Civil War Timeline

By GabrielDeist

  • Ku Klux Klan

    The Ku Klux Klan, otherwise known as the KKK, is a christian centered group that has incorperates the idea of white supremacy under a vice description of God's word. In the late 1800s they were focussed on voter suppression and intimidation. This worked as they greatly decreased the ammount of black voters in the impending elections after the Civil War. Those that did vote, were killed by the Ku Klux Klan, which only furthered their influence over peoples voting habits.

  • Confederate Arming of Slaves

    In 1865, the Confederate army started arming slaves because of the need for aditional soldiers within the army. These soldiers were mostly used as guards for prisons in the Confederacy, and some were used as body servants who were essentially fake soldiers who were really slaves that were bound to a master within the Confederate army. People did not think this was a good idea because of the fear of slave uprisings, and the fact that you were giving angry slaves guns.

  • Formation of Joint Committee on Reconstruction

    The formation of Joint Committee on Reconstruction did exactly what the name entails. This committee discussed the reconstruciton of America after the Civil War. One of their first discussions and actions were on December 5th, 1865 when William D. Kelley "introduced a bill to legalize black voting rights in the District of Columbia" (Allen Guelzo 30). This was obviously an incredibly important part of the reconstuction as this committee would go on to introduce multiple bills for reconstruction.

  • Civil Rights act of 1866

    The Civil Rights Act of 1866 granted citizenship and equal rights to all people born in the US, including African Americans, overriding discriminatory Black Codes. The act marked a key moment in the guaranteeing of civil rights for those freed, laying the ground for the 14th Amendment. Its significance lay in the fact that the federal government was beginning to exercise authority over discriminatory practices of the states to impose legal equality on African Americans following the Civil War.

  • Reconstruction Act

    The reconstuction act of 1867 stated that each state, including those in the South, would have to agree to the 13th, 14th, and 15th ammendments. Each of these ammendments pertained to the rights of black individuals, giving them human rights, allowing them to vote, and the abolition of slavery. This also was known as Military Reconstruction, which only needed a 15% majority to pass, which would allow generals to take over political positions in southern states.

  • African American Suffrage in the South

    In 1868 newly formed Southern governments, under pressure from Military Reconstruction, granted voting rights to African Americans, thus allowing them to participate in politics for the first time in the South. This shift allowed African Americans to be elected to local, state, and federal offices. The expansion of suffrage was a key achievement of Reconstruction, marking significant political empowerment for African Americans, though it faced an incredible amount of opposition.

  • The Presidency of Andrew Johnson

    Andrew Johnson was the 17th president of the United States of America. The most notable actions he did during the reconstruction period were the ratification of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment, which gave slaves rights as well as abolished slavery. His opposition of the freedmans bureau is also notable as he was known as someone that supported Lincoln through and through, as Lincoln set up the freedmans bureau. His support for Lincoln was a surprise as well as he was a known white supremasist

  • The Colfax Massacre

    On April 13, 1873, an armed white supremacist mob murdered at least 100 African American Republicans in Colfax, Louisiana. The massacre happened after a contested local election and was part of the broader pattern of racial violence aimed at suppressing Black political participation. This is important because is shows that inherent discontent between white supremisist groups and African American voters that mirrors the struggles of the already passed Civil War.

  • The Civil Rights Act of 1875

    The Civil Rights Act of 1875 aimed to ensure equal access for blacks to various means of public accommodations, transportation, and juries. Although ultimately ineffective, as the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional later, it represented one of the last federal attempts to ensure civil rights during Reconstruction.It's important for the recognition of civil rights as a federal concern, foreshadowing the civil rights struggles and the eventual legal battles of the 20th century.

  • The Election of 1876 and its Consequential Rise of the Compromise of 1877

    The Election of 1876 was one of the most disputed elections ever held in the United States, which gave rise to the Compromise of 1877. It worked to settle the controversy in that election by awarding the presidency to Hayes in exchange for withdrawing federal troops from the South, thus ending the period of Reconstruction. Its considered a turning point because it ushered in Jim Crow laws, which decreased the effectiveness of civil rights laws for African Americans.