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Period: 1300 BCE to
Beginnings to Exploration
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1300
Pueblo Anasazi
When the Anasazi civilization existed, it became a huge impact on the US because brought in new ideas. They were irrigation builders, which really helped with agriculture, plus, they built large multi-family houses for other settlers. Not only that, but they created buildings and houses out of mud or clay. As a loose society, they didn't have a caste system, and most of their people were pacifists, which are people that believe that war and violence are unjustifiable. -
1340
The Black Death
Because of the diverse trading and the movement from one area to another, the Black Death started to spread to Asia and Europe.The Black Death was an infection that killed majority of the population. As it spread, about 70-90% of the population died, which also included many of the existing workers. As a result, this caused the European population to decrease significantly, plus, it transformed the society greatly. The outcome of this caused more merchant societies to form as well. -
1440
Printing Press
In 1440, the printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenburg, who was a German printer and publisher. When he first invented the printing press, the first item to be printed was the "Gutenburg Bible", in 1455, and this became popular due to many people having the urge to read it. Soon after the printing of the "Gutenburg Bible", many other documents and papers were quickly replicated and literary works were spread. This way, a large percentage of people became more literate. -
1492
The Colombian Exchange (Foods)
The Columbian Exchange is the exchange of goods, like food, from the Old World to the New World. This brought most benefits, as well as new ideas, to the Old World. The Old and New World traded foods such as honey, fruit, sugar, olives, onions, coffee beans, sugar cane, and grains. Because of the Columbian Exchange, new crops are being planted, that helped their population increase overtime. -
1500
Robert de la Salle (New France)
Robert de la Salle was a famous French explorer in the 17th century. As an explorer, he explored the Great Lakes region and established New Orleans. Not only that, but he discovered the Mississippi River while exploring. While he was in the Mississippi Valley region, he named an area "Louisiana" after King Louis XIV. -
1530
Fur Trading in New France
In New France, fur trading was widely populated between the French and North America. It was popular to where many explorers traveled deep and claimed a lot of it for France. There was also a different method to getting furs, such as having the best relationship with all the European powers. Along the way, fur trading also helped them with their conversion to Christianity. -
Humphery Gilbert
Humphery Gilbert was an explorer, soldier, adventurer, and a member of the Parliament. He was granted and was given charter by Queen Elizabeth to set sail. He then sets sail towards Rhode Island, but then ended up in Newfoundland. But as returning home, Humphery's ship got lost and was never found again. -
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was one of the people that tried to stop colonization from spreading. He was the ruler of England, and treated England as a republic, plus, he was also an English military leader. He then later became the first Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Even during the Civil War, he led the parliamentary forces, and it really helped them along the way. -
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English Colonial Societies
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Royal Colonies
Royal colonies are colonies ruled, or administered, by officials appointed by and responsible to the reigning sovereign of the parent state. This is a charter colony that really did struggled in this era, and will soon be replaced by the order of the Crown. Also, they owned lots of private property and businesses. -
Nathaniel Bacon
Nathaniel Bacon was born in England, was educated at Cambridge, and moved to Jamestown in 1673. Nathaniel was a Virginia colonist and rebel, he was especially known for as the instigator of Bacon's Rebellion of 1676. He faced issues with class resentment as well in his life. And because of Bacon's death from a fever, the whole rebellion itself collapsed. -
Indentured Servitude
Indentured Servants were people who served their employer at times when needed. They only lasted up to 4-7 years, and had a difficult life when working. Although they had a difficult life, many did this to pay for their way to come to the New World. Their employers provided them food, clothes, and tools during the work years. -
Proprietary Colonies
The Proprietary Colonies consisted of Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. This was a colony that had a lot of ownership and control over property, just like the Royal Colonies. Plus, it was closely tied with the Barbados/Caribbean, mainly because it was a storage colony. Soon later in 1712, the proprietors started to do divided holding. -
English Bill of Rights - Glorious Revolution
The English Bill of Rights was written by James Madison on December 16th, 1689. This document was made to create the separation of powers and limits the powers of the king and queen, as well as enhances the democratic election and bolsters the freedom of speech. Not only that, but it also declared the rights and liberties of the people and settling the succession in William and Mary. In addition to the English Bill of Rights, there are ten amendments, which is also a part of the Constitution. -
Sugar - The Caribbean Colonies
Sugar in the Caribbean Colonies became the lifeblood of the region and was greatly depended on. A large percentage of Europeans loved sugar. mainly because they used it for everything. Spain, France, England, and Holland had stakes in the region. As a result, it became an islands possession, and there was even an increase in population up to 44,000 people. -
