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25,000 BCE
Bering Land Bridge
The Bering Land Bridge was a "bridge" from east Asia to the Americas. It was possible to travel on land between the two continents because of something known as "Pangaea". Before the conjoined continents broke apart, many people traveled many miles to North America. The first wave of people came to NA about 27,000 years ago. The next wave came 19,000 years after the first, and the last wave of travelers came 3,000 years later. These were the first people to discover North America. -
Period: 25,000 BCE to
Age of Exploration
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1900 BCE
Olmecs' Chocolate
The Olmecs were the grand creators of today's desired sweet treat, chocolate. Chocolate was made from cacao pods from Theobroma cacao trees (native to South America). This deliciously tasteful treat was mostly desired by Mesoamerica and consumed my Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs. However, instead of eating it, they would enjoy it as a drink. -
825
Pueblo/Anasazi Adobe Houses
The Anasazi civilization had houses different from today's modern houses. They built rows of rooms called "roomblocks". Roomblocks were made of jacal. To make a jacal wall, a set of wooden posts are put into the ground and then are tied with small branches in between the posts. The branches are used as support for small twigs placed in a bunch to cover the surface of the wall. Furthermore, the jacal wall is sealed with adobe. Adobe is a mud mix that consists of mud and small plant materials. -
1350
The Black Death
The Black Death was one of the worst pandemics in history that caused the death of an estimated 75 to 200 million people. The affected areas were Eurasia and Europe. This plague terminated over half of the European population. During this time, the Europeans were in dark times. -
1450
The Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural bridge between the Middle Ages and modern history. The word Renaissance meant "Rebirth" in french terms meaning the rebirth of many cultural ideas and traditions. From a small movement to a popular trend, the Renaissance has made many advances in technology, science, and most importantly art. Historical figures like Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo made a great difference to modern history from their art. -
1492
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was born before October 31, 1451 in the Republic of Genoa. He was a sailor, navigator, and colonizer. Cristoforo set out a voyage to find a direct route to Asia. Land was found but Christopher didn't know it was an entirely new mass of land instead of Asia. Before Cristforo made it to now called "North America", Native Americans lived there before him, he thought they were asians. Christopher died on May 20, 1506 thinking that he landed on Asia. -
1500
The Columbian Exchange Animals
Animals, during the Columbian Exchange, made a big impact transitioning from the Old World to the New World. A variety of animals were traded across the Atlantic, such as dogs, horses, chicken, goats, and etc. New ways of transportation, labor form, and food source were introduced when the new animals were brought over. Meanwhile the humans were dying off from diseases, animals didn't catch any disease from the humans so they could thrive and reproduce. -
Period: to
Early Colonial Era
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Chesapeake Tobacco
Tobacco was rare to find until the founding of Jamestown made it popular. Tobacco on the market started off slow in the colony, but the Europeans loved to smoke so selling tobacco to them made lots of profit to the colonies. Although growing tobacco was labor intensive, the outcome of it made some colonies wealthy, especially Jamestown. -
Plymouth Puritans
The Plymouth Colony, founded in 1620, settlers were a group of about 100 Puritans. Puritans were reformers looking to find a clean and non-corrupt place to settle in. They believed that England and Holland were too corrupt. Puritan children were becoming too "Dutch". Years later they were then called pilgrims, people to travel to places for religious reasons. They are mostly known for sailing on a ship called "Mayflower" and making their own document named after the ship, "Mayflower Compact". -
Caribbean Sugar
Sugar was the most important and profitable crop in the Caribbean Colonies, Although other crops such as, rice, coffee, and indigo were grown, sugar was sold nonstop to the British. Before sugar was brought to the Caribbeans, the Dutch came from Brazil bringing their sugar cane with them and told the farmers to replace their cotton and tobacco with sugar. Almost instantaneously, sugar was being bought from the British to use in their cakes and teas. The Caribbean Colonies were becoming wealthy. -
Quakers
Quakers are members of a Christian religious movement in the 17th century. Before they moved to North America, the movement started in England. Some moved to North America either to share their beliefs to the colonists or to avoid persecution they faced in England. The first known Quakers arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1656 via Barbados. As the Quakers grew, they settled in Rhode Island because of the religious policy and the British Colony of Pennsylvania for persecuted Quakers. -
Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts were a series of laws passed by parliament in 1651, 1660, and 1663. They were designated to regulate trade in the colonies and let England collect taxes from the goods. These laws benefited British merchants by encouraging British shipping and by allowing Great Britain to maintain control over the colonial trading industry. Imports and exports were restricted to only be shipped by the British. -
Carolinas
In 1663, Charles II, the king of England, gave land south of Virginia to eight proprietors. The men founded the Carolina colony, named after the king's father, Charles I. Carolina was founded as a buffer colony between Spanish Florida. It was also used as a storage colony and making money. Labor in the colony was less difficult for the slaves. Although there were many settlers, most of the population came from the West Indies in the Caribbean. In 1712, the Carolina colony was divided into two. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights ,an act of Parliament, guaranteed certain rights of England citizens from the power of the crowned. This document is similar to the modern Bill of Rights, but instead of amendments they are provisions. Provisions such as right to bear arms, freedom of speech, no excessive bail, and etc., are used in the current Bill of Rights. The Bill creates a separation of powers, limits the crowned's power, benefits the democratic election and freedom of speech. -
Period: to
Colonial America
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Triangular Trade
The Triangular Trade is a trade route involving 3 different regions of trade. The most popular triangular trade was the Atlantic Triangular Slave Trade lasting for a few centuries before coming to a halt. Involving West Africa, Caribbean/American colonies, and European colonial powers, these 3 regions traded slaves, cash crops, and manufactured goods. Slaves were traded to Europe for growing cash crops. European goods were traded for slaves to the Americas, called the "Middle Passage". -
The Enlightenment: Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was a man of many talents and the symbol of the American Enlightenment. He and other thinkers invented and adopted revolutionary ideas about scientific rationality, religious toleration and experimental political organization-ideas that would have many effects on the development of the immature nation. Many ideas were shared with European Enlightenment thinking, but took an American form. -
The Enlightenment: Deism
Deism is a philosophical position that posits that a god does not interfere directly with the world. Deists appreciated God as a reasonable deity. Deists were not friendly with what the Catholics exemplified. Though they did not solve it with violence, Deists used humor and mockery as tamer weapons. American Enlightenment thinkers, such as James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and George Washington were deists. Despite God not interfering with the world, deists did not deny His existence. -
The Great Awakening: Natives
The Great Awakening, or First Great Awakening, was a protestant religious revival in the 1730's to 1740's. During the Great Awakening, the Native Americans took action. They used Jesus as a symbol for their revival. Natives pre-contacted ways of life by not trading with white people and getting rid of alcohol. -
Lower South Slavery
Slavery in the lower south was the most difficult and heavy labor intensive than the upper south. The lower south heavily relied on slave labor because it didn't have any sort of industrialization, unlike the upper south. It was also the most harsh because slaves would get beaten more if they didn't do what they were supposed to. -
Northern Slavery
Northern slavery life wasn't too bad, as the north had many industrialization factors rather than the south. Factories, mills, crop growing don't require much work to get the result. Slaves would work with less pressure and a sense of ease on their mind. The north were also against slavery, so they had less slaves than the south. The environment also didn't affect slave labor because it was warm or slightly cold. The south however, was very hot and humid. -
Seven-Years War: Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris of 1763 ended the Seven-Years War, also know as the French and Indian War. The war was between Great Britain and France, as well as their allies-Spain and Portugal. France respectively gave up all their land in North America in terms of the treaty, ending military threat to the British colonies already there. The British then gained access to the Mississippi. The Treaty also ultimately set the seeking of independence for the colonists. -
Period: to
Revolutionary War
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Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed by British Parliament on March 22, 1765. The tax was imposed on the American colonists which required them to pay a fee for printing any paper. Documents, licenses, paper, newspapers, and also playing cards were taxed. Not only did this make the colonists upset, but the fact that the act was used to raise money for England instead of regulating trade commerce made the Americans angry and frustrated. -
Townshend Act
