From the Compromise of 1850, Dred Scott, and Fort Sumter to the Emancipation Proclamation, Appomattox, and the Reconstruction Amendments.
Golden rules (General American pronunciation): vowels and silent or glide letters (w, h, y) carry no digit · silent letters are ignored (knife /naɪf/ → 28) · doubled letters count once (bell → 95, hammer → 34) · sound, never spelling, decides.
| Date | Event | Peg word | IPA | Digits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | Compromise of 1850 admits California as a free state and enacts a strict Fugitive Slave Act | lasso /ˈlæs.oʊ/ | /ˈlæs.oʊ/ | 50 |
| 1854 | Kansas-Nebraska Act repeals the Missouri Compromise line via "popular sovereignty" | wheel +oar /ˈwiːl/ + /oɹ/ | /ˈwiːl/ + /oɹ/ | 54 |
| 1857 | Dred Scott v. Sandford rules African Americans are not U.S. citizens and strikes down federal limits on slavery's spread | lock /lɑk/ | /lɑk/ | 57 |
| 1859 | John Brown's raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry deepens North-South divide | owl +pie /aʊl/ + /paɪ/ | /aʊl/ + /paɪ/ | 59 |
| 1860 | Abraham Lincoln elected 16th President; South Carolina becomes the first state to secede | cheese /tʃiz/ | /tʃiz/ | 60 |
| 1861 | Confederate batteries fire on Fort Sumter, opening the American Civil War | shoe +hat /ʃu/ + /hæt/ | /ʃu/ + /hæt/ | 61 |
| 1863 | Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation; pivotal Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg | shoe +ham /ʃu/ + /ˈhæm/ | /ʃu/ + /ˈhæm/ | 63 |
| 1865 | Lee surrenders at Appomattox; Lincoln assassinated; 13th Amendment abolishes slavery nationwide | shell /ʃɛl/ | /ʃɛl/ | 65 |
| 1868 | 14th Amendment guarantees birthright citizenship and equal protection; impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson | shoe +wave /ʃu/ + /weɪv/ | /ʃu/ + /weɪv/ | 68 |
| 1870 | 15th Amendment prohibits denying voting rights based on race or previous servitude | goose /ɡus/ | /ɡus/ | 70 |
| 1877 | Compromise of 1877 withdraws federal troops from the South, ending Reconstruction | cake /keɪk/ | /keɪk/ | 77 |
1850 — Across the western trail in 1850, a coiled hemp lasso opens a wide loop as the Compromise of 1850 admits California as a free state while tightening the Fugitive Slave Act. (l·s → 50)
1854 — Across the tall grass of Kansas in 1854, a wooden wagon wheel stands on the left while a single wooden oar rests on the right as the Kansas-Nebraska Act introduces popular sovereignty. (l → 5 · ɹ → 4)
1857 — On the granite courthouse steps in 1857, a heavy iron-and-brass lock snaps tightly shut as Dred Scott v. Sandford denies African American citizenship and strikes down federal limits on slavery. (l·k → 57)
1859 — At twilight above Harpers Ferry in 1859, a wide-eyed owl perches on the left while a warm lattice-crust pie rests on the right as John Brown's arsenal raid deepens the North-South divide. (l → 5 · p → 9)
1860 — In the tense autumn of 1860, a giant hole-dotted wedge of yellow cheese sits center stage as Abraham Lincoln wins the presidency and South Carolina becomes the first state to secede. (tʃ·z → 60)
1861 — On the Charleston harbor stones in 1861, a low leather Oxford shoe stands on the left and a black felt hat sits on the right as batteries open fire on Fort Sumter to begin the Civil War. (ʃ → 6 · t → 1)
1863 — Across sunlit fields in 1863, a low leather Oxford shoe steps forward on the left beside a glazed bone-in ham on the right, marking the Emancipation Proclamation and pivotal Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg. (ʃ → 6 · m → 3)
1865 — In the quiet spring light of 1865, a pearl-white scalloped shell rests on the Appomattox porch floor as Lee surrenders, the nation mourns Lincoln, and the 13th Amendment abolishes slavery nationwide. (ʃ·l → 65)
1868 — Before the Capitol terrace in 1868, a low leather Oxford shoe stands on the left while a curling blue wave crests on the right, sweeping in birthright citizenship and equal protection under the 14th Amendment amid Johnson's impeachment trial. (ʃ → 6 · v → 8)
1870 — Across the civic square in 1870, a tall grey-and-white farm goose marches proudly up the steps as the 15th Amendment protects voting rights regardless of race or previous servitude. (ɡ·s → 70)
1877 — On the Southern depot terrace in 1877, a frosted two-layer cake sits cleanly sliced as the Compromise of 1877 withdraws federal troops from the South and ends Reconstruction. (k·k → 77)