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Period: 500 BCE to
Beginnings to Exploration
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1000
The Dark Ages
The Dark Ages, also referred to as the Middle Ages, was considered a backward time in Europe. During this moment of time, the Catholic church dominated almost every aspect of life. Because religion was put above all, no one payed any attention to education, so there were no scientific breakthroughs or inventions. Feudalism was also a big part of this time period. Feudalism succeeded Roman law, so the central authority was not very effective. This time period started during the fall of the Roman. -
1350
The Black Death
The Black Death, also known as the Black Plague, was a deadly illness that spread all across Europe. It is said to have begun when contagious rodents were brought over by merchant ships from Central Asia and ultimately spreading throughout the Mediterranean and European societies through human communication. The estimate total deaths during this 7-year plague was around a striking 50 million. These amounted deaths caused much social upheaval in Europe due to the worrying upper and lower class. -
1450
The Aztecs
The Aztec empire was a very powerful group of native people located in northern Mesoamerica, their capital being Tenochtitlan. They were mostly agriculture-based, growing crops on all available pieces of land, and introduced techniques such as the irrigation system and draining swamps. Due to their belief in all-powerful deities, the Aztecs would often do acts of human sacrifice, usually using prisoners of war or criminals. Their civilization ultimately died due to Cortes' arrival in 1521. -
1492
Treaty of Tordesillas
The Treaty of Tordesillas was created to settle the dispute between two large world powers at the time. After the new world was discovered by Christopher Columbus, Spain and Portugal began fighting over what territory belonged to them. To settle this, the Pope, Alexander VI, divided the New world lands among each of them to make it equal. Portugal would receive all of Brazil, while Spain would receive the rest of the lands west of Brazil. Portugal saw this as unfair because Brazil got more land. -
1495
Columbian Exchange
The idea of the Columbian Exchange came about after the discovery of the "New World" by Christopher Columbus. This exchange was basically the swap of animals, plants, and diseases from the New World to the Old World and vice versa. Although this sounds like a fair exchange, the Old World was the obvious benefactor in the long run, especially when it came to diseases. Natives were not immune to European diseases, so many tribes began to die off, giving the Europeans the opportunity to conquer. -
1530
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a monk during the religious monopoly era in Europe. Although he was a church figure, he did not believe in the teachings of the Catholic Church and felt that it was corrupt, especially the idea of indulgences. This lead him to write his infamous 95 Thesis, in which he nailed to the door of a church. He began his own church, similar to Catholicism, called Lutheranism that grew out of his teachings. His writing sparked the Protestant Reformation in Europe by breaking away. -
Roanoke Colony
Roanoke, also known as the "Lost Colony", was, and still is a big mystery to the world. The colony was in need of supplies, so John White, their leader, sailed back to England with a few men to fetch them. Upon returning, they realized the settlement was completely deserted. The only clue that was left behind from the settlers that stayed was the word "Croatoan" that was engraved into a nearby tree. The Croatoan was an Indian tribe nearby, which caused many to believe that's where they went. -
Period: to
English Colonial Societies
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Headright System
The Headright System was created in the Chesapeake Colonies of Virginia because of the constantly declining of the living population. Winters were very harsh in these areas, so many died by the first winter, leaving very few to stay alive and defend themselves. This new system was able to attract new settlers from England to come settle as well and successfully brought up the population to a stable amount. It gave fifty whole acres of land to anyone that was willing to settle in these parts. -
Roger Williams
Roger Williams first settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony but did not agree on how the colony was run and governed. He verbally attacked them for how their priority of governance was put on religion. He believed that the way a colony should run should be according to what it best meant for it, not what religion best fits, or in short, separation of church and state. He fled south after an arrest warrant, bought land and obtained a charter from England to create a new colony, Rhode Island. -
William Penn
William Penn was a Quaker that wanted to create a religious refuge for other Quakers in the new world west because of their constant persecution in England. The king at the time owed him a large debt because of their past favors, so he granted Penn land west of New Jersey to create a colony for his people. And with this land, he created a new proprietary colony named Pennsylvania. This would have the government of a limited Republic in which only men were able to vote for laws and regulations. -
William and Mary of Orange