Another act called the Townshend Act, imposed taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper and tea imported to the colonies. Charles Townshend, the person who passed the act, hoped it would defray imperial expenses in the colonies, but the Americans viewed it as an abuse of power, resulting in an agreement to limit imports from Britain. 3 years later, Parliament repealed all of the Townshend taxes except for tea. Doing this made the Americans come to an agreement with the British. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was what ignited the American Revolution. A squad of British soldiers came to support one of their members from being snowballed by a crowd, until shots were fired. 5 men were hit, 3 died on hit and the others died later from wound injuries. The officer in charge, Capt. Thomas Preston, was arrested for manslaughter, along with his eight men, all were later free. The Boston Massacre is remembered as a key event in helping to galvanize the colonial public to the Patriot cause. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was an act of protest against taxation. Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty boarded 3 ships on the night of December 16, 1773, and threw 342 chests of tea overboard. The British reacted by passing the Coercive Acts in the following year. The two sides were brought closer to starting a war after the Coercive Act was announced. The cause of this event to happen was when the Tea Act was passed in May of 1773. -
Coercive Acts
The Intolerable Acts, also known as the Coercive Acts, were laws passed by the British to punish the American colonists for the Boston Tea Party and other protests. The Act closed the port of Boston, restricted meeting in Massachusetts, made British officials immune to criminal prosecution, and The Quartering Act. This drew the Americans closer to war with the British. After hearing the announcement of the Coercive Acts, the First Continental Congress meeting was held to talk about the British. -
Common Sense
Common Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine, written in 1775 and published in 1776. It was written to advocate independence from Great Britain to the population of the thirteen colonies. Sold everywhere and distributed widely, it was read pretty much everywhere. Very persuasive and clear, Paine marshaled moral and political arguments to encourage common people in the colonies to fight for an equal government. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is an important document stating that the thirteen colonies were free from the ruling of the British. The thirteen colonies stated themselves as thirteen independent sovereign states. It later would be called, the United States of America. Even if the Americans declared themselves as independent, they were still in war with Great Britain. Every year on July 4, people would celebrate the day we, the United States of America, achieved independence from Britain. -
Massachusetts Constitution
The Constitution of Massachusetts is the governing document of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Written by John Adams, it is still the oldest functioning constitution in effect in the world. This constitution served as a model for the, soon to come, Constitution of the United States of America. The four parts of this constitution are: a preamble, a declaration of rights, a description of the framework of government, and articles of amendment. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was an agreement among the newly United States of America, serving as a constitution. The Articles didn't do much for the United States, but two ordinances did impact the States. The Land Ordinance of 1785 and Northwest Ordinance created territorial governments, made protocols for the admission of states and land division, and set aside land in towns for public use. Although the Articles set the United States under peace, they also had an unsettle government. -
Period: to
The Constitution
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Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was an act passed by the Congregation of the Confederation of the United States on July 13, 1787. The act created the Northwest Territory, the first organized territory of the U.S. The Ordinance relied on a strong central government, which was given 2 years later in the new Constitution, but after the the new Constitution, it was replaced by the Northwest Ordinance of 1789. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion, led by Daniel Shay, was a series of protests
of American farmers against state and local enforcement of tax collections and debt. Although the rebellion was throughout many states, the most shocking was in Massachusetts. Bad harvests, economic depression, and high taxes threatened the farmers of losing their farms. Alarming politicians throughout the nation, the rebellion didn't affect the stability of the United States during the time, but it did change the nation's future. -
Constitutional Convention: Two Plans
The Constitutional Convention was a convention intended to revise the Articles of Confederation, but it didn't result as intended. The convention created "The Two Plans", the Virginia and New Jersey Plan. The Virginia Plan proposed a powerful bicameral legislature, create a judiciary, and give the executive and judiciary the power to veto. The New Jersey Plan was a rebuttal to the Virginia Plan as it granted the Continental Congress new powers, create an executive branch, and judiciary for life. -
Executive Branch
