Civil War Timeline
Step 1
With your group members, create a brief summary for
each of the seven events below (feel free to use any text
books or approved Internet sites to help you create your
summaries). On the line next to each event, be sure to
write the year that event took place.
1) Fugitive Slave Act - _______________________
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2) Dred Scott Decision - _______________________
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3) Missouri Compromise - _______________________
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Civil War Timeline
4) Election of 1860 - _______________________
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5) Compromise of 1850 - _______________________
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6) Secession of South Carolina - _______________________
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7) Kansas-Nebraska Act - _______________________
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Civil War Timeline
Step 1
With your group members, create a brief summary for
each of the seven events below (feel free to use any text
books or approved Internet sites to help you create your
summaries). On the line next to each event, be sure to
write the year that event took place.
1) Fugitive Slave Act – September 18, 1850
The Fugitive Slave Law or Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the United
States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of
1850 between Southern slave holding interests and Northern Free-Soilers.
This was one of the most controversial acts of the 1850 compromise and
heightened Northern fears of a 'slave power conspiracy'. It declared that all
runaway slaves be brought back to their masters. Abolitionists nicknamed
it the "Bloodhound Law" for the dogs that were used to track down
runaway slaves.
2) Dred Scott Decision -1857
The Dred Scott Decision, was a decision by the United States Supreme
Court that ruled that people of African descent imported into the United
States and held as slaves, or their descendants—whether or not they were
slaves—were not protected by the Constitution and could never be citizens
of the United States. It also held that the United States Congress had no
authority to prohibit slavery in federal territories. The Court also ruled that
because slaves were not citizens, they could not sue in court. Lastly, the
Court ruled that slaves—as chattel or private property—could not be taken
away from their owners without due process.
3) Missouri Compromise - 1820
The Missouri Compromise was an agreement passed in 1820 between the
pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States Congress,
involving primarily the regulation of slavery in the western territories. It
prohibited slavery in the former Louisiana Territory north of the parallel
36°30' north except within the boundaries of the proposed state of
Missouri.
Civil War Timeline
4) Election of 1860 - 1860
The United States presidential election of 1860 set the stage for the
American Civil War. The nation had been divided throughout most of the
1850s on questions of states' rights and slavery in the territories. In 1860,
this issue finally came to a head, fracturing the formerly dominant
Democratic Party into Southern and Northern factions and bringing
Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party to power without the support of
a single Southern state.
5) Compromise of 1850 - 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a series of five bills that were intended to
stave off sectional strife. Its goal was to deal with the spread of slavery to
territories in order to keep northern and southern interests in balance.
California was entered as a free state. New Mexico and Utah were each
allowed to use popular sovereignty to decide the issue of slavery. In other
words, the people would pick whether the states would be free or
slave.The Republic of Texas gave up lands that it claimed in present day
New Mexico and received $10 million to pay its debt to Mexico. The slave
trade was abolished in the District of Columbia. The Fugitive Slave Act
made any federal official who did not arrest a runaway slave liable to pay a
fine. This was the most controversial part of the Compromise of 1850 and
caused many abolitionists to increase their efforts against slavery.
6) Secession of South Carolina - 1860
After the election of Lincoln in 1860, South Carolina was the first southern
state to leave the union. Seven states followed afterward and formed the
Confederate States of America.
7) Kansas-Nebraska Act – May 30, 1854
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed by the U.S. Congress on May 30,
1854. It allowed people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to use
popular sovereignty to decide whether or not to allow slavery within their
borders. The Act served to repeal the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which
prohibited slavery north of latitude 36°30´.
Step 2
Civil War Timeline
Next, with your group members, you need to take the
documents at your table and match them with each of your
written summaries. Once all group members are clear
about which images represent each event, your group
needs to create a timeline using these documents!
Guideline for creating your Civil War Timeline:
 Each group will be given documents, chart paper, markers, and
tape to create the timeline.
 Timelines must be properly scaled and all events need to be in
chronological order.
