraska Act Republicans. Buchanan won as he proposed that electing Fremont would start the Civil War while the third party tried to avoid the issue. The incumbent President Franklin Pierce lost in the primary as the Democrat slogan was  "Anyone but Pierce". The election was a further divide on slavery with the government ignoring the issue all together until the Election of Lincoln.

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In Ripon Wisconsin, anti slavery Whigs met to discuss forming a new party in response to the collapse of the Whig party in 1852. The party which focused on Northern free state legislature quickly gained popularity in the North with the South strongly against. In its first election the party would lose due to fear of starting war, however would win with Lincoln starting the war. The formation of the party led to the government response to the issue of slavery as parties began to pick sides of the issue. The war would boil over due to the parties opinion on slavery in victory.

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The American Party started as a secret organization of nativist  anti catholic Americans that focused on anti immigration. The formation of the party due to the need of a anti Democrat party would be quickly replaced by the Republican Party in 1856 where it began to decline. The party further collapsed in 1857 with the Dred Scott decision. The party had no stance on slavery and was just a party to fill the gap of a major party

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In a congressional speech entitled "The Crimes Against Kansas" Ardent Abolitionist Charles Summer blasted the South in particular Andrew Butler who he claimed had a mistress along with denouncing the Kansas-Nebraska Act. It was untrue with moderates calling it unAmerican. Brooks nephew Preston Brooks in response nearly killed Summer with a cane on the Senate floor showing the strong divide over the issue of slavery. Preston was regarded as a hero in the South with Summer being a martyr in the North. The issue of slavery was so immense that a fight in congress took place showing just how heated slavery was.

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In response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act followed from 1854-1861 emerged the political and moral debate of Kansas to be admitted into the Union as a free or slave state. The conflict lead to electoral fraud, raids, assaults, and murders carried out by anti slavery factions or pro slavery factions battling in the "Border War". The debate lead to Kansas entering the Civil War as a free state in the Union. Bleeding Kansas showed the gravity of how deeply rooted the issue of slavery was being a pretext to the war as the fight for or against slavery started. The term Bleeding Kansas came from Horace Greenly who influenced and showed the conflict to the North.

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Created by Illinois politician Stephen Douglas and President Franklin Pierce in 1854 that gave Kansas and Nebraska popular sovereignty to decided whether to be a free state or slave state repealing the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which did not permit slavery past the 36/30 line. The result of the Act was great division until the Civil War in the Kansas Territory as the idea of slavery teared apart the society over whether to be slave or free. The seven year period would be referred as Bleeding Kansas/ The Border War. The Act continued the idea of popular sovereignty and lead to the division and further reason of the Civil War Bleeding Kansas.

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In a landslide, Democrat Franklin Pierce defeated Whig Gen Winfield Scott with the third party Free Soil nominee John Hale making no effect. Incumbent president Millard Fillmore was replaced by Scott whereas the Democrat nominated a Dark Horse. The Whigs who debated the obscurity of Pierce failed leading to the collapse of the party who failed to provide another candidate the next year. The Election would cause the formation of the Republican in response to the failure of the Whigs.

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Fitzhugh was a social theorist that published racist and slavery based sociology based on chivalry ideals. Fitzhugh argued that blacks need the economic and social protection of whites justifying slavery with his book "Cannibals All. Fitzhugh also believed that slavery could stretch to the poor as capitalism made competition of the rich and poor impossible for blacks and poor who could benefit from being a slave. Thanks to men like Fitzhugh the South continued to be rooted to much into slavery with trying to justify something they knew was immoral instead of abolishing it.

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Impending Crisis of the South by Hinton R. Helpers 1857

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Impending Crisis of the South by Hinton R. Helpers 1857

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Hinton wrote the book as a strong attack on slavery as non economic and inefficient which he published in New York with the wide distribution of Horace Greenly and other antislavery leaders. Instead of exposing slavery he tried to write to whites nature of self interest to try to convince the South to ban slavery not because it is morally wrong but financially wrong. with the majority focus to the poor plain folk of the South. The book helped sharpen the idea of Civil War as neither side could agree on a solution.