The Executive Branch was created to enforce the laws. These powers are given to whom ever is elected as President of the United States. He/she is responsible for enforcing and implementing laws passed by Congress, the legislative branch. The executive branch consists of the President, Vice President, and fifteen members of the Cabinet. -
Legislative Branch
The Legislative Branch consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, forming the United States Congress. Congress has the authority to enact legislation, declare war, the right to accept or decline many Presidential appointments, and substantial investigative powers. The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected members, divided from all 50 states. The Senate is made up of 100 Senators, 2 for each of the 50 states. The Vice President also serves as President of the Senate. -
Judicial Branch
The Judicial Branch is the Supreme Court of the United States. Instead of being elected just as the Executive and Legislative branches, members of the Judicial Branch are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The Judicial Branch has the power of jurisdiction, a power that cannot be taken away by Congress. The Supreme Court is the highest court in all of the U.S. Only the most serious cases are transferred to the Supreme Court, if needed. -
Period: to
New Republic
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Bill of Rights
Written by James Madison, in response to states wanting better individual protection, the Bill of Rights is a document that lists the first 10 amendments. Each amendment gives individuals a right that cannot be taken away by law or by judgement. The First Amendment being the freedom of speech, press. and assembly. The Fifth Amendment states that no person shall self-incriminate themselves. Furthermore, the Tenth Amendment gives powers to the states as it is not delegated to the Constitution. -
Bank of the United States
The Bank of the United States was the first national bank of the U.S. It's purpose was to balance and improve the nation's credit, and improve better handling of financial business of the government. The bank also was created to raise money for the government, pay off war debts, and create a common currency. The BOTUS only lasted for twenty years and was succeeded by the Second Bank of the United States. -
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion was a tax protest when George Washington was in office. Whiskey was the country's most popular alcoholic beverage at the time, so importing taxes on it made the nation angry. Protesters used violence to prevent federal officials from collecting tax, but soon failed when Washington sent armies and militias to stop the protests. -
Washington's Farewell Address
Washington's Farewell Address is a letter written by Washington himself. In his Address, Washington wanted the nation and its future to be peaceful and not have wars with other countries, especially Great Britain. He retired soon after writing his Farewell Address. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts were four bills passed by the United States Congress. The Acts made it difficult for immigrants to become citizens, allowed the president to remove or jail dangerous non-citizens or from a hostile nation, and jailed people who criticized the federal government. Three of the bills were repealed except for the Alien Enemy Act of 1798. At the Election of 1800, the Act was denounced. -
Marbury v. Madison
Marbury v. Madison was an important Supreme Court case exercising judicial review. Marbury lost when he should've won, but this resulted in the Supreme Court establishing the principle of judicial review, power to decide if a law is unconstitutional. -
12th Amendment
The 12th Amendment gives a procedure to elect a President and Vice President of the United States. It replaced the procedure the Electoral College originally provided. The 12th Amendment now lets a President and Vice President to be elected by the Electoral College. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803. Thomas Jefferson, the President at the time, purchased the territory for sixty-eight million francs or fifteen million USD. The Federalist Party argued that acquiring land is unconstitutional. Although Jefferson agreed that it is not stated in the Constitution, he thought his constitutional powers to make treaties was good enough. -
Period: to
The Age of Jefferson
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Embargo Act of 1807
The Embargo Act of 1807 was a law passed by the United States Congress. It prohibited American ships from trading with other countries. In the year before the Act was passed, France announced a law prohibiting trade between neutral parties, such as the U.S. and Great Britain. -
Cotton Gin
The Cotton Gin was a revolutionary tool greatly helping slaves with cotton labor. Cotton was being separated from their seeds much faster than picking it out by hand. Slaves could make more cotton per pound and this resulted into making more money for the South. -
Waltham System
The Waltham-Lowell system was a labor and production model in the United States, mostly in New England. This system was used during the early years of the American textile industry in the 19th century. -
Star Spangled Banner
The Star Spangled Banner is the national anthem of the United States, originally created by Francis Scott Key before it had many revisions to the song. Francis wrote the song during the Defence of Fort McHenry. -
Panic of 1819
