Request a brochure
Civil War Encyclopedia
Blue and Gray Trail
Civil War in Georgia
On the Blue and Gray Trail
Civil War by state
Today in the Civil War
Battles
Images
Places
Feature Stories
Links
Search
Who we are
<<Previous year Next year>>
| Century | 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 | ||
| February 14, 1859 | Oregon enters the United States as a free state | Oregon |
| February 28, 1859 | Arkansas passes legislation requiring free blacks to chose between exile or slavery | Arkansas |
| July 4, 1859 | The Oregon Flag is introduced. It will be the first flag under which U. S. troops enter the Civil War. | Oregon |
| Flags of the Civil War | ||
| July 5, 1859 July 29, 1859 |
The 4th Constitutional Convention, Wyandotte, Kansas | Kansas |
| Bleeding Kansas | ||
| Kansas becomes a state | ||
| July 5, 1859 | The fourth Kansas Constitutional Convention is convened in Wyandotte, Kansas. | Kansas |
| Kansas becomes a state | ||
| July 29, 1859 | The Wyandotte Constitution is adopted by the convention | Kansas |
| Kansas becomes a state | ||
| August 20, 1859 | John Brown meets with Frederick Douglass at Chambersburg | Pennsylvania |
| Frederick Douglass | ||
| John Brown | ||
| October 4, 1859 | The Wyandotte Constitution is ratified by the state of Kansas. It abolishes slavery. | Kansas |
| Kansas becomes a state | ||
| October 16, 1859 | John Brown takes the armory at Harpers Ferry | Maryland |
| Causes of the Civil War | ||
| John Brown | ||
| Harpers Ferry | ||
| Baltimore and Ohio Railroad | ||
| October 17, 1859 | Citizens discover John Brown, 19 men (including Brown's sons Oliver, Owen, and Watson) and several hostages including George Washington's great-grand-nephew in the armory. By the end of the day Brown, his men and 9 hostages occupied the fire engine house within the arsenal. Secretary of War John B. Floyd orders Col. Robert E. Lee and Lt. J. E. B. Stuart to the town | |
| John Brown | ||
| J. E. B. Stuart | ||
| Robert E. Lee | ||
| John Floyd | ||
| October 18, 1859 | Robert E. Lee and JEB Stuart plan an attack against John Brown and his raiders at Harpers Ferry. At 6:30 am, Stuart signals Marine Lieutenant Israel Green who storms the firehouse holding the raiders and their hostages. Five of Brown's Raiders escape. The rest are caught or killed. | |
| Robert E. Lee | ||
| J. E. B. Stuart | ||
| John Brown | ||
| October 27, 1859 | The Louisville and Nashville Railroad makes its first trip between the two cities. | Kentucky Tennessee |
| December 2, 1859 | John Brown is hung in Charleston, Virginia (present-day West Virginia) for the raid on Harper's Ferry | Virginia West Virginia |
| John Brown |
| Century | 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 | ||
Battles | Places | Events by year | Events by date | Feature Stories |
Bookstore | Links | Who We Are |