Events Leading Up to the American Civil War Timeline Activity

Item description

This timeline activity is a great social studies review for your secondary students on the events leading up to the American Civil War. The Events Leading Up to the American Civil War Timeline Activity is just what you need to pull all of the details together for greater understanding. A timeline activity is a great way to provide a visual so the student can see the sequence and relationship between events. The cause and effect become more apparent, allowing for a greater depth of understanding.

Your students will use pre-printed cards containing information about 34 key events occurring between 1819 and 1861 to create a visual timeline display. Once the students have researched the dates of each event, they will assemble the timeline in chronological order. The students will be able to clearly visualize the sequence of events that led to the war and cause and effect.

Included in this timeline activity are 3 sets of identical timeline cards and a master key with all dates. You choose which activity you prefer. This activity allows for differentiation.

• The large set of cards are perfect as a display for your bulletin board or they could be used as a scavenger hunt activity for your students. (directions included)
• The medium-sized set with 4 timeline cards printed on each page is a great small group activity where the students look up the dates for each event and arrange the cards in chronological order.
• The small-sized set with 9 timeline cards printed on each page is ideal for either a small group activity or an individual student activity. The small set includes a blank timeline for the students to paste the individual timeline cards in chronological order. A Google slides link is provided if you would like to assign this to your students as a homework activity.

Contents:

• 1 set of 34 large timeline cards (1 per page) 
• 1 set of 34 medium timeline cards (4 per page)
• 1 set of 34 small timeline cards (9 per page) 
• Timeline sheets for small timeline (9 per page) 
• Google Slides link for the individual student activity
• Answer Key with all dates

The timeline cards cover the following topics:

❋ Missouri Compromise of 1820

❋ Compromise of 1850

❋ Gold Rush

❋ Kansas-Nebraska Act

❋ Bleeding Kansas

❋ Tallmadge Amendment

❋ Wilmot Proviso

❋ Ostend Manifesto

❋ Dred Scott Decison

❋ Lecompton Constitution

❋ popular sovereignty

❋ Gadsden Purchase

❋ New Political Parties (Free Soil and American)

❋ Election of 1852

❋ Election of 1856

❋ Election of 1860

❋ Lincoln-Douglas Debates

❋ Sacking of Lawrence, Kansas

❋ Harriet Beecher Stowe (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)

❋ Harper’s Ferry

❋ Crittenden Compromise

❋ Election of Lincoln

❋ Caning of Charles Sumner

❋ Henry Clay

❋ William Walker

❋ John Brown

❋ Ft. Sumter

❋ Sinking of the Black Warrior

❋ John C. Calhoun and State’s Rights

❋ Frederick Douglass and the North Star

❋ Manifest Destiny after the Mexican-American War

Format:

PowerPoint 

Georgia Standards:

SSUSH8 The student will explain the relationship between growing north-south divisions and westward expansion.

SSUSH9 The student will identify key events, issues, and individuals relating to the causes, course, and consequences of the Civil War.

Events Leading Up to the American Civil War Timeline Activity is copyright protected by Betsey Zachry, Zachry’s Game Room, and Time Travel thru History.