The Panic of 1819 was the first major financial crisis in the U.S. A general collapse of the American economy following the Panic persisted through 1821. -
Missouri Compromise: 36' 30'
In the Missouri Compromise of 1820, it created a horizontal line separating the U.S. into two. States above the line were admitted as a free state. and states below the line were admitted as slave states. This made an even balance between free and slave states, but it caused sectionalism. -
Iron Plow
Jethro Wood was the inventor of the cast-iron moldboard plow with replaceable parts. The invention vastly accelerated the development of American agriculture. -
Period: to
The American Industrial Revolution
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Steamboats
The invention of steamboats made travel and trade much faster and easier than wood ships. -
Lowell Mills
Lowell Mills were mills operated in Lowell, Massachusetts during the 19th and early 20th century. Francis Cabot Lowell created the first factory system "where people and machines were all under one roof". -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was a U.S. policy about opposing European settlers in the colonies. It states that European nations taking over any state would be perceived as manifestation of an unfriendly disposition towards the United States. -
Yeoman Farmers
Yeoman people are farmers who owned land for agricultural reasons. A yeoman farmer who owned his own farm and worked it primarily with family labor remained the embodiment of an ideal American: honest, virtuous, hardworking, and independent. Most of the yeoman farmers did not own slaves for labor. -
Tenant Farmers
Tenant farmers are people who settle on land owned by someone else-rent land for farming. Tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which tenant farmers rent land to farm and pay by either cash or a portion of their farmed goods. -
Election of 1824
The Election of 1824 was the 10th presidential election. John Quincy Adams was elected President against Andrew Jackson. This election was the most contested and important in American history. -
Period: to
Age of Jackson
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Temperance Movement
The Temperance Movement was a social movement against the consumption of alcoholic beverages. The Temperance movement began in the 19th century around the 1820s. States and places in England wanted to ban the use of alcoholic beverages. -
Period: to
Cultural Changes
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Death of Jackson's Wife
Rachel Jackson married Andrew Jackson at age 26 in March 1767 and passed away at 41 on December 22, 1828. She passed away a few days after Andrew's election and before his inauguration in 1829. Andrew blamed his political enemies for his wife's death. -
Election of 1828
Andrew Jackson's new strategy was to humble origins and better the military. People attack Jackson's wife Rachel Jackson of bigamy. Jackson beat John Q. Adams for presidency by a landslide. Jackson's inauguration was very rowdy and drunk. -
Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was a protestant religious revival during the 19th century in the United States. The movement began around 1790, gained momentum by 1800 and, after 1820, membership rose rapidly among Baptists and Methodist congregations whose preachers led the movement. Many converts believed that the Awakening heralded a new millennial age. -
Trail the Tears
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 gave power to the president to gain access to Indian territory. Cherokees were forced to leave and traveled to Tennessee, Ohio, Mississippi, and Arkansas rivers. This event was tragic as many people died to starvation or major diseases. -
Mormons
Mormons were people who followed the Church of Jesus of Latter Day Saints. This was one of the first religions that emerged the religious scene out of many others, and by the end of the 1840's Mormonism had been spread all over America. There were about 40,000 Mormons by the end of 1845. -
Telegraph
The invention of the Telegraph was another revolutionary invention, providing long-distance communication via morse code. This invention made it easier to get information out in a quicker time rather than writing newspapers. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner's Rebellion was a slave rebellion that took place in Virginia. This was the largest and deadliest slave uprising in U.S. history. -
Nullification Crisis
Congress passed the Tariff Act of 1832 which imposed taxes on textiles in the U.S. South Carolina was affected and resulted into the decline in southern agriculture. Vice President, John C. Calhoun, advocated the nullifying law and took Kentucky Resolutions further. Calhoun resigned after his actions. In the Webster-Haynes Debate, Webster debated over state's rights. Denied states could then judge the Constitution. -
Election of 1832
The Election of 1832 was the 12th presidential election in the U.S. Andrew Jackson easily won against Henry Clay. Jackson and Nicholas Biddle argued over the re-authorization of the Second Bank of the United States. This was known as "The Bank War". -
Thomas Dew
Thomas Roderick Dew believed in pro-slavery and always argued why he believed so. He supported his beliefs with anti-slavery arguments and believed that slavery was not a sin. He believed that owners of slaves didn't mistreat their slaves and treated them with kindness. -
