Harriet Beecher Stowe Was a noted abolitionist and author best known for the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. She lived near the border of the slave state Kentucky; Cincinnati gave her first hand exposure to slavery. When Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law, she was outraged and then began her novel. Her work motivated anti-slavery sentiment and helped the abolitionist cause.
Charles Sumner He was an advocate for liberal causes. He supported Abolition of slavery and the emancipation of blacks. Sumner was elected into the U.S. senate and fought relentlessly for abolition. He spoke against proposals such as the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Missouri Compromise, which almost cost him his life. He also belonged to a group called Radical Republicans, who thought the South should be punished.
John Brown He dedicated his life to the abolition of slavery. He also helped establish the league of Gileadites and participated in the Underground Railroad. Pro-slavery forces had victimized Kansas, using violence to influence elections when attempting to make it a slave state. Brown led a small party of men to the homes of 5 men who participated in the pro-slavery force. They brutally murdered them, causing nation wide attention. For the next few years he went around giving speeches about abolition for money and guns to bring his war against slavery to the South. "Six Secret", an wealthy group of abolitionist, funded Brown, allowing him to create a small army. He led 21 men on a raid of the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, planning to arm slaves with weapons. Within 36 hours of the attack, a majorityof Brown's men had either been captured or killed.
Abraham Lincoln Was the 16th President of the United States. He led America through the Civil war, preserving the Union, abolishing slavery, strengthening the national government and modernizing the economy. He opposed the expansion of slavery. He ran for Senate in Illinois, but lost to Stephen Douglas. With little to none support in the south, he swept the north and was elected President. This was a signal for the south the to secede from the Union and from the Confederacy. His goal was to reunite the nation. In an effort to end slavery, in 1863, he centered on the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1863 he gave the Gettysburg Address. About a week after Lee's surrender, Lincoln was assassinated by a Confederate sympathizer.
Ulysses S. Grant Joined the U.S. military as a young man. He resigned in 1854, Many of the jobs he took were unsuccessful and he had very bad luck. Shortly after the civil war started in 1861, Grant rejoined the military. As a battlefield commander, he won the Union's first major victory. In 1864 Abraham Lincoln appointed Grant as commander of the U.S. armies.He was working constantly trying to seize Robert E. Lee's rebel group in the east. In 1865 Lee surrendered making Grant victorious. Grant accepted the Republican presidential nomination, then served two terms. He worked vigorously trying to reconnect the north and south again, develop peace in the west, and deal with the emerging white supremacy, and tried to mend the damaged economy. Becoming bankrupt and desperate for money, he began writing his wartime memoirs.
William Tecumseh Sherman He had a lot in common with Ulysses S. Grant. He joined the U.S. army as a colonel. During his first few battles, he fought poorly. His countless requests for reinforcements and nervous behavior caused some media to describe him as insane. With the support of Ulysses S. Grant, the two established a bond and worked together towards Union victory. Once Grant was appointed commander of the entire Union army, he left Sherman in charge of three armies. Sherman was told to destroy anything in his path known as the first instance of "total war". Grant then appointed Sherman commander of the U.S. army. he believed that Native Americans stood in the way of progress and needed to be exterminated, but she spoke against corrupt government officials who dealt unfairly with Indians.
Stephen Douglas Is a politician from Illinois. He was a U.S. representative, senator, and also ran in in the presidential election in 1860. Douglas was part of the Young America movement which sought to modernize politics and replace the agrarian and strict constructionist orthodoxies of the past. He believed in the idea of popular sovereignty. he was responsible for both the Kansas- Nebraska Act and the Compromise of 1850.
Jefferson Davis He was a leader of the confederacy. He owned a plantation in the south that was dependent on slave labor. He argued against secession but agreed that each state was sovereign and that they had a right to secede from the Union. During the war, he was president of the Confederate States of America. Davis was unable to find a plan to stop the Union. A majority of the confederacy's weaknesses are credited to President Davis. In 1865, he was captured and accused of treason. Many southerner's showed admiration towards Davis, and his legacy became art of the foundation of the New South. In 181, he wrote a memoir, restoring his reputation. He encouraged reconciliation, telling Southerners to be loyal to the Union.
Robert E. Lee Came from a very distinguished family. In 1825, he decided to pursue a military education, and graduated second in class. For 15 years he spent traveling the country as a member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His heroic events would be an advantage to him to lead the Confederate forces. He served as a military adviser to Jefferson Davis. Abraham Lincoln offered Lee to command the Union Army, but he declined, he couldn't lead an army to invade the south. Lee's depleted army proved to be no match for Grant's Army, and surrendered in 1865.