William and Mary of Orange were the reigning monarchs at the time in Great Britain. They will first exclude the Catholic religion and people from becoming monarchs. They will also end up signing the English Bill of Rights, which was able to protect the basic rights of their people and cause an impact on the colonial governance and cause future problems in the colonies. Colonists will now be self-ruled by a representative government and will be able to have militias for defense against natives. -
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials was a series of tense events that were caused because of the pressure of Native American raids from the War on the Northern Front. It all started when the minister's daughter started acting strangely. She accused many of performing witchcraft on her, causing many to die. After her, many other young girls and young women began to act strangely as well, also accusing other women to their death. This whole event was ultimately declared as false judgment many years later. -
Tobacco
Tobacco was a very important cash crop grown in the colonies for economic purposes. Because of the need for cheap labor to grow this crop, indentured servants were needed on the farms. They were hired for 4 to 7 years and lived a hard life cultivating this crop. Many people from England that could not afford to come over to the new world came over as indentured servants to pay for their trip. As their years ended, their employers and contractors would give them tools and clothes when it ends. -
Act of Union
The Act of Union was the combing of the once separate England and Scottland, creating the new United Kingdom of Great Britain. This new Britain would become its own empire. At the head of this new empire would be the parliament, which was a council of people along with the king and queen. Although changes were being made to the British government, the colonies in the west would still have local control over their territories. However, this federal government would pave way for an American gov. -
Period: to
Colonial America to 1763
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Northern Slavery
Lifes of the slaves in the northern half of the colonies were generally much more different from those that were living more down south. They usually worked as field hands on smaller farms or worked domestically as maids and metal workers. There were often free communities of freed slaves in some colonies, although it wasn't always common. And unlike down south, the white people of the north generally disliked the idea of slavery, but many did not do anything about it and let it just happen. -
Mid-Atlantic Economy
The Mid-Atlantic region is one of the 5 main regions of the settled colonies in the new world. A lot of its economy includes trade with Europe. Other economic activities include the cultivation of agricultural cash crops as well as a small manufacturing industry. Socially, this region was quite diverse. There were many different types of people with different backgrounds, religions, and ethnicities that settled here. Overall, this region had a diverse group of people with a miz=xed economy. -
The Enlightenment
The American Enlightenment was the widespread change from the general precept of religion to those of reason and science. Science, before this, was seen as a form of superstition, but then during this era, became a normal way of thinking shared among many. Religion, now, was highly questioned and all their pre-conceived notions were questioned as well. Well known enlightenment thinkers include Sir Issac Newton, John Locke, and Benjamin Franklin. The idea of deism also made an appearance as well. -
The Atlantic Slave Trade
The Atlantic Slave Trade was a trading system between the continent of Africa and the countries of Europe. The Europeans would exchange machinery and weaponry with the Africans, who would kidnap other African tribe members and sell them off to the buyers. This brought about a new source of labor that was needed in Europe. Throughout the 1600s, Holland, Spain, and Portugal were the main ones that lead the slave trade, in contrast to the 1700s, where Great Britain was the main trading nation. -
Native-American Revivals
The Native-American Revivalism began during the First Great Awakening when religion took a soar once again. Because of a widespread Christian/Catholicism belief, the Natives began incorporating Jesus Christ into their native beliefs. They also returned to their way of life before their contact with the European settlers. Before this revival, many Natives had trading relationships with them and drank a large amount of alcohol. After, they had a complete radical reform to how they were way before. -
Enlightenment Ideals on America in the late 18th Century
The Age of Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that motivated many to create inventions, scientific breakthroughs, and political theories. This event pushed for education in the large population of youth as well as a higher education in adults. Separation of church and state was very common in the United States. And because of large political theories, such as those of John Locke, many people began to protest for representation. The outcome became that ordinary citizens had more say. -
Seven-Years War / French and Indian War
The French and Indian War occurred between the years of 1756 and 1763. The whole war was a dispute between the countries England, France, and Spain. Each of these countries wanted the territory of present-day Canada because of the large amount of land and natural resources. The British and colonies desired more land in the West. This war ended up being the first world war because it involved more than two countries. It ended with the Treaty of Paris, which ended the French rule in North America. -
Treaty of Paris