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Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe 1852

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Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe 1852

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Harriet Beecher Stowe was a white upper class women from a famous religious family who wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin which depicted the harsh conditions of slavery in the deep South. The book sold millions of copies in the North propelling Stowe as a prominent abolitionist who caused Northern public opinion of slavery as brutal and immoral. The South hated Stowe as she portrayed the South as monsters who treat slaves horribly which in truth was very rare due to the large financial cost it would be to harm slaves. The book caused division of the N/S and a Northern popular opinion to end slavery.

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Harriet Tubman had escaped slavery becoming a free women in the North. Tubman organized a system and route of how to enter, rescue, and free slaves by having tactics and safe houses that could escort slaves to the North for the first half of the 1800s . Tubman became a large abolitionist to the movement as her network lead to the freedom of at least a thousand slaves advocating for the end of slavery. Harriet in the War would also help the Union by using the railroad as a spy network.

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As part of the Compromise of 1850, congress passed legislature that requires all escaped slaves upon capture to be returned to their masters. The Act was the most controversial of the Compromise which had the North fear a "slave power controversy" which was the term of the political power in the government of pro slavery. The South embraced the Act, however the North did not enforce the laws. The tension the Act caused would further lead to war. Abolitionists called it the "Bloodhound Act" in name to the dogs used to hunt slaves.

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Henry Clay "The Great Compromiser"  created the compromise to avoid a crisis between the North and South essentially delaying the Civil War for 11 years. The Compromise outlined how to divide the Mexican Cession on the issue of slavery with the North and South receiving equal benefits from the Cession. The compromised stated that the North would receive California as a free state after debate over which side gets it as California is on both sides of the 36 30 line, the slave trade in Washington DC would be ended even though it is located in the South as the North viewed slave trade in the nations capital as a Southern advantage , and finally the Texas and New Mexico boundary lie was disputed. For the South slaver holding was still permitted in DC, Texas gained 10 million in response to the war, no slave restrictions would be made in New Mexico or Utah as they held popular sovereignty, and most importantly gained a Fugitive Slave Law for the recapture of African Americans who escape which the North would ignore.

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Due to the Mexican American War, General Zachary Taylor would gain enough popularity due to his victory to win the presidency such as Jackson. As a Whig, Taylor would beat Democrat Senator Lewis Cass and Free Soil nominee Martin Van Buren. The election was won in part to the formation of the Free Soil Party giving Taylor more of the popular vote. Cass proposed popular sovereignty which neither party wanted as Taylor would avoid the issue of slavery. By electing Taylor the war was further pushed back and further division would continue.

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Lewis Cass' idea of Popular Sovereignity 1848

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Lewis Cass' idea of Popular Sovereignity 1848

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Lewis Cass in 1848 dropped out of congress to run for president under the doctrine of popular sovereignty which allowed the people in a territory to vote whether or not to allow slavery in the territory or new state. The idea of popular sovereignty would carry on after Cass's loss to Zachary Taylor in the belief that California could decide whether to become a slave state or not in the Compromise of 1850 due to the state being on both sides of the  36 30 Missouri Compromise line. In the Compromise of 1850, Utah and New Mexico received popular sovereignty while California became a free state in negotiation of the North and South. The idea of popular sovereignty would continue to be used in the debate over slavery leading up to the civil war.

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The Free Soil Party was a single issue party compromised of anti-slavery Whigs, Democrats, and Liberty party officials. Its one purpose was to oppose slavery by saying that free fen on free soil was a better system of economics and morality than the institution of slavery. With the party holding a presidential nominee of Martin Van Buren in 1848 and John Hale in 1852, it succeeded in its purpose by promoting anti-slavery jurisdiction until it was absorbed by the Republican party after the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

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By creating the dividing line of slave vs free states along the Northern Missouri border, the Missouri Compromise set the precedent of how to annex states into the union based on the issue of slavery. This caused division between the Northern and Southern states  due to the conflict over how to deal with slavery through the annexation of slave state Missouri and free state Maine in 1820. The Compromise created a clear division of the US for the Civil War.