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Cotton gin in use by African-American slaves in the South

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The cotton gin was created and patented by Eli Whitney in 1794. After his invention, the mass production of cotton doubled after 1800—the creation of this machine brought with it an increase in slavery. The cotton gin facilitated the handling of cotton; therefore the demand for cotton also increased. This caused the need for both enslaved people and land to be able to plant and harvest cotton. The slaves dissatisfied with this situation began to carry out rebellions.

Schur, Joan Brodsky. "Eli Whitney's Patent for the Cotton Gin. The Constitution Community: Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)." (2001).

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Nat Turner's Southampton rebellion - 1831

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Nat Turner's Southampton rebellion - 1831

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Nat Turner was born in Southampton, Virginia, as an enslaved person and grew up seeing the injustice and mistreatment of his people. Later he gathered a group of followers, including enslaved people and free blacks, to carry out a rebellion. The rebel group freed enslaved people from the plantations they were visiting, and in their wake, they also killed between 55 and 65 men, primarily white. Turner's actions were prompted by visions in which God told him that he had to free his people. The Turner Rebellion sparked an intense debate in the Virginia Assembly about slavery and prompted more people to speak out about the plight of enslaved people.

Nat Turner, and Thomas R Gray. 1839. The Confessions of Nat Turner, the Leader of the Late Insurrection in Southampton, Va. As Fully and Voluntarily Made to Thomas R. Gray, in the Prison Where He Was Confined, and Acknowledged by Him to Be Such When Read before the Court of Southampton: With the Certificate, under Seal of the Court Convened at Jerusalem, Nov. 5, 1831, for His Trail. Also an Authentic Account of the Whole Insurrection, with Lists of the Whites Who Were Murdered, and of the Negroes Brought before the Court of Southampton and There Sentenced &C. Richmond, T.R. Gray.

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Wyandotte woman describes tensions over slavery - 1849

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Wyandotte woman describes tensions over slavery - 1849

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The Wyandotte Nation originally resided in Ohio, however they were driven from their homeland to be relocated to the Kansas Territory. Upon being relocated to Kansas, they bordered Missouri, which was a state that "excluded slavery forever," for which Wyandotte did not agree with the imposition of a ministry of slave ownership. Missionaries from the Southern Church began bringing their Slaves to the Wyandotte Nation and became involved in the slave trade. The Wyandotte Nation wrote a letter with the intention of being able to get the attention of people in Washington and thus induce the Indian Department to grant them their national religious rights. This letter describes the problems and differences that his nation was having with Christianity and slavery. This disagreement between the people created the need to correctly organize the territories of Kansas and Nebraska.

Lucy B. Armstrong, January 4, 1849. Lucy B. Armstrong Papers, Indian History Coll. #590, Box 7 Folder: Wyandotte. Kansas Historical Society.

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The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a bill that in 1854 finally became law establishing the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. This law widened the gap between North and South and became one of the main causes of the Civil War. The new law was supported primarily by Southern Democrats as it opened up the possibility of extending slavery to more parts of the United States. It also declared that Kansas and Nebraska would be governed by popular sovereignty. This meant that each territory was free to decide whether it was a slave state or a free state. After the passage of this law, Kansas became a battleground between pro-slavery forces and anti-slavery forces, which led to it being known as "bleeding" Kansas. The Kansas-Nebraska law prompted the formation of a new Republican party which disagreed with this law.

Nichols, Roy F. "The Kansas-Nebraska Act: A Century of Historiography." The Mississippi Valley Historical Review 43, no. 2 (1956): 187-212.

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The Republican Party convention in Chicago created a platform that was meant for stopping the expansion, abolishing slavery, and granting everyone in the United States the rights and freedom they deserved. They were looking for equality and freedom for all citizens of America. The expansion of slavery into American territories was a detrimental consequence to the country's peace. The Republican Party grew out of resistance to the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, but due to the opposing party fighting against this democratic and equal system, the civil war began in 1861.

Republican Party Platforms: “Republican Party Platform of 1860,” May 17, 1860. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project.

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The civil war was a conflict caused by oppositions regarding the opinion of slavery in the United States. In 1860 the Republicans supported the prohibition of slavery in all territories. The southern states did not agree with this ban as they took it as a violation of their constitutional rights. The Civil War was one of the first industrial wars. The war began in April 1861, when forces from the Confederate States of America attacked Fort Sumter. The Union finally won the war at the Battle of Appomattox Court House. Finally in 1865 the war was won and slavery was prohibited through the imposition of the 13th amendment.

Rhodes, James Ford, and Everette Beach Long. History of the civil war, 1861-1865. Courier Corporation, 1999.

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The 13th Amendment was proclaimed in 1865 and officially abolished slavery in the United States. At the time of its proclamation, there were states such as Delaware, Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, and West Virginia where slavery was still legal. The 13th amendment was the culmination of years of injustice and mistreatment of slaves. This law was proclaimed because Abraham Lincoln and various states feared that the emancipation proclamation would be considered a temporary measure, so they decided to make it official through the amendment to permanently abolish slavery. Slaves in states where slavery was legal were also freed. The 13th amendment proclaims "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime where of the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." In this way, the freedom of all Americans was officially guaranteed for the first time and remains to date.

Gilmore, Kim. "Slavery and prison—Understanding the connections." Social Justice 27, no. 3 (81 (2000): 195-205.