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism was a philosophical movement that developed in the late 1820s and 1830s in the eastern United States. It arose as a reaction to or protest against the general state of intellectualism and spirituality at the time. -
Battle of Gonzales
The Battle of Gonzales was the first military engagement of the Texas Revolution. It was fought between Texas settlers and Mexican army soldiers. This was known as the flash point of the Texas Revolution. It was often referred to as the "Lexington of Texas". After the battle, it may have been buried and rediscovered in 1936, or it may have been seized by Mexican troops after the Battle of the Alamo. -
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was one of many financial crisis' that happened in the United States and lasted until the 1840's. Unemployment, profits, and wages increased during the crisis. Banks collapsed and closed, businesses failed, prices declined and many people were left unemployed. -
Parks
The creation of parks affected the lives of many people in a good way. People went to the parks as a getaway from the fact-paced life they live in. Cemeteries followed the idea of parks soon after. -
William Miller
William Miller was a farmer and served as a captain in the War of 1812. William was also a baptist preacher who was credited the beginning of the Adventist movement, which was a religion part of the Second Great Awakening. Miller wanted to combine both of his baptist and deism faiths together. -
Period: to
Westward Expansion
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Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was the name of an era during the 19th century. During this era, America traveled and claimed land westward after Thomas Jefferson, 3rd president of the U.S., purchased the Louisiana Purchase. The themes were special virtues, remake the image of Americans and the passion to complete essential duties. -
Annexation of Texas
The Republic of Texas accepted the annexation of Texas and 6 months later, Texas was annexed into the United States as the 28th state. Texas first entered as a slave trade soon after the annexation and caused many conflicts around United States because of the differences. This started the Mexican-American War. -
Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American War took place from 1846 to 1848. Causes of the war were because of Manifest Destiny, westward expansion, economics, and slavery. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war when both the U.S. and Mexico signed the treaty. -
Battle of Palo Alto
On May 8, 1846, the first engagement of the Mexican-American War occurred. General Mariano Arista brought a 4,000 man force to fight in the war and traveled north to Mantamoros, crossed the Rio Grande to the west and headed east to place his army. Zachary Taylor, who led the war, was seen as a hero and was elected as the next president. -
Wilmot Proviso
Wilmot Proviso proposed an American law to ban slavery in the territory recently acquired from Mexico after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. It was announced and brought up here and there, but it was never passed by the Senate. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidlago ended the Mexican-American War on February 2, 1848. The war was over territorial dispute over Texas. The treaty added over 500,000 square miles to the United States territory. -
Election of 1848
The Election of 1848 was the 16th presidential election of the U.S. Zachary Taylor won election for president against Lewis Cass and Martin Van Buren. One reason why Taylor won was because he led the Mexican-American War and was seen as a hero after succeeding. -
California Gold Rush
The discovery of gold nuggets was made in Sacramento in 1848. The California Gold Rush soon started after the discovery was made. News about the discovery spread throughout America and even made it to Europe. California was rapidly gaining population with people searching for gold. $2 billion of gold was found through the years until 1852. -
Period: to
Sectionalism
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Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 included five laws passed by Congress. California requested to enter the Union as a free state, doing this unbalanced the number of free and slave states. In attempt to fix the conflict, the Fugitive Slave Act was later passed giving the South some relief. -
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of people, many African American, offering shelter and aid to slaves wanting to escape. Slaves from the south used this railroad system to escape to the north. Harriet Tubman was the most famous conductor for the Underground Railroad. She guided many slaves to escape from the south. -
Election of 1852
The Election of 1852 was between Franklin Pierce, Winfield Scott, and John P. Hale. Franklin Pierce won the election easily. The Whig Party ended later in the year because of issues with slavery. The new Republican Party replaced the Whig Party, this party dominated most of the future presidential elections until 1932. -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was the term used to describe the violence in Kansas. This was one of the bloodiest wars between 1854 and 1864, involving anti-slavery and pro-slavery people. The conflict of the war was whether Kansas would become a free or slave state. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed by Congress on May 30, 1854. The purpose of the act gave people the power to decide if a state would be free of slaves or have slaves. The anti-slavery settlers held another election and pro-slavery settlers did not vote for anyone. This caused for the establishment of two opposing legislatures within the Kansas territory. -