The Atlantic Slave Trade
The Atlantic Slave Trade was a commerce system where many slaves were being traded from Africa to other parts of the world such as North America, Europe, or South America in exchange for goods. As transportation, slaves were usually shipped in ships. As a result, five times as many slaves from Africa arrived in the Americas than Europeans. Many slaves were needed on plantations and in mining, so a majority of them were shipped to Brazil, the Caribbeans, and the Spanish Empire. -
John Edwards
John Edwards was an early philosopher, minister, and Calvinistic theologian in the eighteenth century, that helped bring up the Great Awakening. He was ordained into the Congregational ministry and became a minister and/or pastor. The Great Awakening was a moment in time where there was a religious revival, and John Edwards, with the skill of a pastor, helped the formation and creation of the Great Awakening. -
Sir Issac Newton
Sir Issac Newton was an astronomer, physicist, philosopher, scientist, and mathematician that became an importance to history. During the Enlightenment, he developed the principles of modern physics and created the three main laws of motion. Even his works are used today, like Newton's Law of Motion. The next thing you know, it was brought up during the American Enlightenment as a new scientific thinking to others. -
Triangular Trade
Triangular Trade was another source of commerce that helped with the trading market. In other words, it was called the transatlantic slave trade, because not only were goods traded, but slaves as well. The reason for this is because they needed more labor force to be able to produce cash crops, to export to Europe in exchange for manufactured goods. They traded goods such as sugar, molasses, and other local crops to West Africa, America, and Europe as well. -
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Colonial America to 1763
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George Whitfield
George Whitfield became one of many big parts to the Great Awakening through his great preaching. Because of the popular preaching from him, the Great Awakening flourishes. Unlike John Edwards, he did not settle as a minister of any parish, but he was a itinerant preacher and evangelist. Around 1740, Whitfield began to travel to North America, where he preached a series of revivals. -
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin, who was born in 1705, was one of many Founding Fathers of the US. He was a man of many significant talents such as being a leading author, printer, politician, scientist, inventor, and so much more. During the Enlightenment, he became an evident symbol throughout the Age of Enlightenment. Not only was he known for his many talents and for a symbol for the Enlightenment, he was also known for creating daylight saving time with lightning. -
Thomas Jefferson - The Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson was also one of the Founding Fathers, but also, he was the third president of the United States. Not only that, but he was the author of the Declaration of Independence. The reason for the Declaration of Independence is because of the anticipation that the vote for independence would be favorable. As a result, the Congress appointed a committees to draft a declaration, such as Thomas Jefferson, and many other committees as well. -
Treaty of Paris - 1763
The Treaty of Paris 1763 was a document that helped end the French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years War. The empire of France was destroyed, and as a result, it has left Great Britain with power over North America. France then gave up most of their mainlands, such as Canada and Louisiana, in the hands of Great Britain. In the end, it also made Great Britain win the war. -
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The Revolutionary War
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Revenue/Sugar Act 1764
The Revenue Act, also called the Sugar Act, was established to raise revenue of molasses from the American colonists in the thirteen colonies. Plus, this document was enforced by the Parliament of Great Britain. After being enforced, it caused many of the colonists to resist and voice their displeasure. So, as a result, they challenged the Parliament through a petition to take it down. -
Townshend Act of 1767
Established and enforced in 1767, the Townshend Act imposed taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. The Parliament hoped that this act would defray imperial expenses in the colonies. Unfortunately, most of the American colonists viewed this taxation as an abuse of power, unfair, and cruel. Overall, as a result, there was an agreement to limit imports from Britain, and soon enough the Parliament repealed all the Townshend duties, excluding the tax on tea. -
Coercive Act (Intolerable Acts)
When the Boston Tea Party occurred in 1773, in which drunk American colonists overthrew 340 chests of tea, the Coercive Acts were established and enforced. As a result of the event, it resulted in the closing of the Port of Boston. Not only that, but it also allowed the quartering of troops in houses, and it even restricted, or eliminated Massachusetts colonial charter. The punishments towards the American colonists only led them towards war with Great Britain in the end. -
Concorde - Paul Revere's Midnight Ride
Paul Revere was hired as a express rider to deliver messages, news, and copies of important documents as far away such as New York and Philadelphia. In 1775, he was given the task to go to Lexington, Massachusetts to deliver a warning that regular troops were about to march into the northwest side of Boston. This is because these regular troops were planning arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Revere then rode through the town shouting "The British are coming," repeatedly to warn them. -
Thomas Paine - Common Sense
