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126,000 BCE
The Bering Land Bridge
People crossed from East Asia through the Bering Land Bridge into North America in order to survive. Animals migrated to Bering from Asia in search for food too. Furthermore, people followed and depended on animals for food and clothing. Over time, there was a shortage of animals as people greatly relied on them. In the end, the Bering Land Bridge eventually disappeared under the water as people still remained in North America. -
Period: 126,000 BCE to
The Beginnings to Exploration
The era known as the Age of Exploration, sometimes called the Age of Discovery, officially began in the early 15th century and lasted through the 17th century. The period is characterized as a time when Europeans began exploring the world by sea in search of new trading routes, wealth, and knowledge. The impact of the Age of Exploration would permanently alter the world and transform geography into the modern science it is today. But they learned the landscape of this New World. -
1800 BCE
Mayan Civilization
The Maya Indians settled in the rain forests of the Yucatan Peninsula, they are best known of their classical civilizations of Mesoamerica. They are also mostly known for their skilled workers since they built palaces, temples, and pyramids, Therefore, the cities were connected with roads that ran through the rain forests of the Yucatan Peninsula. The Maya Indians especially invented the writing system. -
1200 BCE
The Aztecs
The Aztecs settled down in the Valley of Mexico. They adapted to their environment quickly by building canoes to fish and hunt, After awhile of living in this region, they soon began conquering other tribes and forcing them to pay. Therefore, it is important to know that main reason they received so much hate due to their human sacrifices. Eventually, the Spanish took over region by conquering the Aztec by bringing guns, horses, and diseases. -
400 BCE
The Olmecs
The Olmecs are located in a civilization living in the tropical lowlands of South-Central Mexico. This is important because they were the first civilization to evolve Mesoamerica. The Olmecs built large religious emblems for their gods and rulers. They grow foods such as squash, beans, sweet potatoes. Furthermore, they practiced religion by sacrifice, cave rituals, and pilgrimages. -
Apr 10, 1350
The Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most threatening diseases of the 14th century but, originally was started in the 1200's in Central Asia. It was a plague that spread by the bite of rat fleas. People often died within 12 hours of being bitten. It killed up to half of the population in some countries. This event is important to know because we are able to prevent this forever. -
1480
Renaissance
It is associated with the pan-European Renaissance that is usually regarded as beginning in Italy in the late 14th century. Like most of northern Europe, England saw little of these developments until more than a century later. Technologies came about. The beginning of the English Renaissance is often taken, as a convenience, to be in 1485. Renaissance style and ideas were used in building in the western part of the United States and carried on in some place in America. -
Jan 22, 1492
The Colombian Exchange
The Colombian Exchange was an exchange of goods between the New and Old Worlds. It was a wide spread of food such as plants, animals, culture, and diseases. It transformed European and Native American ways of life. The Colombian Exchange also consists of the slave trade which is also known as the middle passage. -
Dec 11, 1500
The Triangular Trade
The Triangular Trade was a trading system of general goods during the 16th through the 18th century between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Slaves were traded too and resulted in many deaths since disease, starvation, and injuries were all factors. Diseases were caused from poor conditions during the Middle Passage. Not only were slaves shipped but the American traders filled the ship for England with raw materials such as cotton, tobacco, coffee, and sugar to complete the Triangular Trade. -
Period: to
Colonial America
European nations came to the Americas to increase their influence over world affairs. The Spanish were among the first to settle in what now is the United States of America, By 1650, England, however, had established a dominant presence on the Atlantic coast. The first expedition was in December of 1606, until 1607 was founded at Jamestown, Virginia. Pilgrims founders of Plymouth, Massachusetts, arrived in 1620. Early on 1770, enslaved African Americans in the South. Had a pop. of 2 billion. -
Period: to
English Colonial Society - The Colonial Era
The structure of Colonial Society was at first based on British society - the old ways were brought from the old European countries. But as the population in the colonies of North America grew so did the rules for inclusion into Colonial Society. The population changes in 18th Century Colonial America. -
The Chesapeake Colonies
The Chesapeake Colonies consist of Maryland and Virginia and located in British American and Chesapeake was wealthy from cultivation of tobacco. Virginia and Maryland consist of large plantations and little urban development. Their religion consisted of Puritans, Quakers, and Catholics which made up the majority of the population. Disease was common in the Chesapeake colonies, therefore, the death rates was higher. -
John Smith
John Smith was an English adventurer and explorer. He was born in 1579 or 1580 in Lincolnshire, England. He is well known for his role in the exploration of the New World. He led expeditions exploring Chesapeake Bay and the New England coast. Furthermore, he found Jamestown, Virginia which was England's first permanent colony in America. He also led expeditions to explore the New England coast. -
Headright System
The headright system was originally created in 1618 in Jamestown, Virginia. It was used as a way to attract new settlers to the region and address the labor shortage. With the emergence of tobacco farming, a large supply of workers was needed. New settlers who paid their way to Virginia received 50 acres of land. -
The Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was a set of rules for self-governance established by the English settlers who traveled to the New World on the Mayflower. When Pilgrims and other settlers set out on the ship for America in 1620, they intended to lay anchor in northern Virginia. But after treacherous shoals and storms drove their ship off course, the settlers landed in Massachusetts instead, near Cape Cod, outside of Virginia’s jurisdiction. -