After the fall of Quebec in 1759, the treaty was prepared. The Treaty of Paris of 1763 was what ended the French and Indian War. It also drove the French out of present-day Canada, ending most of the French appearance in North America. Because the French are now out of the new world, it gave room for Great Britain to obtain the new territory that the French left behind. The only territories that the French were able to keep in North America were the islands off of Canada and the island of Haiti. -
Period: to
The Revolutionary War 1763-1783
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Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was one of the many taxes passed by the British Parliament after the French and Indian War. It required all pieces of paper to have a specific stamp on it, which cost more money for the colonists. The people that were most affected by this new tax were lawyers and printers who used paper on a daily basis. The anger of the colonists resulted in the Stamp Act Congress, which happens to be the first time the colonists ever got together to resolve a problem. It led to erupted protests. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre occurred when a crowd of patriot Bostonians began throwing hard rocks/snowballs at stationed British soldiers. The soldiers panicked and began shooting into the angry crowd. Although only a total of five people were killed, news spread like wildfire to the other colonies. Paul Revere recreated the image of the massacre onto paper as propaganda to influenced the other colonies. This became the first major example of American propaganda. Parliment repels Townshend Acts in 1770. -
Coercive Acts
The Coercive Acts, also known as the Intolerable Acts, was one of the many restrictions issued by the British government that led to the Revolutionary War. It closed down the Port of Boston and canceled the Massachusetts colonial charter. It also restricted the Massachusetts political institution, not allowing the meetings to take place. The issue with British soldiers began to arise as well. Quartering of troops was now a thing, as well as British soldiers being tried outside of the colonies. -
Common Sense
Common Sense was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that argued for independence for the struggling United States nation. It challenged the monarchy and the parliament back in Britain and urged the U.S. to grow towards a Democratic representative government to run the new nation. The pamphlet spoke to the common people of the colonies and it changed the American views of the monarchy. This was also the first wide-spread writing from the colonies that openly asked Great Britain for independence. -
The Declaration of Independence
Creating the Declaration of Independence was not an option for the colonists, but was the only chance they had of getting their freedom from Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson was put in charge of writing the draft, which he completed on July 2nd, but wasn't signed until July 4th. It stated the unfair treatment the British gave the colonists, avoided ani-monarchal sentiment, and showed the rest of the world that they were in search of European allies that could help them during the coming war. -
Patriots Population vs. Loyalist Population
Patriots were those that were in support of the colonies, while Loyalists were loyal to Great Britain. The population between the two groups were quite even, with the Patriot's having 40 percent, the Loyalist's having 40 percent, and the other 20 percent were neutral. Although the percentage was evenly distributed, the Loyalist population would be ostracized and will be given legal disabilities. Their properties will be seized from them as well, causing many of them to flee back to Britain. -
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The Constitution
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Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was made after the United States declared independence because the new nation needed a form of authority. Created by the Confederation Congress, this new supreme law did not last long because of many problems. Firstly, it was weak and did not get any compliance with all the states. Another reason was that the U.S. had a large debt, but the article could not force taxation onto the people, so shortage of funds was always a problem. They also relied on requisitions. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris of 1783 was the peace treaty that ended the Revolutionary war between Great Britain and the United States. It recognizes the United States as an independent and sovereign nation and grants them fishing rights off of the land of Newfoundland. This treaty will establish the northern border, leaving the British with present-day Canada and United States with the lands south of it. Both nations also agreed to share the Mississippi River and the U.S. will receive frontier lands. -
American Virtue (late 18th Century)
After the Revolutionary war against Great Britain, the virtues of the American people began to drastically change. They started to celebrate and promote the idea of Republicanism, unlike the monarchy that had once ruled over them. Constitutions were being formed in every state as a form of self-ruling because the Articles of Confederation had no central authority. Education, as well, became quite important. Children were to begin their learning experience starting at a young age and continue on. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion was a series of protests by American farmers led by Daniel Shay. After the Revolutionary War had ended, a large amount of taxation was put upon the colonist to pay for the damages and debts of the war. Not everyone agreed to this, especially the farmers whose farms were being seized from them. This created a sense of urgency among the new government under the Articles of Confederation. Because there was no central authority under it, they knew they needed to create a new plan. -