Thomas Paine was an English-born American Political activist, philosopher, and political theorist. In addition to that, he is actually one of the Founding Fathers. In 1776, he became the author of the Common Sense, which was written because he wanted people to think about what was happening. Throughout the document, he explained how people must fight against how and unfair the ways of King George III and the British Parliament are. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga was the climax of the American Revolutionary War in which Americans earn the victory of this war over the British. This battle was known for being the turning point in the Revolutionary War. This is because it convinced potential foreign partners that the Americans can win the war. Because of America's victory, it will give them interest to send aids in times of distress. -
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The Constitution
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Shays' Rebellion
This rebellion took place in Massachusetts. At the time, agriculture was severely bad due to the drastic economic change that caused farmers to be threatened to leave their work/farms/home. This is because of the increase in tax collection and debts from government officials. With the help of Daniel Shay, they fought back with the anger they had by these enforced taxes. The overall outcome of the rebellion became huge due to the reveal of the weakness of the Articles of Confederation. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance is also known as the The Ordinance of 1787. It was an act of the Congress of the Confederation of the US passed on July 13th, 1787. The purpose of the Northwest Ordinance is to establish orderly and equitable procedures for the settlement and political incorporation of the Northwest Territory. It also affected slavery, because it was forbidden in the Northwest Territory because of this passing. -
The Connecticut Plan
The Connecticut Plan was a mix between the two plans, Virginia and the New Jersey Plan. It contained the use of the House of Representatives with proportional number of seats to the population. The purpose of this plan was to resolve the issue of the representation of smaller and larger states. Soon after, there will be a compromise of counting three-fifths of the black population. -
The Virginia Plan
With the help of James Madison, as well as Edmund Randolph, the created the Virginia that supported the larger states. This has allowed the government to collect taxes and enforce more laws. It has also included the three branches: Judicial, Legislature, and Executive. In total, there were fifteen resolutions to the problem, but most plans were mainly focused on enlarging and correcting the first constitution. -
Problems of the Articles of Confederation
One of the problems through the creation of the Articles of the Confederation was that it had its own weaknesses compared to strengths. Another problem was that the Articles of Confederation gave no power, at all,, to the federal government. Not only that, but the Congress could not even manage to handle taxes or trade. As a result, without an executive official or some source of court system, there was no one that could help pass on laws to citizens. Most importantly, it led the US into debt. -
Legislative Branch
Within the Legislature Branch, it consists of the House of Representatives, and the Senate House that was given power by the Constitution. In the House of Representatives, there are at least 435 members and the Senate has about 100 members from other states. Its overall purpose was to change laws in order to benefit the society and community to its advantages rather than disadvantages. After the change of the laws, the duties will be turned on to the executive branch where they enforce the laws. -
Executive Branch
The duty or job of the executive branch is to enforce to laws to citizens to ensure that it is going to beneficial to us. In this branch, the president and the Commander of the US are the officials that are most responsible for fulfilling this job. Not only does the executive enforce and decide on the laws, but they also help with signing treaties and they are granted the power to pardon onto criminals. -
Federalists
This was a party with members that supported having a strong central government, as well as loose interpretation for the people. Some of the well known federalists are Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. The existence of the Federalists created a huge movement in our country since it has laid the foundation for our economy and so much more. It became the party that took over dominance until the moment John Adams became president in the Election of 1800. -
12th Amendment
The 12th Amendment was issued and created by Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr when they had tied during their election in 1800. This amendment states the when in the voting booth, it is crucial to have separate ballots. One of the ballots should be for the president, and the other is for the vice president. This is important because of how it will affect the way the outcome will turn out during the election when the electoral college decides for their political leaders. -
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The New Republic
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Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was born on January 11th around 1755, he grew up to be one of George Washington's assistants in 1777 when he was at least twenty-two years old. In 1788, he managed to convince New York people to ratify the US Constitution and served as the nation's first secretary of treasury for about six years. Throughout his life, he had pure hatred for Aaron Burr, believing that he doesn't have the good leadership to have power, and had a duel, in which Hamilton was shot. -
Bill of Rights