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was born on July 1561 in Alford, Lincolnshire, England. She was known as one of the early colonists of the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Colonies. She joined the congregation of John Cotton but eventually came together due to her different ideas and wish to allow freedom of thought. She was arrested and placed into custody at the house of the marshal. She was also thought of violating the fifth commandment. The court found her guilty of heresy and she was condemned. -
John Winthrop
John Winthrop is best known for his leadership and the first to govern the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was born on January 12, 1587 in Edward-stone, Suffolk, England. He led a large group of Puritans from England and was one of the chief founders of New England. He was also an English lawyer from a rich landowning family. Furthermore, he was involved in developing the Cambridge Agreement allowing the immigration of Puritans. He also planned to develop a religion based government. -
Roger Williams
Roger Williams was born in 1603 in London, England. He became a minister after leaving Cambridge. Over time, his views on religion changed to separating the Church of England. He believed that individuals should have total religious freedom. He also believed that the government should be separate from religion. Massachusetts ordered that Williams be expelled from the colony for spreading "new and dangerous opinions." He and his followers also established the city of Providence. -
The Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts were acts of Parliament intended to promote the self-sufficiency of the British Empire by restricting colonial trade to England and decreasing dependence on foreign imported goods. The Navigation Act of 1651 required all trade between England and the colonies to be carried in English. The Navigation Act continued the policies set forth and enumerated certain sugar, tobacco, cotton, wool, indigo, and ginger-that were to be shipped only to England or an English province. -
Sir Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton was born on January 1, 1643 in Woolsthorpe, England. He is best known for his work on gravity and defining the three laws of motion and universal gravitation. In addition, he invented the reflecting telescope which the majority of people use. He studied many classic philosophers and astronomers such as Aristotle, Copernicus, Johannes Kepler, and Rene Descartes. It is said that he got his inspiration for gravity when he saw an apple fall from a tree on his farm. -
Quakers
The Quakers lived during the 1600's, in England. They believed that everyone could directly talk to God without needing a priest or minister. They were arrested or sent to jail for having a different belief than the rest of the people. People from all over Europe poured into this community since they had religious freedom. Quakers were peaceful people and both men and women had the right to speak up. They tried to help the poor and worked for women's and Native American rights. -
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution of 1688-1689 replaced the reigning king, James II, with the joint monarchy of his protestant daughter Mary and her Dutch husband, William of Orange. It was the keystone of the Whig (those opposed to a Catholic succession) history of Britain. These events of the revolution were bloodless and the revolution settlement established the supremacy of parliament over the crown, setting Britain on the path towards constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. -
Salem Witch Trails
The Salem witch trials occurred in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 were executed. A “witchcraft craze” rippled through Europe, tens of thousands of supposed witches were executed. . Eventually, the colony admitted the trials were a mistake and compensated the families of those convicted. Since then, the story of the trials has become synonymous with paranoia and injustice. -
Second Great Awakening
This fear had arisen during the Enlightenment which resulted in the First Great Awakening. The Second Great Awakening arose in 1800. The idea of social equality that came about with the advent of the new nation trickled down to religion. Specifically, Methodists and Baptists began an effort to democratize religion. Unlike the Episcopalian religion, ministers in these sects were typically uneducated. Unlike the Calvinists, they believed and preached in salvation for all. -
Roads
Before the Industrial Revolution there were very few roads and were even in bad conditions too. They were muddy, flooded easily, and were filled with boulders. As a result made traveling very difficult and dangerous. It all changed in 1817, when Congress authorized he construction of the National Road, also known as the Cumberland Road. This road extended from Maryland to the Ohio River at Wheeling, Virginia. This was the first road to cross the Application Mountains into the territory. -
Great Revival
In the beginning of the Second Great Awakening, preachers brought their message to the people with great fanfare and excitement in the form of a traveling revivals. In the beginning, these focused on the Appalachian frontier. However, they quickly moved into the area of the original colonies. These revivals were looked upon as a social event where faith was renewed. -
The French and Indian War
The Seven Years’ War was known as the French and Indian War. It was fought between Britain and France from 1754 to 1763 for colonial dominance in North America. Nevertheless, American colonists dutifully fought alongside British soldiers, while the French allied themselves with several Native American tribes. This war ended after the British captured most of France’s major cities and forts in Canada and the Ohio Valley. -
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The Constitution
The U.S. Constitution established America's national government and fundamental laws, and guaranteed certain basic rights for its citizens. It was signed on September 17, 1787, by delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, presided over by George Washington. -
Treaty of Paris - 1763
The Treaty of Paris of 1763 ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years’ War between Great Britain and France, as well as their respective allies. In the terms of the treaty, France gave up all its territories in mainland North America, effectively ending any foreign military threat to the British colonies there. The British Government was also interested in ending the war. The Seven Years’ War had been enormously expensive, and the Government had to finance the war with debt. -
Taxation Without Representation