 For each event you will need to label the date and name of the
event.
 All group members must have an active role in creating the
timeline.
See rubric below!
Labeled events
Labeled dates
Chronological
order
Scale
Group
Participation
4
3
2
1
All 7 events
are properly
labeled
All 7 events
are properly
dated
All 7 events
are placed in
proper
chronological
order
All 7 events
are properly
scaled
All group
members had
a clear role in
creating the
timeline
At least 5 events
are properly
labeled
At least 5 events
are properly
dated
At least 5 events
are placed in
proper
chronological
order
At least 5 events
are properly
scaled
Most group
members had a
clear role in
creating the
timeline
At least 4 events
are properly
labeled
At least 4 events
are properly
dated
At least 4 events
are placed in
proper
chronological
order
At least 4 events
are properly
scaled
Some group
members had a
clear role in
creating the
timeline
Only 3 or less
events are
properly labeled
Only 3 or less
events are
properly dated
Only 3 or less
events are
placed in proper
chronological
order
Only 3 or less
events are
properly scaled
Very few group
members had a
clear role in
creating the
timeline
Score of 0 = No evidence of work completed in that category
Civil War Timeline
Step 3 (numbers)
Now you are going to answer and create a few questions
independently. Each member of your group will be
assigned two numbers. You will then need to answer the
questions that go with your document numbers. All
questions can be found below.
Document 1: Missouri Compromise
1. What is the difference between the green and purple
territories/states on the map?
Document 2: Compromise of 1850
1. How was slavery affected in Washington D.C.?
Document 3: Fugitive Slave Act
1. Why is Marcus Du Val giving out a $100 reward?
Document 4: Kansas-Nebraska Act
1. How did Stephen Douglas gain Southern support?
Document 5 and Document E: Dred Scott decision
1. Who was not intended to be included in the Declaration
of Independence?
Document 6: Election of 1860
1. In what region of the country did Abraham Lincoln and
Stephen Douglas get the most votes?
Document 7: Secession of South Carolina
1. What country did the seceding states form in 1861?
Circle your assigned document questions above, and then
answer the questions on the next page.
Civil War Timeline
Document ______ Answer:
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Document ______ Answer:
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Step 3 (letters)
Civil War Timeline
Now you are going to answer and create a few questions
independently. Each member of your group will be
assigned two letters. You will then need to answer the
questions that go with your document letters. All
questions can be found below.
Document A: Missouri Compromise
1. What is the difference between the green and purple
territories/states on the map?
Document B: Compromise of 1850
1. Why did Henry Clay want to create a compromise?
Document C: Fugitive Slave Act
1. Identify two effects of the Fugitive Slave Act.
Document D: Kansas-Nebraska Act
1. According to Stephen Douglas, what lawful decisions can
the people of a territory make?
Document E: Dred Scott decision
1. Who was not intended to be included in the Declaration
of Independence?
Document F: Election of 1860
1. What does the “irrepressible conflict” represent?
Document G: Secession of South Carolina
1. Identify one reason why South Carolina seceded from the
Union.
Circle your assigned document questions above, and then
answer the questions on the next page.
Civil War Timeline
Document ______ Answer:
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Document ______ Answer:
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Step 4
Civil War Timeline
Now each member of your group will share their answers! As a group you
need to decide whether or not each answer is complete and correct.
 If it is, write the answer below in the appropriate space.
 If it is not, revise it as a group, and then write the answer in the
appropriate space below.
Document 1 or A:
Document 2 or B:
Document 3 or C:
Document 4 or D:
Document 5 or E:
Document 6 or F:
Document 7 or G:
Step 5
Civil War Timeline
Now your group is going to be assigned a document to
create a document-based question for of your own! Take
time to carefully analyze your assigned document and
remember to think about the who, what, where, when and
how questions that it provokes. Each group member must
write-out your group’s question and the answer to your
group’s question below.
My group’s document-based question for Document _______:
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Answer:
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Step 6
Be prepared to share your group’s question and answer
with the class!