Soon after the Declaration of Independence in 1776, one of the Founding Fathers, James Madison, began to write the Bill of Rights. They also went to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, 1787, to make the Bill of Rights somewhat known.The main purpose of the Bill of Rights was to protect the citizens of the US, also, it was crucial to achieving ratification. The Bill of Rights consisted of 10 or more of the amendments such as having the freedom of speech, etc. -
Whiskey Rebellion
This was a rebellion that protested against the raise in taxes for whiskey that upset many of the farmers and distillers. The violence started with others refusing to pay the taxes that were enforced by the government. Soon enough, threats of violence became more common to excise officers that led to the break out of violence. At this time, it became to the point where people stripped excise officers naked, tarred, then feathered them, and leaving them abandoned alone. -
George Washington's Farewell Address
During the resignation of his presidency, he jotted down his own farewell address as he ended his second term. In total, he wrote thirty-two pages of his farewell address, in which he included and argued points. Such as, having political parties and wanted the nation to keep away from having alliances with other countries or regions, as long as they are temporary. Once the US became a part of NATO, the US listened to the farewell address. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
These acts were passed by Congress in 1798 as they were preparing for an upcoming war with France. The Alien Act's purpose was to increase the residency requirement for American citizenship, it required "aliens" to declare their commitment in order for it to be granted to them. The Sedition Acts were to keep documents and other scandalous papers away from the government. Overall, these acts had a main purpose to limit the power of the opposition Republican Party. -
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The Age of Jefferson
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Sacajawea
Sacajawea was a bilingual Shoshone woman that helped Lewis and Clark during their Louisiana Purchase expedition. When she met up with the two, she showed up only six months pregnant, and had useful skills. She became a dependent figure in the journey, as well as her husband, Toussaint Charbonneau, since they spoke French, Hidatsa, and Shoshone. Three years after giving birth to her son, they left their son in the hands of Clark for him to educate him, but died of being ill after giving birth. -
The Embargo Act of 1807
The purpose for the Embargo Act of 1807 was because of the conflict the US has with the French, as well as the British. As a result, the act prevented all American ships from trading with other foreigners. This is also causes the French to prohibit themselves from any kind of trade with the US, not only that, but the British started to completely take over American merchant ships. Impressment then came around where the British took American sailors and forced them into the military service. -
War of 1812
This was a war between the US and Great Britain and it broke out into this due to the restricted trade and the impressment of the British. Throughout the war, and especially in the beginning, the US lost the war frequently. Progressively it has gotten better for the US, they started to have many victories from battling with the British such as the battles in New York, Baltimore, and even New Orleans. Later on, the Treaty of Ghent was sign to declare the second independence for the US. -
Benefit of Cotton Gins (War of 1812)
This machinery was created by Eli Whitney when he figured out they were in need of a helping tool to help with the economy. The purpose of having the cotton gin was to help separate the seeds from the cotton fiber faster than doing it by hand. Soon later, this invention became popular, especially in the South where slavery exists. It has helped produce more cotton and as well as the increase of slaves to help out even more with the production of cotton. -
Steam Power Engines
Over the years of the invention of the steam power engines, it has progressively improved. This machine was originally created by a man named Thomas Savery, and his main intent of this was to help pump water out of coal mines. Another inventor came around and help improve the machine even more where it caused steam to move a piston in one direction. Finally, James Watt was the last inventor to make changes to the steam power engines, where he managed to get the steam rolling a circular motion. -
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The American Industrial Revolution
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Panic of 1819
At this time, the economy was decreasing drastically. Banks were failing, no mortgages, people are even losing their homes or farms. To make the situation even worse, there was no employment was there for those who desperately need it as well. This is because of the Second Bank of the US since Northern manufacturers charged their customers with high tariffs.The South, on one end, hate tariffs and ended up rebelling against the North. -
Iron Plow
Originally, this was created by Charles Newbold who unfortunately was turned down because of the farmers' fear of iron affecting the natural state of their plants. More improvements came around where you can actually have interchangeable parts so that no money is wasted when one breaks. The purpose of the iron plow is to place seeds into the soil, and controlling the number of weeds much quicker without all of the exhausting work. This helped farmers much more efficient and easier. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was created to balance the power of Congress between free states and slave states. Beyond the 36 and 30 degree lines it shows that border line that makes one side a slave territory or a free territory. Missouri then became a slave state and Maine became a free state. This is because every state above the border line is a free state and everything below it is a slave state. -
