Gold Rush

The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the United States.

Pottawatomie Massacre

Abolitionist John Brown, five of his sons, and three other associates murdered five proslavery men

Harpers Ferry Raid

John Brown and his men captured prominent citizens and seized the federal armory and arsenal.

Election of 1860

Gave Lincoln a victory in both the popular vote and the electoral vote

13th Amendment

Slavery being abolished, the Thirteenth Amendment also restricted several other forms of bound labor and servitude.

Shermans March

Union General William Tecumseh Sherman led his troops on a devastating campaign through the state of Georgia, destroying railroads, factories, and other infrastructure vital to the Confederate war effort

14th Amendment

Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to all persons "born or naturalized in the United States," including formerly enslaved people

Freedmans Bureau

Provided crucial assistance to formerly enslaved people in the South

15th Amendment

Granted African American men the right to vote, regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude

Wounded Knee

The Wounded Knee occupation lasted for a total of 71 days, during which time two Lakota men were shot to death by federal agents. One federal agent was paralyzed after being shot.