Harper's Ferry
Harper's Ferry was the main source of an assault by the armed band of a group of abolitionists led by John Brown. Brown was the main lead and his life changed when he went to an abolition meeting and publicly announced that he wanted to destroy the institution of slavery. Brown and his group raided Harper's Ferry on October 16, but he and his men got surrounded when word got out. He killed two of his sons and ten of his men. John Brown was found guilty and charged with treason. -
North
Before the Civil War started, the North had better advantages to withstand the South. Since the North was heavily industrialized, they had a lot more population than the South. The North also had a mass production of weapons and ammunition for the war. Although they had a bad leader, the North defeated the South. -
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was an American Confederate soldier, best known as a commander of the Confederate States Army. He commanded the Army of North Virginia in the American Civil War from 1862 until his surrender in 1865. -
South
The South had many disadvantages to fight against the North starting with supplies. The South had very minimal supplies, such as weapons, ammunition, food, water, clothing, and etc. They had to gather supplies from the battlefield from time to time. Slaves weren't allowed to fight during the war, so less troops were on the battlefield. -
George McClellan
George McClellan was an army officer and railroad president. McClellan organized the army in 1861 for Potomac. McClellan failed to defeat Robert E. Lee in the Battle of Antietam. Because McClellan failed, Lincoln decided to remove him from commander of army. He also failed to be part of the presidential campaign against Lincoln. -
Neutral States
Neutral states such as Missouri, Kentucky, Delaware, and Maryland, did not fight in the Civil War. These states just sat around to hear about the war going on between the Union and Confederacy. Although they were slave states, they didn't leave the Union. Keeping control of the border states played an important role in the victory of the Union as they gave the Union troops, factories, and money. -
Period: to
The Civil War
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Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was passed by President Lincoln and stated that all slaves were to be free. He issued the proclamation after the Union victory in the Battle of Antietam. While the Emancipation Proclamation didn't actually free any slaves, it gave hope to the Union to keep fighting and preserve the nation. -
Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg is considered the most important engagement of the American Civil War. This battle was the turning point of the American Civil War. The Union was being surrounded and flanked from different sides, but managed to hold on. Robert E. Lee was forced to withdraw because of his army being in terrible shape. -
Period: to
Reconstruction
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Lincoln's 10% Plan
Abraham Lincoln's plan for reconstruction was the Ten Percent Plan. Its purpose was to reunite the North and South after the end of the Civil War. The plan gave the southern states a chance to be readmitted into the Union if 10 percent of the voters agreed and swore to an oath. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment is an important amendment to the North because it freed all slaves from slavery forever. Since the Emancipation Proclamation didn't free any slaves, it was succeeded by the 13th Amendment three years later. The slaves didn't know what to do after being free. Some would go North, whilst others would wander around looking for lost family members. -
KKK
The KKK, also known as the Ku Klux Klan, was founded in 1866. The KKK was dedicated as an underground campaign of violence against republican leaders and votes. The spread of the KKK occurred rapidly, branching into almost every southern state. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment stated that "all persons born in the United States are citizens". This amendment basically gave citizenship to slaves or other people born in the U.S. Women used this amendment to try and proclaim their right to vote. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment was the last of the "Reconstruction Amendments". This amendment gave all citizens, no matter what color or race, the right to vote. -
Grandfather Clause
The Grandfather Clause was a policy that if an individual's grandfather was able to vote before 1867 then he or she could vote. This enabled poor whites to vote as well. Blacks were only subjected to literacy tests if they couldn't pass the Grandfather Clause. -
Election of 1868
The Election of 1868 was the 21st presidential election in the U.S. This was the first election after the American Civil War and the mid-presidency of Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. Ulysses S. Grant won the election against Horatio Seymour. The election showed the whites in the North and South were racist. Black vote became very popular, but they were intimidated by violence to stop voting.