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Cultural Changes
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Yeoman Farmers
Majority of the population was middle class, which are also known as Yeoman farmers. They usually live in average homes and raised and grew their own crops and live stock. Not many of these farmers owned any slaves since they didn't need much help. Their families can, and would only live up to fifty acres of land and growing crops on their own for their own benefit, as well as their family's benefit. -
The Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was a foreign policy that was created by James Monroe, who was also a president at the time. It was used to warn the European nation to not mess with any of the Western powers. The actual purpose of this policy was to keep the US neutral whenever conflicts start arising with the Europeans getting in the way. If the Europeans starts to create more tension and disturbance in the West, the US has no choice but to respond with violence. -
Andrew Jackson
Jackson as a child, grew up in poverty and didn't have much of everything. But later on in life, he became a lawyer and a politician during the War of 1812 between the US and the British. He was a man full of bravery that gave him more fame because of it. When he ran against John Quincy Adams in the Election of 1824, he unfortunately lost. After four years, he ran again for president and won the election as being the seventh president of the US as well as become a leader for the Democrats. -
Election of 1824
This is the first election where only one party was participating, and they were known as the Democratic-Republicans. This was an election between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams that many people were focusing their attention on. Although Jackson has the most votes, Adams ended up winning due to the House of Representatives. Throughout the election, Henry Clay became secretary because of the corrupt bargain against Andrew Jackson. -
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The Age of Jackson
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Nathaniel Hawthorne
He was born on July 4th in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. He was famous for being an American novelist and a former transcendentalist before switching to be an anti-transcendentalist. During his life, he wrote the Scarlett Letter that is well known in the present time today. He had the idea of individualism and hypocrisy of New England Puritans due to how they treat women with brutality. -
Mormons
This sort of religion was founded by Joseph Smith, who had a belief in Jesus and God that told him to restore the true Christian Church. It was said that he was guided by angel to go to New York and as a result, he found golden plates with foreign writings on them. With these golden plates, he was able to create the "Book of Mormons" with the information he has translated himself. As Mormons existed, they also faced violence and discrimination for what they believe in. -
Revivalism
This was a period of time where the Second Great Awakening existed when the spirits are renewed in the life of the Church. Events like these are usually held by Baptists and or a Methodist minister. They also had a belief that everyone is capable of salvation, and also, their leader for this is Charles Grandison Finney. What they do there is that preachers would encourage their believers to accept the forgiveness for their personal sin through Christ and to commit their life. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
This was a rebellion against slavery in Southampton County, Virginia. Nathaniel Turner was an American slave who led the the whole rebellion into a bloody massacre. They even managed to kill off their owners, the Travis family, so that they don't get caught for their crime. But the aftermath of the rebellion was that he was kidnapped, and the other African Americans that was supporting him through it all were soon executed and assaulted by militias and white mobs. -
Railroads
This became a huge impact for transportation because it made traveling more efficient as well as faster trading of imported and exported goods. These railroads was able to connect the Northeast and Midwest regions, which also helped the success of westward expansion. Not only did it bring success to traveling and trading, it also brought an increase in population and so it also brought in the flourishing of railroad tracks and parts which took over the factories. -
Telegraph
An inventor, Samuel Morse, created a device that helped the communication process faster as well as great battle tactics as well. To send messages, you would have to use a system of lines and dots, which also called, Morse Code. These codes can be sent through electrical signals and is became beneficial. This because enemies won't be able to find out what the message says, making victories during wars and battles possible, as well as better communication. -
Nullification Crisis
This crisis started when John C. Calhoun created a rough draft of the South Carolina Exposition that declared the tariff as unconstitutional. This was mainly stating the point on how letting states having the right to reject and federal law. The Nullification Crisis ended when the convention in South Carolina was called creating less tension. But then came the Ordinance of Nullification around, which completely ended all of the tariffs created, which became better for others. -
American Anti-Slavery Society
This was an abolitionist society that was founded by William L. Garrison and Arthur Tappan and had a speaker, who was Fredrick Douglas, a former slave that escaped. The demands from the society was all about ending slavery permanently and to give African Americans the political, social, and economical rights. This is so that they get equal rights just like the whites have so that it is fair to them. Overall in total, there were at least 150,000 people that became attentive to the society. -
