Question

(5.12) create a timeline with these 19 events: ratification of the 13th,14th, and 15th amendments, civil rights bill’s passage over johnson’s veto, reconstruction ends, emancipation proclamation, mexican-american war, attack on fort sumter, homestead act, dred scott decision, john brown raids harper’s ferry, kansas-nebraska act, ostend manifesto, gadsden purchase, fugitive slave law 1850, compromise 1850, california gold rush, wilmot proviso, treaty of guadalupe hidalgo.

Answer:

To create the timeline, order the events by their year of occurrence (with historical context):

Step 1: Identify Event Years

• 1846: Wilmot Proviso, Mexican - American War (starts)
• 1848: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, California Gold Rush (begins)
• 1850: Compromise of 1850, Fugitive Slave Law (1850)
• 1854: Kansas - Nebraska Act, Ostend Manifesto, Gadsden Purchase
• 1857: Dred Scott Decision
• 1859: John Brown’s Raid (Harper’s Ferry)
• 1861: Attack on Fort Sumter
• 1862: Homestead Act
• 1863: Emancipation Proclamation
• 1865: Civil War Ends, 13th Amendment (ratified)
• 1868: 14th Amendment (ratified)
• 1870: 15th Amendment (ratified)
• 1877: Reconstruction Ends

Step 2: Construct the Timeline (Chronological Order)

Year	Event	Historical Significance
1846–1848	Mexican - American War	U.S. gained Southwest territories (sparked slavery debates).
1848	Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo	Ended Mexican - American War; U.S. acquired CA, NM, AZ, etc.
1848–1855	California Gold Rush	Spurred westward migration; led to CA statehood (1850).
1850	Compromise of 1850	Admitted CA as free state; included Fugitive Slave Law.
1850	Fugitive Slave Law (1850)	Forced Northerners to return escaped slaves (angered abolitionists).
1854	Kansas - Nebraska Act	Allowed “popular sovereignty” on slavery (led to “Bleeding Kansas”).
1854	Ostend Manifesto	Proposed annexing Cuba (pro - slavery, increased North - South tension).
1854	Gadsden Purchase	U.S. bought land from Mexico (for Southern railroad routes).
1857	Dred Scott Decision	Ruled slaves were not citizens; slavery legal in all territories.
1859	John Brown’s Raid (Harper’s Ferry)	Abolitionist raid; escalated fears of slave revolts (polarized nation).
1861	Attack on Fort Sumter	First battle of the Civil War (Confederate attack).
1862	Homestead Act	Gave free land to settlers (encouraged Westward expansion).
1863	Emancipation Proclamation	Freed slaves in Confederate states (shifted war to “moral cause”).
1865	Civil War Ends	Confederate surrender at Appomattox (end of armed conflict).
1865	13th Amendment Ratified	Abolished slavery nationwide.
1868	14th Amendment Ratified	Granted citizenship and “equal protection” to all persons.
1870	15th Amendment Ratified	Granted Black men the right to vote.
1877	Reconstruction Ends	Federal troops withdrew from the South; Jim Crow era began.

Final Timeline (Chronological)

1. Wilmot Proviso (1846)
2. Mexican - American War (1846–1848)
3. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)
4. California Gold Rush (1848–1855)
5. Compromise of 1850 (1850)
6. Fugitive Slave Law (1850)
7. Kansas - Nebraska Act (1854)
8. Ostend Manifesto (1854)
9. Gadsden Purchase (1854)
10. Dred Scott Decision (1857)
11. John Brown’s Raid (Harper’s Ferry) (1859)
12. Attack on Fort Sumter (1861)
13. Homestead Act (1862)
14. Emancipation Proclamation (1863)
15. Civil War Ends (1865)
16. 13th Amendment Ratified (1865)
17. 14th Amendment Ratified (1868)
18. 15th Amendment Ratified (1870)
19. Reconstruction Ends (1877)

This timeline traces the path from pre - Civil War sectionalism to the end of Reconstruction, highlighting how each event contributed to the nation’s struggle over slavery, citizenship, and civil rights.