Slavery (3/5 Compromise)
One of the contentious issues was the debate of how to count those under other people's possession, slaves. The Northerners despised the idea of giving them representation in the government because that would mean giving the south more votes. The South, on the other hand, was for this because they would be on the benefitting end of the deal. A compromise was created in the Constitutional Convention called the 3/5 compromise. This means that for every slave, they would count as 3/5 of a person. -
Two Plans (Virginia & New Jersey)
Two plans were created when the discussion of reformation was brought to attention. Firstly was the Virginia plan. This plan consists of a two House Legislature with a lower and upper house, basing representation off of population. The lower house would be voted by the people, and the lower house would vote for the upper house. The New Jersey plan, on the other hand, wanted a modified AOC with a single legislature. They also wanted an executive elected by Congress and a less powerful judicial. -
Three Branches
In the Constitution, there are three branches that make up the government. Firstly, there is the executive branch, which is the president. In the older Articles of Confederation, this portion did not exist. Secondly, we have a bicameral legislative branch. This consists of 2 smaller branches, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Rep is based on population, while the Senate consists of 2 from every state. Lastly, there is a judicial branch. There are a total of 3 parts to it. -
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New Republic
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First Bank of the United States
The First Bank of the United States was a national bank that was charted for 20 years. This idea first came up through the mid of Alexander Hamilton and was agreed upon and chartered by president Washington. It was created to help stabilize the economy due to the large amount of debt the country was in and establish a currency. Through this bank, citizens were able to deposit as well as make loans.This set off the issue that was up for great debate: Did the government have too much power? -
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion was the first major test of the newly made constitution. It first started when a tax was put on homemade whiskey. This was a problem because many farmers', mostly in Pennsylvania and Kentucky, incomes were solely from making this drink, so they were mad when a part of their income was cut. 6000 farmers threatened to attack Pittsburgh if the tax was not turned around, but was stopped very abruptly when George Washington lead an army to stop the mob, successfully ending it. -
Two Competing Forms of Government
In this era, 2 different ideas of government emerged, the Federalist party, and the Democrat-Republican party. Each had their own different interpretation on how the government should be run. The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, wanted a loose interpretation of the constitution along with a strong central government above all. he Democrat-Republicans, on the other hand, was run by Jefferson and Madison, and desired a stricter interpretation of the constitution and a loose government. -
Washington’s Farewell Address
George Washington, the first United States president, was someone that the whole nation admired and loved. His farewell speech gave some advice to the new government as well as the generations of presidents that will one day be in the office. He, firstly, did not want a 3rd term, which set an unofficial rule that no president should rule more than 2 terms. He also stated that the U.S should try to avoid as many conflicts as possible and should not form any permanent alliances with other nations. -
Kentucky Resolutions
The Kentucky Resolution was created during John Adam's presidency, but the idea itself was made up by Thomas Jefferson. It was the idea that states were able to nullify any laws that they thought were unconstitutional. This also was the basis of the future idea of "States Rights" which will cause a major war in the new nation to happen. The civil war's issue of slavery was fought on this issue because states believed they were able to do whatever they wanted to due to the Kentucky Resolution. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 were created in favor of the Federalists in order to limit the power of the opposing political party, the Democratic-Republicans. The Alien Act made it much more difficult for foreigners to become a United States citizen. It also gave the government the massive power of deporting citizens. The Sedition Act made it a crime to say bad things about the president or the U.S. Because the government at the time was Federalist, many Republicans were attacked with it. -
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The Age of Jefferson
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Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was bought during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson. He was afraid the French would back out of the offer, so without amending the constitution, quickly bought the chunk of land for less than three cents an acre. This new territory will double the size of the current United States and will also secure the Mississippi River for the state's use. A few years later, he sent Lewis and Clark on an expedition to explore and map the new land. They encountered native americans. -