Whig Party
This was formed with the help of Andrew Jackson's opponents and Henry Clay. They believed in many things such as protective tariffs, national banking, federal aid, opposing Andrew Jackson, etc. They were seen as a more friendly political party compared to others. The party ended in the 1850s due to the president, William H. Harrison and Zachary Taylor. -
The Temperance Movement
This was a social movement against the use of drinking alcoholic beverages. Many American citizens started to build a reform movement that is called the American Temperance Society. This is because they want to reduce the ratings of alcohol consumption. With the amount of people that joined the society, they were able to hire speakers to speak for their cause on how alcohol has a negative affect on people. -
Martin Van Buren
He was a man that has defeated William H. Harrison in the election of 1836. Soon after he won as president of the US, the whole nation became overwhelmed under the financial panic that was known as the Panic of 1837. This was started because of the failure of federal funds from the Banks of the US, and as a president, Van Buren wasn't able to resolve the issue. As a result, it led to citizens calling him Martin Van "Ruin" and it let down his chances of winning the election in 1844. -
Trail of Tears
This was the time where many Native Americans were living in the lands Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida. With Andrew Jackson's hatred towards Indians, he enforced the removal of Indians out of these specific lands. This is so that Americans can settle and grow their own crops without any other disturbances by Indians. After the announcement, Indians began to travel thousands of miles to what is called "Indian Territory" which also called Oklahoma today. -
Lowell Mills
Francis Cabot Lowell created and established the Lowell Mills that was made for the manufacture of textiles. This became a new pattern and style of employment. For as long as the mills existed, majority of the workers there are girls and children from farming families. Although young girls were forced to work all day, they always had a sense of freedom because they didn't have to continuously clean and cook. Most people outside of the mills criticize the lack of traditional women roles usage. -
Henry David Thoreau
He was born on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts. He was an essayist and practical philosopher and became known for bringing civil disobedience and Walden Pond and believed in individualism and was into nature. For two years, Thoreau went on an experiment of self-reliance, so he lived in a hut, and tried to live by himself with no interference with society. Thoreau believed that people are wasting their lives with wealth and social custom. -
William H. Harrison
Born on February 9th in 1773, William Henry Harrison grew up and became the ninth president in the election of 1841. He was elected at the age of sixty-seven and was one of the oldest men to be in the office, and was the first president ever to die in the office. Harrison has only been president for one month at the time. But unfortunately, he caught the disease of pneumonia during his inauguration and died before his wife could become the First Lady of the Nation. -
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Westward Expansion
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The Election of 1844
This election was mainly towards about Texas between James K Polk and Henry Clay, and Polk defeating Clay in the end. Polk was a strong believer in the manifest destiny, the belief of expanding west and dominating the United States of other cultures and countries. He also was a supporter of slavery and thinks that the newly expanded states should be slaves states. Clay's mindset was the complete opposite of Polk's beliefs. Soon after, Polk won as president for people believed in his words. -
Manifest Destiny
This event occurred during the nineteenth century for the American expansion in the United States to expand from east to west coast. This type of motivation helped America expand west by enforcing the Native American removal and the war with Mexico. The name of the expansion was created by journalist John O'Sullivan in 1845 that claims "our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions." -
Oregon Trail
It was a 2,000 miles pioneer trail that began in Missouri and crossed the Great Plains and through the South Pass of the Rocky Mountains into Oregon. Americans were motivated by the Manifest Destiny and Americans were hit by an economic depression. Most of the pioneers that traveled along the Oregon Trail were farming families that traveled about 5 to 6 months. Many of the pioneers encountered many deaths, and some were even killed by Indians. -
Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American War was the US first conflict on another land that was not in the U.S. The war first started from President James K. Polk who believed the United States needed a manifest destiny to spread to the west coast. A Texas border problem was the reason for fighting and there were many victories by the Americans. As the war begins to calm down, Mexico has lost about one-third of their territory, including the present day California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. -
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was a Whig, and the military leader in the Mexican-American War and was even the twelfth president of the United States. From the orders of President James K Polk, took an army to the Rio Grande and built a fort. When the Mexican Army attempted to capture the fort, Talyor's forces defended the fort series of attacks which soon led to the Mexican-American War. Taylor became popular after he became a war hero defeating Santa Anna. He became president and died in the office in 1850. -