The Sugar Act was the first fully enforced tax levied in America solely for the purpose of raising revenue. Americans throughout the thirteen colonies cried out against “taxation without representation” and made informal non-importation agreements of certain British goods in protest. Several leaders convened the Stamp Act Congress in NY to petition Parliament and King George III to repeal the tax. Lastly, Parliament repealed the Stamp Act. -
The Townshend Acts and Boston Massacre
In 1767, Parliament passed the Townshend Acts, which levied another series of taxes on lead, paints, and tea. To prevent violent protests, the Governor of Massachusetts requested assistance from the British, and in 1768, four thousand redcoats landed in the city to help maintain order. Nevertheless, on March 1770, an angry mob clashed with several British troops. Five colonists died, and news of the Boston Massacre quickly spread throughout the colonies. -
Adam Smith
Adam Smith was baptized on June 16, 1723 in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. He is best known for developing the theory of the free market system and writing The Wealth of Nations. He established a book that became the foundation of modern economics. He described many economic ideas in the Wealth of Nations such as division of labor, gross domestic product and invisible hand. In addition, he became the first Scotsman to appear on an English banknote in 2007. -
The Boston Tea Party
In 1773, Parliament passed the Tea Act, granting the financially troubled a trade monopoly on the tea exported to the American colonies. In many American cities, tea agents resigned or canceled orders, and merchants refused consignments in response to the unpopular act. On December 16, while the ships lingered in the harbor, sixty men boarded the ships, disguised as Native Americans, and dumped the tea into the harbor. That event is now famously known as the Boston Tea Party. -
The Intolerable Acts
In January 1774, Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts, which shut down Boston Harbor until the British East India Company had been fully reimbursed for the tea destroyed in the Boston Tea Party. Americans throughout the colonies sent food and supplies to Boston via land to prevent death from hunger and cold in the bitter New England winter. -
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Revolutionary War
Before and during the French and Indian War, from about 1650 to 1763, Britain essentially left its American colonies to run themselves in an age of salutary neglect. Later, The North American settlers turned to unique forms of government to match their developing new identity as Americans. Finally, the promise of an expansive, untamed continent gave all settlers a sense of freedom and the ability to start fresh in the New World. The American Revolution had many profound consequences though. -
The Declaration Of Independence
The Second Continental Congress chose George Washington, to command the militiamen besieging Boston in the north. Encouraged by a strong colonial campaign in which the British scored only narrow victories, many colonists began to advocate total independence as opposed to having full rights within the British Empire. The next year, the congressmen voted on July 2, 1776, to declare their independence. Thomas Jefferson, drafted the Declaration of Independence and The United States was born. -
The Articles of Confederation
In 1776, the thirteen colonies declared their independence from Great Britain and became a new country, the United States of America. This declaration of independence was a long road with too much taxation, too many internal conflicts and battles, being declared a state of rebellion, and the invasion of the British Army. However, the country was at war, and something had to be done to be sure that there were a set of rules that the country followed, especially with foreign relationships. -
Period: to
New Republic
In this age of the Constitution and its ratification, the setting up of the new government under the Constitution was in the middle of Washington's administration. Many of what happens in this era in American history was pretty ordained to possible outcomes. People may call this era "The Federalist Era". -
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was born on the island of Nevis on January 11, 1757. He started the Federalist Party and was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. George Washington even appointed Hamilton as the first United States Secretary of the Treasury on September 11,1789. Furthermore, he took the lead in the funding of the states' debts by the federal government as well as the establishment of the bank and his vision included a strong central government led by a executive branch. -
The Great Debate
The Federalists wanted to ratify the Constitution, the Anti-Federalists did not. One of the major issues these two parties debated concerned the inclusion of the Bill of Rights. The Federalists felt that this addition wasn't necessary, because they believed that the Constitution as it stood only limited the government not the people. The Anti- Federalists claimed the Constitution gave the central government too much power, and without a Bill of Rights the people would be at risk of oppression. -
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Sectionalism
In the early 1800's, slavery was becoming an increasingly sectional issue, meaning that it was increasingly dividing the nation along regional lines. Northerners were becoming more opposed to slavery, whether for moral or economic reasons, and Southerners were becoming more united in their defense of slavery as an institution.Slavery was particularly issue, dividing the country into North and South to the extent that it led to the Civil War; southerners supported slavery and northerners hated it -
Virginia Plan
The Virginia plan was written by James Madison. It represented the desires of the larger states and said that the number of representatives to Congress should be based on the state's population. It made a impact since it proposed a strong central government from three branches. These three branches are the legislative, executive, and judicial. It was also a proposal by Virginia delegates for a legislative branch. The document is essential because it created the idea of representation. -
The New Jersey Plan
The New Jersey plan was written by William Paterson from New Jersey. It represented the smaller states and said that each states and said that each sate should have the same number of representatives. It was one option as to how the United States would be governed. It called for each state to have one vote in Congress instead of the number of votes being based on population. Furthermore, the Virginia plan advocated two legislative houses of which membership would be based on population. -
The Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was a land agreement of 1787 that created the Northwest Territory and was an act of the Congress under the Articles of Confederation. It was a way to divide and govern the Northwest Territory and described how new states could enter the Union. It enabled the United States to expand into the Great Lakes area. The states created from the Northwest Territory included Illinois, India, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Furthermore, eventually adopted the Constitution. -
The Connecticut Plan
The Connecticut Plan, also known as the Great Compromise of 1787, was an agreement that large an small states reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The larger state believed that representation should be based on the contribution each state made to the nation and smaller states believed that the only fair plan was one of equal representation. It was also proposed by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ells-worth, Connecticut's delegates to the Constitutional Convention. -
Steamboat
John Fitch built four more steamboats, but they were expensive to build therefore were unsuccessful. But from 1787 to the 1830's, steamboats were improved. In 1804, John Stevens built a steamboat with a new high-pressure steam engine. Many people attempted to improve steamboats so that they could carry passengers and cargo. As a result, Robert Fulton was the first to accomplish this. It was used as methods of transportation in canals and other navigable waterways and to promote trade. -
Election of 1788
The United States presidential election of 1788 was the first presidential election in the United States of America. The election took place following the ratification of the United States Constitution. In this election, George Washington was elected for the first of his two terms as President of the United States, and John Adams became the first Vice President of the United States. -
The Federalists
Federalists supported a more centralized national government and saw a need for it to have some power over the states if the country was going to be unified. Some of these federalists include Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and George Washington. In addition, the Federalist felt that Constitution was open for interpretation and believed that the Constitution gave the central government too much power. Furthermore, the federalist wanted a stronger government and executive branch. -
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The American Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution took place over more than
a century, as production of goods moved from home
businesses, where products were generally crafted
by hand, to machine-aided production in factories.
This revolution, which involved major changes in
transportation, manufacturing, and communications,
transformed the daily lives of Americans as much. And arguably more than any single event in U.S. history. -
Bank of the United States
The Bank of the United States was established in 1791 to serve as a repository for federal funds and as the government’s fiscal agent. Initially proposed by Alexander Hamilton, the First Bank was granted a twenty-year charter by Congress in spite of the opposition of the Jeffersonians to whom it represented the dominance of mercantile over agrarian interests and an unconstitutional use of federal power. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution. The idea was to insure certain freedoms and rights to the citizens. It also put limits on what the government could do and control. Many of the freedoms include freedom of religion, speech, assembly, the right to bear arms, unreasonable search and seizure of your home, the right to speedy trial, and more. The Bill of Rights was based on several previous documents such as the English Bill of Rights. -
The Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney changed history in the southern United States with the invention of the cotton gin. It helped many southern plantation owners become rich off their cotton crops however it also increased the demand for slaves. Since the seeds had to be removed by hand, many plantation owners in the South had stopped growing cotton. The cotton gin could clean more cotton in a few hours than a number of workers could have in a day. The cotton gin's impact on slavery led to the Civil War. -
Jay's Treaty
Jay's Treaty was negotiated by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay and singed between the United States and Great Britain on November 19,1794. It was called 'Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation, Between His Britannic Majesty and the United States of America'. Furthermore, the Treaty angered many in the Democratic Republican Party. But in one problem that resulted was that Jay pressed but could not get Britain to agree to was a cessation of the impressment of soldiers too. -
Pinckeny's Treaty
The Pinckney Treaty was signed by the United States and Spain on October 27, 1795, to end a dispute between the two countries over land settlement and Mississippi River trade. It established intentions of friendship between the United States and Spain. It also defined the boundaries of the United States with the Spanish colonies and guaranteed the United States navigation rights on the Mississippi River. Pinckney's Treaty gave the United States control of the Mississippi River too. -
The Iron Plow
The iron plow was invented by Jethro Wood. His invention accelerated development of American agriculture in the antebellum period. The plow was extremely useful in farming as it helped prepare the soil for the growing of plants.Originally, animals were used loosen up the soil. During the development of the plow, Wood corresponded with Thomas Jefferson, who had been working on an improvement to the plow. John Deere gave further improvement to the iron plow after Wood pasted away -
Alien and Sedition Acts
President John Adams created the Alien and Sedition Acts consisted of four laws passed by the Federalist-controlled Congress as America prepared for war with France. These acts increased the residency requirement for American citizenship from five to fourteen years, authorized the president to imprison or deport aliens considered "dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States" and restricted speech critical of the government. -