12th Amendment
The 12th Amendment was ratified on June 15, 1804, and states that separate ballots are to be held for the President and Vice President positions. Before this new amendment, the Vice President would go to the 2nd place of those who ran for president. This, however, changed during the election of 1800 in which Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr ran against each other. Both were of different parties, Jefferson a Republican and Burr a Federalist, which created many contradicting ideas among the two. -
Hamilton vs. Burr
This illegal duel was between Alexander Hamilton, the former secretary of the treasury, and Aaron Burr, who was the current vice president. The duel was established upon by the 2 themselves in order to settle the years and years of dispute among them. In the end, Alexander Hamilton was the one to be fatally wounded. Burr, being the survivor, became an outlaw and was ostracized by society. The result, in the long run, was that the main leader of the political party, the Federalists, was now dead. -
Cotton Gin
The cotton gin was one of the many technological benefits of the War of 1812 against Great Britain. Created by Eli Whitney, it was able to mechanically separate the seeds from the raw cotton that was picked in the southern states. Before this invention came about, slavery was quickly dying, but with its appearance, slavery skyrocketed due to the need of hands for the use of the cotton gin. Because it was now easier to create cotton, the variety of clothing also increased as the prices lowered. -
Washington D.C. (White House)
During the war of 1812 in which the states went up against their mother country, Great Britain, American had attacked the Canadian capital. They had burned down the city of Montreal, which outraged the British. In order to revenge it, the British burned down the presidential building in Washington D.C., leaving many scars and scrapes on it. In order to cover up these new flaws, the president at the time, James Monroe, had it painted white. So the post-President's Mansion became the White House. -
Changes in Transportation
In the early years of the American Industrial Revolution, many new forms of transportation were invented. These inventions helped facilitate the movement of things such as trade and people, making it more efficient and the cost of travel much, much cheaper than it was before. The steamboat, for example, was an upgraded form of a boat they had before. The steamboat could now take goods both up and downstream, unlike before, where it was almost impossible to do so because of the current in water. -
Waltham System
The Waltham System was a system created during the years of the industrialization of America that consisted of centralized working mills. These mills often accepted women as workers because they would be able to work for less money than men would. Large labor forces of these women became very common in every mill. Although they made more money than they would have to stay in their homes, work was still horrific. They worked for long, hard hours at a time in bad conditions just about every day. -
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The American Industrial Revolution
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McCulloch v. Maryland
The federal case of McCulloch versus Maryland was, and still is a landmark supreme court case. Maryland had decided to impose a tax on its bank, which banker McCulloch didn't agree with. In the end, McCulloch won, because the federal government had implied powers. They established that states cannot be held higher or take the place of the federal government. This led to much more radical views of states rights in the southern states because they agreed more with states rights than a central gov. -
Missouri Crisis
The Missouri Crisis began when Missouri applied to be admitted as a slave state. The northern states were against it because their representation would be less in the House of Representatives. The southern states, on the other hand, were for it because it meant they would be the ones receiving the benefits. It ultimately ended with the temporary solution of the Missouri Compromise, which set up a balance between the 2 opposing sides. This established an imaginary line at the 36* 30* latitude. -
Free-Black Communities
In the South, although most African Americans were put into slavery, few were able to buy their freedom. They didn't have to do laboring activities like others, but they were still subjected to lots of examination and judgment. Much more scrutiny than they had gotten before the Industrialization. They gathered in communities in towns such as Baltimore, Richmond, New Orleans, Memphis, and others. They were given better economic activities, and because they banded together, were less segragated. -
Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was a time of revival in education and improvements in prisons. To the people of the country, education became more important. Many factors such as a grading system, textbook supplies, instruction, and stricter attendance were seen in this era, unlike before. A higher education in colleges and universities were also encouraged. As for prisons, a new penitentiary system was set up. This kept the prisoners isolated and alone from other prisons with no outside contact. -
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Cultural Changes
