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| Century | 000's | 1700's | 1800's | 1900's | 2000's | |||||||
| Decade | 1800's | 1810's | 1820's | 1830's | 1840's | 1850's | 1860's | 1870's | 1880's | 1890's | ||
| Year | 1850 | 1851 | 1852 | 1853 | 1854 | 1855 | 1856 | 1857 | 1858 | 1859 | ||
| January 17, 1856 | Georgia Democrat Alexander Stephens debates Tennessee Know-Nothing Felix Zollicoffer | |
| Felix Zollicoffer | ||
| Alexander Stephens | ||
| January 24, 1856 | Franklin Pierce rejects the Topeka Constitution because the vote did not constitute "...the body politic" | Kansas |
| Kansas becomes a state | ||
| Franklin Pierce | ||
| February 22, 1856 | The first "national" meeting of the Republican Party is held in Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania |
| Election of 1856 | ||
| Civil War Firsts | ||
| Republican Party | ||
| February 22, 1856 | The American National Convention in Philadelphia nominates Millard Fillmore for President | Pennsylvania |
| Millard Fillmore | ||
| Election of 1856 | ||
| March 24, 1856 | President Franklin Pierce sends all "...documents touching the affairs of the Territory of Kansas" between the dates of January 1, 1855 and June 30, 1855 to the House of Representatives to comply with an earlier request | Kansas |
| Kansas becomes a state | ||
| Franklin Pierce | ||
| May 19, 1856 | Charles Sumner begins his "Crime against Kansas" speech, which concludes tomorrow | Kansas |
| Bleeding Kansas | ||
| Sumner and Brooks | ||
| Preston S. Brooks | ||
| Charles Sumner | ||
| Kansas becomes a state | ||
| May 21, 1856 | Samuel Jones, a pro-slavery sheriff leads a band of border ruffians on a raid against Lawrence, Kansas | Kansas |
| Bleeding Kansas | ||
| May 22, 1856 | Preston Brooks attacks Charles Sumner in the well of the Senate | |
| Preston S. Brooks | ||
| Sumner and Brooks | ||
| Charles Sumner | ||
| May 24, 1856 May 25, 1856 |
Pottawatomie Massacre - John Brown kills five pro-slavers along this Kansas Creek | Kansas |
| Bleeding Kansas | ||
| John Brown | ||
| June 2, 1856 June 6, 1856 |
Democratic Convention - After 14 ballots, sitting President Franklin Pierce withdraws his name from nomination. Stephen Douglas withdraws at the end of the 16th ballot. James Buchanan is nominated by acclamation | Maryland |
| Stephen A. Douglas | ||
| Election of 1856 | ||
| James Buchanan | ||
| Franklin Pierce | ||
| Democratic Party | ||
| June 2, 1856 | Battle of Blackjack, near Baldwin in Douglas County | Kansas |
| Bleeding Kansas | ||
| June 2, 1856 | A committee of the House of Representatives recommends Rep. Brooks be expelled and Rep. Laurence Keitt be censured for the attack on Sen. Charles Sumner. Although the resolution fails, both men resign | |
| Preston S. Brooks | ||
| Sumner and Brooks | ||
| June 17, 1856 June 19, 1856 |
Republican Convention nominates John C. Fremont for President. | |
| Election of 1856 | ||
| John C. Fremont | ||
| Republican Party | ||
| July 4, 1856 | Under direct orders from President Franklin Pierce, Edwin Vose Sumner leads 200 infantrymen into Topeka, Kansas, unlimbers his artillery and informs the freestaters they may not hold a convention. | Kansas |
| Edwin Vose Sumner | ||
| Franklin Pierce | ||
| Bleeding Kansas | ||
| July 8, 1856 | Grand jury indicts Preston Brooks for the assault on Charles Sumner. He pleads guilty and pays a $300 fine | |
| Preston S. Brooks | ||
| Sumner and Brooks | ||
| July 15, 1856 | Following his attack on Charles Sumner on the floor of the House, Preston S. Brooks resigns. | |
| Preston S. Brooks | ||
| August 1, 1856 | Preston S. Brooks is elected to Congress to fill the vacancy he created by resigning | South Carolina |
| Preston S. Brooks | ||
| August 16, 1856 | Battle of Fort Titus | Kansas |
| Bleeding Kansas | ||
| August 30, 1856 | Battle at Osawatomie - 12 Free-staters under Capt. John Brown are attacked by 250 pro-slavery men | |
| Bleeding Kansas | ||
| John Brown | ||
| September 15, 1856 | Battle of Hickory Point | Kansas |
| September 17, 1856 | Whig Convention, meeting in Baltimore, selects the same candidate for President as the American Party, Millard Fillmore | |
| Millard Fillmore | ||
| November 4, 1856 | Democrats James Buchanan and John C. Breckinridge defeat Republicans John C. Fremont and William Dayton and American (Know-Nothing) Party candidates Millard Fillmore and Andrew Donelson | |
| Election of 1856 | ||
| James Buchanan | ||
| Millard Fillmore | ||
| John Breckinridge | ||
| John C. Fremont | ||
| Republican Party | ||
| Democratic Party |
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| Decade | 1800's | 1810's | 1820's | 1830's | 1840's | 1850's | 1860's | 1870's | 1880's | 1890's | ||
| Year | 1850 | 1851 | 1852 | 1853 | 1854 | 1855 | 1856 | 1857 | 1858 | 1859 | ||
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