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The Age Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was born April 13, 1743 in the rural Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia.With an eye on politics, Jefferson was drawn to the legal profession, where he flourished under the guidance of George Wyeth. In time, Jefferson established himself as a lawyer in Williams-burg, which led to his election to the House of Burgess-es in 1769. Jefferson suffered greatly amidst the push and pull of the Revolutionary War. He re-entered the world and weathered several storms. -
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Westward Expansion
n 1803, President Thomas Jefferson purchased the territory of Louisiana from the French government for $15 million. The Louisiana Purchase stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from Canada to New Orleans, and it doubled the size of the United States. To Jefferson, westward expansion was the key to the nation’s health: He believed that a republic depended on an independence and virtue went hand in hand with land ownership, especially the ownership of small farms. -
Embargo Act
The embargo act was a law passed by Congress and signed by President Thomas Jefferson on December 22, 1807. This law stopped all ships from trading between America and any other country. The goal was to get Britain and France, who were against each other at the time, to stop restricting American trade. The Act caused people to suffer and ended in 1809. It has led an effect on us today by agricultural prices and earnings falling. Shipping-related industries were devastated. -
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought between the United States and the United Kingdom. Several events led up to the war against France and the armies of Napoleon. They ad placed trade restrictions on the United States, not wanting them to trade with France. The United Kingdom supported Native American tribes in an effort to prevent the United States from expanding west. The President of the U.S. during the war was James Madison. It has affected us today since the U.S. suffered costly defeats. -
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key was a lawyer and poet but was mostly known after authoring America's national anthem- the Star-Spangled Banner. He witnessed the twenty-five hour bombardment of Fort McHenry from a British troop ship. Furthermore, he had boarded the ship to negotiate the release of an American civilian imprisoned by the British, and had been detained aboard as the bombardment. He wrote a poem about his experience which was soon published and became known as the Star-Spangled Banner. -
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Age of Jackson
In 1828, Andrew Jackson became President. But before that, he was a lawyer. politician, and business owner. He was also the first president to come from a state west of the original 13 colonies. The reason behind he won the election, he supported working people. He thought the bank only helped rich people and that the poor were not allowed to borrow money from the national bank. Jackson ordered the government to take its money out of the national bank and put into state banks. -
The Battle of New Orleans
The final major battle of the War of 1812 was the Battle of New Orleans. It took place in New Orleans on the east bank of the Mississippi River. The British attacked New Orleans hoping to take control of the port city. They were held off and defeated by U.S. forces led by Andrew Jackson. Andrew Jackson led a small, poorly equipped force to a decisive American victory against British troops in the Battle of New Orleans. The U.S.won and forced the British out of Louisiana. -
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement which controlled the world of ideas in Europe during the 18th century. It included many ideals like liberty, progress, tolerance, fraternity, constitutional government and separation of church and state. Furthermore, The Enlightenment led directly to the American Revolutionary War and influenced the Industrial Revolution. In addition, these ideas were very influential in the Constitution of the United States. -
Era of Good Feelings
This phrase exemplifies both of Monroe’s presidencies, from 1816-1824. The War of 1812 eliminated some divisive issues, and Republicans embraced the Federalist’s issues. Monroe made an effort to avoid political controversies, but soon sectionalism divided the nation. -
Panic of 1819
The Panic of 1819 was a crisis in financial and economic conditions following the War of 1812. It is said to be the first economic depression. It was caused by the number of banks in the United States to double between 1812-1819. The banks were unregulated and began to issue massive amounts of bank notes and failed. Mortgages were foreclosed, forcing people out of their homes and farms. Falling prices also impaired agriculture and manufacturing. All regions of the country were impacted. -
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Cultural Changes
These changes were an age of dramatic social and political change. For the first time, more Americans lived in cities than on farms. The nation’s total wealth more than doubled between 1920 and 1929, and this economic growth swept many Americans into an affluent but unfamiliar “consumer society.” Many Americans were uncomfortable with this new, urban, sometimes racy “mass culture”; in fact, for many–even most–people in the United States, the 1920s brought more conflict than celebration. -
Temperance Movement
Throughout the early 1900's, there was a movement called the temperance movement. It tried to stop people from drinking alcohol. People who joined this movement believed alcohol was a leading cause in the destruction of families. During World War I, President Woodrow Wilson put an end to the manufacture of alcoholic drinks in order to ration grain that was needed for food. This gave the temperance movement a lot of momentum and on January 29, 1919, the 18th Amendment was ratified. -
Missouri Compromise
Congress admitted Maine as a free state in 1820 so that Missouri would become a slave state and prohibited slavery in the rest of the Louisiana Purchase territory north of 36 30, the southern boundary of Missouri. Henry Clay proposed the second Missouri Compromise in 1821, which forbade discrimination against citizens from other states in Missouri but did not resolve whether free blacks were citizens. Congress had a right to prohibit slavery in some territories. -
Mormons
The birth of Mormonism centered on one man, Joseph Smith, Jr. a farmer from the region of western New York known as the "burned-over district" because of its unrelenting religious enthusiasm. It was launched with the publication of the Book of Mormon, the sacred text which became the foundation for new religion. As Smith told the story, seven years earlier the angel Moroni had appeared before him and told him of a book written on gold plates and buried in a hill outside Manchester, New York. -