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Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine, written during the presidency of James Monroe, was a document that was sent overseas to the British. At this moment, the Spanish Empires were falling apart and crumbling. The United States, wanting influence over these new areas, decided to try to keep Britain away from settling as much as possible. In order to do this, they sent a document declaring to Europe that they could no longer intervene with Latin America, giving the Americans the edge they needed to control it. -
Election of 1824
The election of 1824 had a total of four presidential candidates, which included John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William Crawford, and Henry Clay. Jackson, being the common man that could better relate with the people, was the winner of the popular vote but was not the winner of the electoral college. Instead, John Quincy Adams was to be the new president of the United States, which became the origin of bitterness and anger from Andrew Jackson, causing him to call it the "corrupt bargain". -
Corrupt Bargain
The "corrupt bargain" was the name that presidential candidate Andrew Jackson and his supporters gave the election of 1824. Jackson was set to win the election because he won the popular vote of the people, but much to his surprise, the House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams over him. It was a popular belief that Henry Clay, the Speaker of the House of Representatives at the time, convinced Congress to elect Adams, who would then make Henry Clay his Secretary of State for the term. -
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Age of Jackson
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Yeoman Farmers
Yeoman Farmers had the status in the middle of Planters and Tenant Farmers. Some relied on Planters for their source of income, while others resented them for their high status. Many Yeoman farmers formed local southern militias. In these groups, they usually caught runaway slaves that had escaped and guarded other southerners against dangerous cases such as the slave rebellion of Nat Turner. Although they are still farmers, 75 percent of them did not own a single slave, while the other 25 did. -
Temperance Movement
As the American culture was changing, many's views on the high consumption of alcohol, too, was changing. Alcohol was often drunken more than water by men. Temperance is the act of abstaining from alcohol, which men were encouraged to do during the Temperance Movement. This was also fueled by the passion of women because their drunk alcoholic husbands often came home and abused them. Through these protests and persuasions, America was able to dramatically reduce their consumption of alcohol. -
Election of 1828
The election of 1828 was one of the first modern elections that can be seen in present elections. The 2 presidential candidates, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson, often butt heads together. Because Jackson lost the previous election to Adams, he came up with new strategies that would guarantee his victory. These include his humble origins, military career, and democratic values. This was also the start of personal attacks, which included calling each other womanizers and attacked Rachael. -
Mormons
The Mormon community is part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which was first founded by Joseph Smith when something astonishing happened to his. Joseph was believed to have found a golden table in the yard of his very own home in the year of 1823. On this golden tablet, it was supposedly written in a foreign, ancient language that no one else would be able to translate except himself. He believed that the natives were one of the lost tribes of Israel and were holy people. -
Growing Crime
Due to the growth of urban settlements, rising crime rates were inevitable. Racial tensions between different ethnicities, mainly the black vs. white crimes, caused the creation of white mobs. Political difference, too, caused outbreaks in tension. At this time, the people were strongly separated by the political party, the Whigs vs. Democrats. Other conflicted groups, such as the Protestant vs. Catholics needed to be dealt with. In order to stop this, the first police force was created to help. -
Revivalism
Revivalism was one of the many effects of the Second Great Awakening, in which religion and people re-encountered each other. With revivalism, people began to believe in free will. They felt that everyone had their own choice in picking a belief that best suited them and didn't force a religion upon others, as they did before. They also started direct preaching, especially on corners of streets and other common places. The news and paper prints were some easy ways to facilitate these new ideas. -
Native Americans
The Native American population was greatly affected during Andrew Jackson's presidency. He hated the natives and denounced than as equals to the rest of the population. In order to avoid conflict, many of them tried their best to assimilate into American cultures, even converting from their native religions to Christianity. This didn't' change much though. When gold was found in Cherokee territory, Indian Removal Act of 1830 was passed, which gave the power to exchange land for Indian land. -
Defunding the Bank
The issue of a Second National Bank had been around for a while. Henry Clay had approved of the idea, while president Andrew Jackson was not with it. Jackson had a fear that his opponents would begin funding the bank, so before anything happened, he gave orders to defund the bank. This put the whole bank out of existence. He had done this because he believed that it was his calling to do so, while became the first time a president had thought of a mandate. All the bank money goes to state banks. -
