Antebellum America Timeline (1787–1861)

Foundations of the United States (1787–1790)

1787–1789 — U.S. Constitution Signed, Ratified, and Takes Effect

The Constitutional Convention produces a new framework for the federal government. Ratification establishes the Constitution as the supreme law of the land.

1790 — Naturalization Act Passed

Limits U.S. citizenship to “free white persons,” embedding racial exclusion into federal law.

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Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition Movements

1808 — Transatlantic Slave Trade Abolished

Congress ends the importation of enslaved people into the United States, while domestic slavery continues and expands internally.

1811 — German Coast Uprising

The largest enslaved revolt in U.S. history occurs in Louisiana, as hundreds of enslaved people rise up against plantation owners.

1831 — Nat Turner’s Rebellion

An armed revolt of enslaved people in Virginia intensifies Southern fear and leads to harsher slave laws.

1833 — American Anti-Slavery Society Founded

A national abolitionist organization forms, advocating for the immediate end of slavery.

1830s–1860 — Underground Railroad

A clandestine network helps enslaved people escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists.

1857 — Dred Scott v. Sandford

The Supreme Court rules that Black Americans are not citizens and that Congress cannot prohibit slavery in U.S. territories.

1859 — John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry

An armed attempt to spark a slave uprising deepens national tensions over slavery.

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Native American Removal and Displacement

1830 — Indian Removal Act

Authorizes the forced relocation of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands to territories west of the Mississippi River.

1831–1839 — Trail of Tears

Mass forced removals result in widespread death, suffering, and displacement of Native tribes.

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Territorial Expansion and Sectional Conflict

1820 — Missouri Compromise

Maintains the balance between free and slave states and restricts slavery north of the 36°30′ line.

1845 — Texas Annexed by the United States

The admission of Texas as a slave state heightens national conflict over slavery’s expansion.

1846 — Wilmot Proviso Introduced

A proposal to ban slavery in newly acquired territories fails but deepens sectional divisions.

1846–1848 — Mexican-American War

The war raises major questions about whether slavery will expand into western territories.

1848 — Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Ends the Mexican-American War and transfers vast western territories to U.S. control.

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Political Compromises and Escalating Violence

1850 — Compromise of 1850

A series of laws attempt to ease sectional tensions but leave the issue of slavery unresolved.

1850 — Fugitive Slave Act

Strengthens enforcement of laws requiring the return of escaped enslaved people, provoking widespread Northern resistance.

1854 — Kansas-Nebraska Act

Repeals the Missouri Compromise and introduces popular sovereignty on the question of slavery.

1854–1859 — Bleeding Kansas

Violent conflict erupts as pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers clash in Kansas Territory.

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Road to Secession and Civil War

1860 — Abraham Lincoln Elected President

Lincoln’s election triggers Southern fears over slavery’s future.

1860 — South Carolina Secedes from the Union

South Carolina becomes the first state to secede, setting the stage for the Civil War.