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin was called the "Father of Texas" because he brought more than 300 families to Texas before it was an American state and is the founder of Texas. When he traveled to Spanish to Texas he led the second successful colonization of the region by urging these people to revolt against Mexican rule and served as secretary of state of the Republic of Texas. He established the first Anglo-American colony in the Tejas province of Mexico and saw it grow into an independent Republic. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was articulated in President James Monroe's seventh annual message to Congress on December 2, 1823. The European powers, according to Monroe, were obligated to respect the Western Hemisphere as the United States' sphere of interest. In 1962, the Monroe Doctrine was invoked when the Soviet Union began to build missile-launching sites in Cuba. With the support of the Organization of American States, President Kennedy threw a naval and air quarantine around the island. -
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the 7th president of the United States. He is most known for being considered the first "common man" to become president and known as a hero from the War of 1812. He also made changes to the way the presidency was run. Furthermore, even though he lost against John Quincy Adams, he ran again and became president. After becoming president, many attacked him in many personal ways including attacks on his wife, Rachel. He was also the only president to have been a prisoner at war. -
Canals
Canals were man-made rivers and needed for the Industrial Revolution which created heavy produce that needed to be moved. Acts of Parliament were passed for the constitution of many canals. They were essential as the Industrial Revolution demanded an economic and reliable way to transport goods in large quantities. Canals were used as a transport by inland waterways in navigable rivers. Many inland waterways were useful in irrigation, water supply, and generation of hydroelectric power. -
Indian Removal Act
As settlers came to the frontier, conflicts increased with American Indians. Jackson believed the Indians slowed the growth of the US. In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. This law forced American Indians living east of the Mississippi River to leave their homes and business.The Cherokee Indians objected. In 1838, the US army forced the travel 1,000 miles. About one-fourth died in this journey. This is known as the Trail of Tears. -
Railroads
Railroads were a major factor during the first civil war. The advances in developing the railroad helped to increase safety and efficiency in coal mines since before they were created, coal mining was extremely dangerous. Railroads was essential since it made transportation easier, helped deliver manufactured goods and foods. Cost of products also decreased because of railroads. Population also increased because foods was available in a large variety at a low cost. -
Nullification Crisis
The Nullification Crisis was a struggle between some states and Andrew Jackson. The states didn't want to pay the protective tariff that Jackson wanted, and states claimed the right to "nullify." This meant that the states didn't have to pay the tariff. It would have meant that the states would have had the authority over the federal government in a basic economic matter like the tariff. The states withdrew their objection to the tariff because of the compromise bill introduced. -
The Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is one the most important events in American History since it was one the main overland migration routes on the North American continent. The trail was branched off from it toward Utah and California. The Organ Trail was laid down by traders and fur trappers and could only be traveled by horseback or on foot. It was used by people in search of gold or land to farm. They were motivated by difficult economic times and diseases since it was in the Midwest around 1837. -
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto was a battle of the Texas Revolution. It was led by general Sam Houston. The army defeated general Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna's Mexican army in a fight that lasted only 18 minutes! The casualties were 630 Mexicans killed and 730 taken to prison. Only nine out of ten Texans were killed or wounded. The public and private treaties of Velasco were signed by David G. Burnet and Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna during the Battle of San Jacinto. -
Sam Houston
Sam Houston was best known for being the leader of the Texas Revolution. He was a politician and governor of Texas. In 1813, Sam joined the U.S. army to fight in the War of 1812. After the War, he worked for the government as an intermediary with the Cherokee in Tennessee. Houston was also elected the first President of Texas in 1836. He was significant since he helped Texas become part of the united States. He also served as a U.S. Senator from Texas and then Governor of Texas. -
Frederick Douglas
Frederick Douglass was a major African-American abolitionist, reformer, and writer. He first learned to read and write at the age of 12 from a Baltimore slaveholder's wife.only 23 years old at the time, Douglass overcame his nervousness. Douglass who had escaped slavery himself, and was born into it, was famous before and during the Civil War/Reconstruction era as an orator and writer fighting for abolition. -
Manifest Destiny
By 1840, nearly 7 million Americans lived in the trans-Appalachian West. Most of these people had left their homes in the East in search of economic opportunity. Like Thomas Jefferson, many of these pioneers associated westward migration, land ownership and farming with freedom. In Europe, large numbers of factory workers formed a dependent and seemingly permanent working class. In the United States, the western frontier offered the possibility of independence and upward mobility for all. -
The California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush took place between 1848 to 1855. During this time, over 300,000 people rushed to California to find gold. Gold was first discovered in California by James Marshall. Supplies for a miner included a mining pan, a shovel, and a pick for mining. They also needed food and living supplies for survival. Whenever gold was discovered in a new place, miners would move in and make camps. These camps would be called Boomtowns. Eventually, they turned into ghost towns. -
