History of the USA. Early History of the American Continent. Native Americans, страница 3

The Abolitionists helped slaves to escape to safe places in the North, as far as Canada. This process was known as “The Underground Railroad” (hereinafter UR). The UR was a secret network of escape routes to help slaves reach the freedom moving to the northern states.

UR Stations – hiding or stopping places for slaves along the UR routes (houses, farms, stables, wells, store-rooms, churches, secret passages).

UR Conductors – the people who guided the slaves on their way.

An unofficial president of the UR was Levi Coffin – a Quaker from North Carolina. Most of the traveling was done at night and on foot. The salves were guided by the North star or followed the well-known water routes. During the day they hid in the UR Stations where they received food, rest and further directions.

3. 1850 – The Fugitive Act was passed. It gave right to slave-owners to catch and return escaped slaves and prohibited to help escaped slaves. Nevertheless the northerners continued to help the slaves.

4. 1860 – Abraham Lincoln (the leader of the Republican Party of the North, a son of a poor farmer, friendly with blacks and against slavery) won the Presidential elections. This triggered (спровоцировало) the breaking away of the southern states from the Union. The first state to leave the USA in 1869 was South Carolina. Later it was joined by North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas. In 1861 they proclaimed themselves an independent nation – The Confederate States of America.

2. War (1861-1865):

1.

2. 1863 – Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation that granted freedom to all slaves and also tried to preserve the Union.

3. 1863 – the greatest battle of the war took place at Gettysburg (in Pennsylvania). The Confederates were defeated. Here Lincoln made his famous speech known as the Gettysburg Address.

4. The Confederates were running out of everything (food, money, etc.). In 1865 General Lee (the leader of the Confederate Army) surrendered to General Grant at Appotomox and the Civil war was over.

3. Consequences:

1. The South was defeated and impoverished.

2. The Union (the USA) was saved.

3. Slavery was abolished by the 13^th Amendment to the Constitution.

4. Further development of industry, trade and agriculture took place.

5. More immigrants started to arrive attracted by better working conditions in towns ad by the fact that in the countryside the settlers could easily get land and start farming.

5. War of Independence

Pre-history:

At first the settlers of the 13 colonies were quite happy to be ruled by Britain because:

·  they were protected from the French in Canada and Louisiana by the British Navy and Army;

·  the British Government seldom interfered in colonial affairs (colonies had their own government with a governor as a head);