Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) Stowe was an abolitionist and writer of over 30 books. After the Fugitive Slave Act was in order she began to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a book showing insight on slavery. Her book was printed in Newspapers in 1851 but wasn’t officially published until 1852. Her book was intended to show many people the hardships African Americans faced in slavery. She spread awareness and helped many people join the fight to end slavery.
John Brown (1800-1859)
John Brown was a stationmaster of the underground railroad for most of his life until he decided he needed to make a bigger effort to end slavery. Brown believed that using weapons to fight for slavery was the only way. After the Border Ruffians moved into Kansas to make it a slave state Brown supplied slaves with weapons and became a guerilla fighter. He took a group of 21 to Harpers Ferry, Virginia to attack the federal arsenal where he was soon captured after arriving in Virginia and hung for treason in 1859.
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. As president he implemented the Emancipation Proclamation which freed all slaves within the confederate states forever. He pulled together and strengthened the republican party. He was a strong military leader and led the union to the brink of victory before he was assassinated in 1865.
Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885)
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States. He was the commanding general of the United States Army. Grant worked closely with Abraham Lincoln to defeat the confederate army and to abolish slavery. Grant lead Republicans to get rid of the last remnants of confederate nationalism and slavery.
William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891) William Tecumseh Sherman was a general in the Union Army during the Civil War. He received praise for his outstanding military tactics and strategy. He was also greatly criticized for the “scorched earth” policy that he had enacted against the Confederate states. Sherman was commanding general after Ulysses S. Grant.
Charles Sumner (1811-1874) Sumner was the Senator of Massachusetts in 1851. He continually fought against slavery during his time as Senator. Sumner was in a great debate with the Southerners over whether or not Kansas should be a slave state. He made a speech bashing the Southern congressman for wanting to allow slavery in Kansas. Shortly after his speech Preston S. Brooks, and angry southerner beat Sumner in his office with a cane. This caused Sumner to take a break from the senate to recover, but he later returned in 1859.
Stephen Douglas (1813-1861) Douglas was a leader of the democratic party before the civil war. He brought up the idea of popular sovereignty deciding whether or not new territory would be a slave or free state. He was elected as U.S senator and had numerous debates with the republican, Abraham Lincoln. in 1860 Douglass lost the presidential race to Lincoln. As a politician he supported the war with Mexico and Manifest Destiny for all Americans.
Jefferson Davis (1808-1889) Jefferson Davis was the Secretary of War after being a U.S. senator for several years. HE did not support secession but believed every state was its own and had the right to succeed if they wished. In 1961 he was elected to be president of the confederacy. Davis was not happy about this position but did not oppose. When the Union states won the war he was captured in the South, imprisoned, and let out on bail.
Robert E. Lee (1807-1870) Robert E. Lee was a general during the American Civil War. During the civil war, he was fighting on the Confederate side. Lee succeeded with his home state of Virginia even though personally he wanted to remain a part of the United States. Robert E. Lee was a very good battlefield commander and he won many battles against far superior Union armies.