Women's Suffrage
In the early nineteenth century, for many women, activity was limited to the domestic life of the home and care of the children. Women were dependent on the men in their life, fathers or husbands, and after marriage did not have the right to own property, maintain their wages, or sign a contract, much less vote. In colonial America most African American women were considered property. -
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman is best known as a leader in the underground railroad. She was a nurse and civil rights activist. Harriett escaped in 1849 to risk her life and freedom to help others. Since the Fugitive Slave Act was passed, it became harder for slaves to escape but Harriet still decided to help others escape. She became a famous underground railroad conductor. In addition, she helped during the Civil War and nurse injured soldiers. She also spoke out on equal rights for blacks and women. -
Radical Republicans
The Radical Republicans were a faction of the Republican party that sought to impose a harsh version of Reconstruction over the former Confederate states following the Civil War. They were also very supportive of establishing and protecting the civil and voting rights of the newly freed Black population of the south. Following Lincoln's assassination and particularly during the Andrew Jackson's presidency. This political movement splintered within the Republican party once Reconstruction ended. -
Bleeding Kansas
In 1854, Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas proposed that two new states, Kansas and Nebraska, be established in the Louisiana Purchase west of Iowa and Missouri. To the terms of the Missouri Compromise, both states could prohibit slavery except, the South hasn't approved of the plan. Douglas came up with a middle ground letting settlers decide which state would be slave or free. People were outraged and fought each other for what they want. Hundreds died in fighting. -
Election of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln is elected the 16th president of the United States over a deeply divided Democratic Party, becoming the first Republican to win the presidency. Lincoln received only 40 percent of the popular vote winning in the electoral college, Lincoln's lack of a popular majority is an indication of the problems he would face with a divided nation. For preserving the Union and bringing an end to slave, Lincoln is hailed as one of the greatest American presidents. -
Confederate States of America
The Confederacy, when used within or in reference to North America, generally means the Confederate States of America Secession from the existing Union led to the American Civil War, a bloody, four-year struggle that left much of the South in ashes and ended its hope of creating a new confederacy of states on the North American continent. For at least three decades leading up to the schism the northern and southern regions of the United States had been growing farther apart. -
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses Grant commanded the victorious Union army during the American Civil War and served as the 18th U.S. president from 1869 to 1877. Grant fought in the Mexican-American War. During the Civil War, Grant, an aggressive and determined leader, was given command of all the U.S. armies. After the war he became a national hero, and the Republicans nominated him for president in 1868. He worked to fix the North and South while also attempting to protect the civil rights of newly freed black slaves. -
Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee served as a military officer in the U.S. Army, a West Point commandant and the legendary general of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. In June 1861, Lee assumed command of the Army of Northern Virginia, which he would lead for the rest of the war. Lee and his army achieved great success during the Peninsula Campaign and at Second Bull Run and Fredericksburg, with his greatest victory coming in the bloody Battle of Chancellorsville. -
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Civil War
The Civil War is the main event in America's historical consciousness. The war resolved two fundamental questions left unresolved by the revolution: whether the US was to be a confederation of sovereign states or an indivisible nation with a sovereign national government; and whether this nation, born of a declaration that all men were created with an equal right to liberty, would continue to exist as the largest slave-holding country in the world.The Civil War was the largest war fought. -
Fort Sumter attacked
Fort Sumter is an island fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. Fort Sumter is most famous for being the site of the first shots of the Civil War. U.S. Major Robert Anderson occupied the unfinished fort in December 1860 following South Carolina’s secession from the Union, initiating a standoff with the state’s militia forces. Lincoln decides to supply Ft. Sumter, but wants the South to fire the first shot. -
First Battle Bull Run
In Manassas, General McDowell leads 30,000 men against General Johnston's 22,000 Southern troops in an attempt to crush the rebels and go "On to Richmond." South scores victory as Union troops flee back to Washington in disarray. McDowell replaced by Gen. McClellan. -
Trent Affair
The Trent Affair was a diplomatic crisis that occurred in 1861 during the American Civil War that threatened a war between the United States and the United Kingdom. A U.S. Navvy officer, Captain Charles Wilkes, seized form the neutral British ship Trent two Confederate commissioners, James Murray Mason and John Slidell. Both were seeking the support of England and France for the cause of the Confederacy. It brought the Union near to another war with the British during the American Civil War. -
Antietam
The North heavily outnumbered, Lee's troops. They also faced, in bloody fighting with McClellan. Over 23,000 casualties (more than all previous American wars combined). Lee retreats to Virginia -
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh was fought between the Union and the Confederacy during the Civil War. It was fought over two days from April 6 to April 7 in 1862. It took place in southwestern Tennessee and was the first major battle to take place in the western theater of war. Ulysses S. Grant and Don Carlos Buell were the Union army leaders. The Battle of Shiloh was the costliest battle in terms of casualties and deaths in history. On April 6, the confederates won the day, but not the battle. -
Peninsular Campaign Yorktown, Seven Days' Battle, Fair Oaks
