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Date |
Event(s) |
| 1 | 1838 | - 28 May 1838: Trail of Tears begins,The forced relocation of the Cherokee Nation from their homeland began, resulting in thousands of deaths.
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| 2 | 1845 | - 29 Dec 1845: Texas annexed by U.S.,The Republic of Texas was annexed by the United States, becoming the 28th state.
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| 3 | 1846 | - 13 May 1846: Mexican-American War begins,The United States declared war on Mexico over a border dispute in Texas.
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| 4 | 1848 | - 24 Jan 1848: California Gold Rush begins,Gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill, California, triggering a massive migration of "forty-niners."
- 24 Jan 1848: Gold discovered in California,James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California, beginning the California Gold Rush.
- 2 Feb 1848: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo,The treaty was signed, ending the Mexican-American War and ceding significant territory to the United States.
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| 5 | 1850 | - 9 Sep 1850: Compromise of 1850,A series of five bills passed to address the issue of slavery, including admitting California as a free state and enacting the Fugitive Slave Act.
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| 6 | 1852 | - 20 Mar 1852: Uncle Tom's Cabin published,Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery novel was published, becoming a bestseller and fueling the abolitionist movement.
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| 7 | 1854 | - 30 May 1854: Kansas-Nebraska Act,The act created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and allowed settlers to decide on the issue of slavery through "popular sovereignty."
- 15 Oct 1854: Republican Party founded,Anti-slavery activists and Whig Party members formed the Republican Party in Ripon, Wisconsin.
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| 8 | 1856 | - 21 May 1856: Sack of Lawrence,Pro-slavery forces attacked and looted the anti-slavery town of Lawrence, Kansas, during "Bleeding Kansas."
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| 9 | 1857 | - 6 Mar 1857: Dred Scott decision,The Supreme Court ruled that African Americans were not citizens and that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional.
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| 10 | 1858 | - 15 Oct 1858: Lincoln-Douglas Debates,Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas held a series of seven debates on the issue of slavery in Illinois.
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| 11 | 1859 | - 16 Oct 1859: John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry,Abolitionist John Brown led a raid on a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, hoping to start a slave revolt.
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| 12 | 1860 | - 6 Nov 1860: Abraham Lincoln elected,Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th President of the United States.
- 20 Dec 1860: South Carolina secedes,South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union following Lincoln's election.
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| 13 | 1861 | - 8 Feb 1861: Confederate States of America formed,Seven Southern states formed the Confederate States of America.
- 4 Mar 1861: Lincoln inaugurated,Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as President of the United States.
- 12 Apr 1861: Attack on Fort Sumter,Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina, marking the start of the American Civil War.
- 21 Jul 1861: First Battle of Bull Run,The first major land battle of the Civil War resulted in a Confederate victory.
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| 14 | 1862 | - 8 Mar 1862: Monitor vs. Merrimack,The first battle between two ironclad warships took place in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
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| 15 | 1863 | - 1 Jan 1863: Emancipation Proclamation,President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in Confederate-held territory.
- 1 Jul 1863—3 Jul 1863: Battle of Gettysburg
A major Union victory in Pennsylvania that is considered a turning point of the war.
- 4 Jul 1863: Siege of Vicksburg ends,Union forces captured Vicksburg, Mississippi, giving them control of the Mississippi River.
- 19 Nov 1863: Gettysburg Address,Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous address at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg.
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| 16 | 1864 | - 8 Nov 1864: Lincoln reelected,Abraham Lincoln was reelected as President of the United States.
- 15 Nov 1864—21 Dec 1864: Sherman's March to the Sea
Union General William Tecumseh Sherman led his troops on a destructive march through Georgia.
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| 17 | 1865 | - 9 Apr 1865: Lee surrenders at Appomattox,Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the Civil War.
- 14 Apr 1865: Lincoln assassinated,President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre.
- 18 Dec 1865: 13th Amendment ratified,The 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, was ratified.
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| 18 | 1867 | - 1 Jan 1867: Reconstruction Acts,Congress passed acts that divided the South into five military districts and set conditions for readmission to the Union.
- 30 Mar 1867: Alaska Purchase,The United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, a deal widely known as "Seward's Folly."
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| 19 | 1868 | - 1 Jan 1868: 14th Amendment ratified,The 14th Amendment was ratified, granting citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States.
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| 20 | 1869 | - 1 May 1869: Transcontinental Railroad completed,The first transcontinental railroad was completed at Promontory Summit, Utah.
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| 21 | 1870 | - 1 Jan 1870: 15th Amendment ratified,The 15th Amendment was ratified, guaranteeing the right to vote regardless of race.
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1837 - Aft 1850 (> 14 years)