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Fifteenth Amendment
February 3, 1870 Approved by Congress on February 26, 1869, ratified by the states on February 3, 1870, and certified by Secretary of State Hamilton Fish on March 30, 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution affirmed that, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or…
Force Act (1833)
March 2, 1833 Approved by Congress on March 1, 1833 and signed by President Andrew Jackson the next day, the Force Act of 1833, known in South Carolina as the "Bloody Bill," authorized President Jackson to employ land, naval, or militia forces for the purpose of protecting customs officials and for enforcing United States tariff…
Fourteenth Amendment
July 28, 1868 Ratified in 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution was the second of the Reconstruction Amendments proposed by Congress and ratified by the states following the American Civil War. On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln invoked his powers as commander-in-chief to free "people held in slavery in areas designated in rebellion…
Freeport Doctrine
1858 During the Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1856, Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas proposed the Freeport Doctrine, which held that citizens of territories could ban slavery, despite the 1856 Supreme Court decision in the case of Dred Scott v. Sandford. While Congress struggled to find a political settlement to the issue of slavery that was dividing…
Fremont’s Declaration of Martial Law
August 30, 1861 On August 30, 1861, Major General John C. Fremont declared martial law in Missouri and freed the slaves of Missouri residents in revolt against the United States. Headquarters of the Western Department St. Louis, August 30, 1861. Circumstances, in my judgment, of sufficient urgency, render it necessary that the commanding general of…
Fugitive Slave Act of 1793
1793 When delegates to the Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in 1787, one of the more daunting tasks that they faced was resolving sectional differences between the North and South centered on the issue of slavery. After weeks of debate proved futile, the delegates negotiated a series of compromises that enabled them to proceed with…
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
September 18, 1850 The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed by Congress as one provision of the Compromise of 1850. The harsh terms of the act angered many Northerners and contributed to the sectional division over slavery that led to the American Civil War. The U.S. Constitution and Slavery When delegates to the Constitutional…
Gag Rule
May 26, 1836– December 3, 1844 The gag rule consisted of a series of changes to the rules of the U.S. House of Representatives that prohibited the introduction of petitions related to slavery between 1836 and 1844. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right "to petition the government for a redress…
General Orders, No. 1 (Army of Tennessee)
December 27, 1863 On December 27, 1863, General Joseph E. Johnston issued General Orders, No. 1 (AoT) announcing that he was assuming command of the Army of Tennessee. GENERAL ORDERS,;;;; No. 1. DALTON, GA., December 27, 1863. In obedience to the orders of His Excellency the President, the undersigned has the honor to assume command…