The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo was the document that ended the Mexican-American War, which was signed in Mexico on February 2, 1848, favoring towards the United States. Now, the Texas territory problem was now solved, and the treaty added about five hundred twenty-five thousand square miles to the United States territory. The Rio Grande was now considered as America's southern boundary, and the new territory included the present day Arizona, California, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming and Colorado. -
Seneca Falls Convention
In the Wesleyan Chapel, a woman's suffrage convention occurred with over two hundred women there. The convention was organized by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who were two abolitionists. The very first meeting happened for women only to those who were invited, and the second day of the convention would be for the public where Lucretia Mott will address the Convention. The Declaration of Sentiments and Grievances was drafted and then signed on the 2nd day. -
Election of 1848
President K. Polk resigned presidency due to him completing his goals and decline in health, the Election of 1848 occurred. This election was had 3 candidates, Zachary Taylor (Whig), Lewis Cass (Democratic), and Martin Van Buren (Free Soil). Zachary Tylor won the election, which was the second and last win for the Whigs. Zachary won with 1,360967 popular votes while Lewis Cass had 1,222,342 popular votes and Martin Van Buren having only 291,263 votes. Sadly Zachary Talyor only lasted until 1850. -
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Sectionalism
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California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began when gold nuggets were discovered in the Sacramento Valley, and this event became important in shaping the United States. The news of the discovery of gold in San Fransisco caused thousands of gold miners to travel by sea or by land, and by the end of 1849, the population of California was about one hundred thousand (before the population was about one thousand). The worth of gold that was found during the Gold Rush was about two billion dollars. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 consisted of laws that had to do with the issue of slavery. When California requested to be entered as a free state, that made the balance between the slave states and the free states to become unbalanced. So Senator Henry Clay gave resolutions to solve the problem by making a compromise. The Compromise of 1850 consisted of a Fugitive Slave Act and the slave trade in Washington DC was abolished. California became a free state and Utah was entered as a slave state. -
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was the network of connections between people and places that offered places and help for the runaway slaves. The people who ran the underground railroad was ordinary people, farmers, and business owners. The people were known as "conductors" guided the slaves in hiding places such as their private homes, churches, and barns. One thing that made the Underground Railroad more difficult was the Fugitive Slave Acts, so if a runaway slave was found they would be sent back. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
The book of Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, a teacher at the Hartford Female Academy and was an important abolitionist. The novel highly influenced the New England's view on slavery and promoted abolishing slavery. It showed the negative aspect of slavery to the northerner and to the whole world. The book was later banned and was replaced by the book called Aunt Phillis's Cabin which talked about how slavery is living well. Overall, Uncle Tom's Cabin created sectionalism. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska Act which administrated the popular sovereignty was approved by the Congress, which allowed the countries of Nebraska and Kansas to choose if they wanted to become a slave state or a free state. The act repealed the Compromise of 1820 and was created by Stephen A. Douglas, Abraham Lincoln's opponent. the conflicts between the anti-slavery and the pro-slavery led to a series of violence called the Bleeding Kansas, and soon became a factor in the Civil War. -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kanas was the name for the series of violence in the Kansas Territory. From the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the violence began. Americans, pro-slavery or anti-slavery, gathered in Kansas to try to influence their decisions. Violence later erupted as both pro-slavery and anti-slavery fought for the control over the territory. Men in the territory were killed, some were tarred and feathered. In the end, the event of Bleeding Kansas shaped the United States and has impacted the issue of slavery. -
Crittenden Compromise
The Crittenden Compromise was an unsuccessful compromise that was proposed by Senator John J. Crittenden. The was created by the southerners who wanted to avoid any conflict and prevent any wars from occurring. The compromise offered the solution to have eleven of the states to be no longer part of the United States and attempted to have another free-slave demarcation line that was drawn by the Missouri Compromise. But in the end, the Crittenden compromise was rejected by the northerners. -
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort was most known for being the first territory to begin the Civil War. While Abraham Lincoln and Major Robert Anderson were resupplying the fort, the Confederate soldiers bombarded Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. The battle lasted for about thirty-four hours until Robert Anderson along with eighty-six soldiers surrendered. The Confederate troops occupied the fort for about four years, resisting the attacks of the Union Troops. -
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The Civil War
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Battle of SHiloh