After continual prodding by Lincoln, McClellan decides to attack Richmond via the South. He moves his large army down the Potomac, marches on Richmond, and then assumes a defensive position rather than pushing for victory. General Lee takes command of Southern troops. -
Emancipation Proclamation
With victory at Antietam, Lincoln announces that on 1/1/63, all slaves in the rebelling states would be free. Does not affect border states. Forces European nations to recognize that choosing sides in the Civil War is to take a stand on slavery -
The 10% Plan
The Ten Percent Plan was a Reconstruction plan for the south put forward by Abraham Lincoln in 1863. The basics of the plan were that a state would be readmitted when 10 percent of its 1860 voting population had taken an oath of allegiance to the Union and accepted the end of slavery. Only high rank Confederates such as army officers and government officials would be a full problem in their role. The plan was deeply unpopular with Radical Republicans in Congress who felt it too easy for Confeds. -
Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, is considered the most important engagement of the American Civil War. After a great victory over Union forces at Chancellorsville, General Robert E. Lee marched his Army of Northern Virginia into Pennsylvania in late June 1863.Over 165,000 soldiers participate in the largest battle in the Western Hemisphere. After three days of fighting, Lee leaves, leaving 4,000 dead Confederates. Total casualties: 23,000 Union, 28,000 Confederates -
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Reconstruction
During this period, it introduced a new set of significant challenges. President Andrew Johnson in 1865, new southern state legislatures passed restrictive"black codes" to control the labor and behavior of former slaves and other African Americans. With this, it has led more support for the wing of the Republican Party. Eventually, newly enfranchised blacks gained a voice in government, for the first time in US history won the Southern legislatures and change wroth white supremacy in the South. -
40 Acres and a Mule
As part of the bill that created the Freedmen's Bureau, the Union Congress in the concluding months of the war began to debate on how to establish a system in which black ownership of land and property known as "Forty Acres and a Mule". However, under pressure from President Johnson and from the passage of Black Codes, the issue of ownership of land shifted to a question of wage labor instead. -
Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln
On the night of April 14th, 1865, while watching a play at Ford's Theater with his wife, Abraham Lincoln was shot in the head by actor John Wilkes Booth. He died the next day, April 15th, 1865. Lincoln was the first President of the United States to be assassinated. -
13th Amendment
The Thirteenth Amendment made slavery illegal in the United States and was adopted as part of the Constitution on December 6, 1865. The amendment still allows for slavery as a punishment for a crime and allows for people to be prosecuted for forcing someone to work against their free will. The 13th Amendment was created because the president and fellow Republicans knew that the Emancipation Proclamation might be viewed as a temporary war and not outlaw slavery once the Civil War ended. -
Slavery
Slavery was a legal and economic system where people are treated as property. Slavery in North America existed in the 17th century. Within the United States, by the time of the start of the Civil War, slavery had become extinct in the northern states, defined largely as north of the Mason-Dixon line that forms the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Slavery continued to exist in the south until put down by the Union army and abolished officially by the 13th amendment to the Constitution -
The 14th Amendment
The fourteenth Amendment was adopted on July 9, 1868. The amendment address citizenship right and equal protection of the laws and was proposed in response to insures related to former slaves after the American Civil War. It granted citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States," which included former slaves recently freed after the civil war. It took effect in 1868 and provides that no state shall deny to any person its jurisdiction "the equal protection of the laws". -
The 15th Amendment
The 15th amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's "race, color, or previous condition of servitude". The Constitution granted African American men the right to vote. It was important because it gave African Americans the right to vote and also allowed the most African Americans in history to be elected into public office. It was passed by Congress on February 26, 1869. -
Clara Barton
Clara Barton was best known for the founder of the American Red Cross. She fought for the rights of women to be treated equally in the work place since she got fired at one point. It is said that she even got Abraham Lincoln on her side. Clara and her sister traveled from battle to battle in order to care for the soldiers health. She became known as the "Angel of the Battlefield" since many soldiers were comforted by her presence. She founded the American Red Cross on May 21, 1881 too. -
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Elizabeth Cady Stanton is best known as a leader in the fight for women's suffrage. She believed strongly in the rights of all individuals regardless of race or gender. In 1850, Elizabeth and other women held the first women's rights convention in New York. She presented an important document called the Declaration of sentiments. This document was modeled after the Declaration of Independence that said that women and men were created equal and should be treated the same under the law. -
The Spoils System
The spoils system is a practice in which a political party gives government jobs to supporters, friends, or relatives. Andrew Jackson introduced the spoils system after winning the 1828 presidential election. The spoil system was a policy of removing political opponents. Jackson's political opponents had a very different interpretation than him as they considered his method to be corrupt. The spoils system was criticized for decades, but eventually led to reforming it was a violent act. -
Jim Crow
Jim Crow laws were laws in the South based on race. They enforced segregation between white people and black people in public places such as schools, restrooms, and restaurants. It also made it hard for black people to vote. Many of them were enforced until the Civil Rights Act of 1964. African-Americans began to protest and fight the Jim Crow laws in the 1900's. Jim Crow laws were made illegal with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
