People, Locations, Episodes

Ernest A. Lyon, Minister, and Diplomat born

*Ernest Lyon was born on this date in 1860. He was a Black minister, educator, and diplomat. Ernest A. Lyon was born on the coast of Belize, British Honduras, to Emmanuel Lyon and Ann F. Bending. As a child, Lyon attended an English school in Belize. His father died when he was young; Lyon “became a Christian […]

The Confederate States of America is Formed

*On this date in 1861, The Confederate States of America was formed.  Commonly referred to as the Confederacy, they were an unrecognized republic in North America that existed from 1861 to 1865.  The Confederacy was originally formed by seven secessionist slave-holding states: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas in the Lower Antebellum South region.   Their economy depended heavily on agriculture, particularly cotton, and a plantation system that relied upon the labor of Black slaves. Convinced that white […]

The American Civil War Begins

On this date in 1861, the Civil War began. This war is also referred to as “The War Between the States”, “The War of Rebellion”, or “The War for Southern Independence.”

The American Civil War, a Summary

The American Civil War, waged from 1861 to 1865, is remembered on this date.

Before and during the Civil War, the North and South differed greatly on economic issues. The war was about slavery, but primarily about its economic consequences. The northern elite wanted economic expansion that would change the southern (slave-holding) way of life.

The southern states saw Abraham Lincoln and the Republicans making enormous changes to their way of life using free slave labor. Southerners believed that Abraham Lincoln, if elected, would restrict their rights to own slaves.

Butler R. Wilson, Lawyer and Activist born

*Butler Wilson was born on this date in 1861. He was a Black attorney, activist, and humanitarian. Butler Roland Wilson was born in Greensboro, Georgia, to Dr. John R. and Mary Jackson Wilson, free people of color. His father was a physician and civic leader in the Atlanta area. Wilson attended Clark/Atlanta University, where he was […]

The Confiscation Acts are Introduced

*The Confiscation Acts were introduced on this date in 1861.   In U.S. history, this series of laws passed by the federal government during the American Civil War were designed to liberate Black slaves in the seceded confederate states. The first Confiscation Act passed on Aug. 6, 1861, authorized the Union seizure of rebel property, and […]

Fredrick McGhee, Minnesota Lawyer born

On this date in 1861, we mark the birth of Fredrick L. McGhee. He was an African American lawyer and civil rights activist.

From Mississippi, his father could read and write, and passed down to him the benefits of education. As a youngster, the family moved to Knoxville, TN, where he attended school with help from the Freedmen’s Bureau and the Presbyterian Church. Later he went to Chicago and worked as a waiter to pay for law school, graduating in 1885.

The Homestead Act Is Passed by Congress

On this date in 1862, Congress passed the Homestead Act.

This legislation gave authorized unrestricted settlement on public lands to settlers, requiring only residence, cultivation, and some improvement to a tract of 160 acres. Any person who was head of a family or was age 21, a United States citizen, and owned less than 160 acres, was eligible.

The Confiscation Act becomes Law

*On this date in 1862., the Confiscation Act was passed by the United States Congress.   Sometimes called the Second Confiscation Act, it was a law passed during the American Civil War. Section 13 of the act formed the legal basis for President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.  The defining characteristic of the Confiscation Act was that it called for court proceedings for […]

The United States Colored Troops (USCT) Begin Formation

*The United States Colored Troops (USCT) began formation on this date in 1862. These were regiments in the United States Army composed primarily of Black (colored) soldiers, although members of other minority groups also served within the units. They were first recruited during the American Civil War. Many USCT soldiers fought with distinction, with 16 receiving […]

The 79th Colored Infantry is Formed in Kansas

*On this date in 1862, the 1st Kansas Volunteer Colored Infantry was formed. This was the first official regiment of Blacks serving in the American Army.

Captain James M. Williams, Co. F, 5th Kansas Cavalry, was appointed for that portion of the state of Kansas. The area where Kansas Volunteer Colored Infantry was organized was north of the Kansas River. Captain Williams enlisted Captain H.C. Seaman, other 2nd Lieutenant recruiting officers and obtained supplies from departments near Leavenworth.

The First Louisiana Native Guard is Formed

*On this date, in 1862, the 1st Louisiana Native Guard was formed. They were later the 73rd Regiment Infantry U.S. Colored Troops and were among the first all-black regiments to fight in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was based in New Orleans, Louisiana, and played a prominent role in the Siege of […]

The ‘Twenty Negro Law’ is Enacted

*The “Twenty Negro Law” was enacted on this date in 1862.  Also known as the “Twenty Slave Law” and the “Twenty Nigger Law,” it was legislation enacted by the Confederate Congress during the American Civil War. The law exempted explicitly from Confederate military service one white man for every twenty slaves owned on a Confederate […]

Ida Gibbs Hunt, Global Racial and Gender Activist born

*Ida Gibbs Hunt was born on this date in 1862.  She was a Black administrator and international racial and gender equality activist. Ida Alexander Gibbs was born in Victoria, British Columbia. Ida’s father, Judge Mifflin Wistar Gibbs, was one of the wealthiest African Americans in the United States in the late nineteenth century. Before he acquired […]

The 10th United States Colored Heavy Artillery Regiment is Formed.

*The 10th United States Colored Heavy Artillery Regiment is celebrated on this date in 1862. This artillery regiment in the Union Army served in the New Orleans defenses during the American Civil War. The unit was organized in New Orleans as the 1st Louisiana Heavy Artillery Regiment (African Descent) and redesignated as the 1st Corps […]