The Battle of Shiloh was also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was one of the major battles of the American Civil War. The battle started off when the Confederate soldiers launched a surprise attack on the Union soldiers (commander was Ulysses S. Grant) in Tennessee. Even though the confederate has a minor success, they were later pushed back and resulted in a victory for the Union. The battle had major casualties, with more than twenty-three thousand total deaths, shocking both sides. -
Conscription Act
In the middle of the Civil War, the Congress passed the Conscription Act which proposed the first wartime draft for the United States citizens. The act wanted all males between the ages of twenty to forty-five, including the aliens that wanted to become citizens to have a mandatory enlistment into the war and a military conscription. This Conscription Act led to violent riots in New York City, where the protestors were mad about how the act was only towards the wealthy U.S citizens. -
Clara Barton
Clara Harlowe Barton, also known as "The American Nightingale", was a nurse who founded the American Red Cross. Clara Barton had little to no medical experience before the war, and she offered her medical help to both Union and Confederate Soldiers. She independently treated wounds and brought her medical supplies to the front-line. After the war ended she even helped locate thousands of missing soldiers. -
Twenty Negro Law
The Twenty Negro Law exempted one male for every twenty slaves on a plantation from the Confederate draft. The point of this law was to have enough white males prevent the slave riot revolts after Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation of Proclamation. The law angered many whites who owned less than twenty slaves or none at all. In the north, any man who pays three hundred dollars or finds a substitute to take his place in the war will be exempted. The law lasted until the year of 1865. -
The Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address was delivered by Abraham Lincoln to the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery, which was the cemetery for the soldiers who were killed during the Battles of Gettysburg. His speech became one of the most famous speech in American History with only two hundred and seventy-two words. He has made a speech about the struggle against abolishing slavery and the importance of the war, beginning with words "four score and seven years ago" -
Lincoln's 10% Plan
One of the ideas of Lincoln's reconstruction was the 10 percent plan. This proposed that the southern states will be able to go back into the Union if they ten percent of voters will swear under the oath of allegiance to the Union. Lincoln had his thoughts about the South parting from the North, so he only asks for forgiveness from the South. He hoped to end the war quickly, fearing that the war would never let the North and the South reunite. Because of his plan, it got the South to surrender -
Lincoln's Assassination
On the night of April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth planned an assassination towards President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's theater in Washington, DC by using a Philadelphia Deringer pistol. Lincoln was shot in the back of the head, and Abraham died the next morning. He died five days after the surrender of General Rober E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia to General Uylesses Grant and Union forces. The reason for the assassination was to rally the rest of Confederates to keep fighting. -
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Reconstruction
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The 14th Amendment
The 14th amendment was a reconstruction amendment that had a purpose to protect the rights of former slaves and free black slaves. This made the state governments protect the citizen constitutional rights and limit the power of the state's government after the civil war. One part of the amendment states that "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall...". -
Black Friday Scandal
This was one of the first series of scandals under Grant administration. This was known as the Gold Panic, was the result of the Fisk and Gould scandal when they created a plot to raise the price of the gold market, and then sell their large amount of gold to sell for profit. The only way they could lower the price of gold was by forcing the treasury to sell four million dollars in gold, which soon collapsed the markets and many people were financially ruined after this because of the cost. -
The 15th Amendment
The fifteenth amendment prohibited the federal and state government to deny the citizens right to vote based on their race, color, and or even their past condition of servitude and was adopted by the Congress on March 30, 1870. After the discrimination of blacks, the Voting Rights Act overcame the barriers and denied their rights to vote. But even as it is, part of the 15th amendment states that, "The Congress shall have no power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation". -
The Panic of 1873
It was a financial crisis that triggered a depression in Europe and North America that was brought by industrial capitalism. After the Civil War, the US banking system was hit by a banking crisis. The panic first started when Europe's stock market crashed. Then investors started to sell off their investments from railroads causing them to be bankrupt. The biggest bank in New York City, even became bankrupt when the railroads started to have problems resulting in a disaster. -
The Compromise of 1877
The establishment of the compromise of 1877 came to be because of the argument that came across between Samuel Tilden and Rutherford B. Hayes. This gave an award of twenty electoral votes towards Hayes, which gave Hayes the winning position. But this outraged the Northern Democrats because Tilden during the election has the most votes compared to Hayes. This caused the Republicans to accuse the Democrats of cheating. But overall, Tilden became the 19th president of the US.