Whig Party
Once the major Federalist party had disappeared, a new one formed: the Whig Party. They, like the Federalists, were in favor of a stronger central government over state's rights. They also had a populist style politics (anti-masonic). Unlike the Democrats, their ultimate rival, they were against slavery and believed it was wrong, which caused many northerners to fall under this category. The also accepted minorities because they believed talented individuals should run the country, not the rich. -
Nullification Crisis
The Nullification Crisis first emerged white Congress raised important taxes to help its economy called the Tariff tax of 1832. One of the taxes being on textiles, greatly hurt South Carolina, especially the economy of its southern agriculture and farmers. This caused South Carolina to want to secede. John Calhoun advocated this idea, but because it was a big issue, resigned his position because of it. In the end, Congress had to make the tariff less extreme for the people of South Carolina. -
Millennialism
Millennialism was the widespread belief that Jesus Christ was coming for "Judgement Day", as it was stated in the bible. People believed that in order to go with Jesus to heaven, they must maintain a good relationship with God as well as be Christian or Catholic. Those who these do not apply to, however, will be sent down to the underworld and perish forever. Some, such as William Miller, thought they knew the exact date Jesus Christ would come through calculations after investigating the bible. -
Abolitionist
Slavery was still a major issue. Many abolitionists began coming up with ways in order to help the African American population gain independence and live out a normal life. This is where the terms gradualism and immediatism come from. Gradualism is when they gradually free the slaves and send them back to Africa, which is why countries like Liberia are formed from American slaves. This practice, however, was not popular among slaves. Immediatism, on the other hand, was immediately freeing them. -
Foreign Immigration
Many foreigners came to the United States of America due to many different reasons. The Irish began to come over after a potato famine had hit their country hard, leaving many to starve and looking for a way out of it. The Germans were in the middle of a political turmoil in their state as well as had to deal with poor harvests of agriculture, causing them to look for better opportunities. The Scandinavians and British, on the other hand, had no real reason to come over. They just wanted money. -
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Westward Expansion
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Suffrage
In the times of suffrage, the lives of women throughout the country were greatly affected. Women now worked in cities outside their homes, as opposed to the past in which they were kept inside their houses. Societies such as the New York Female Reform Society advocated education for women as well as encouraged women to live modest lives away from prostitution. The Seneca Falls Convention in New York soon appeared as well, hosting guest speakings such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. -
Manifest Destiny
The idea of "Manifest Destiny" was popular during the years of Westward Expansion. It was the belief that the country of America was destined to become a continental country, so in other words, should expand from the west coast to the east coast of North America. This was highly possible because of the government at the time. President Andrew Jackson believed in a white future in the west and the extinction of Native Americans that stood in their way. So migration to states like Oregon began. -
Election of 1844
The election of 1844 was one in which the annexation of the territory of Texas was brought up for debate. The presidential position was a fight between John Tyler, who was part of the Whig party, and James K. Polk, who was a Democrat. Tyler's plans were very known everywhere, unlike Polk's whoses weren't as widespread. Although Texas was a large debate, Texas will end up being annexed before Polk is sworn into office. Once he is in, he sends diplomats to discuss buying the southwest from Mexico. -
Wilmot Proviso
Wilmot Proviso was a proposed first in the House of Representatives intended to be a proposal to ban slavery in the new territories acquired from the Mexican Republic. It caused much political debate but was eventually set to defeat by Congress due to lots of disagreeing. This caused the Democratic and the Whig parties to split into pro-slavery and free-soil factions. The pro-slavery faction would be against the Wilmot Proviso, while the free-soil would be in agreeance with it's idea and belief. -
Brigham Young
Bringham Young was one of the many Mormons that were negatively impacted during America's westward expansion for Manifest Destiny. After Joseph Smith, another Mormon, was killed by an angry mob in his residing jail, he came up with a plan to get away from the rest of the American society. His plan was to relocate away from the federal government, which ended up being the modern day state of Utah (Salt Lake City). He was able to start the practice of polygamy, where one man marries many wives. -
Battles
There were four main battles that were fought during the Mexican-American War. The first of the four was the Battle of Palo-Alto on May 8th, 18446, which resulted in an American victory. Next was the Battle of San Pasqual, which ended up being an American loss. The Battle of Vera Cruz was another victory for the Americans. And lastly, the Battle of Mexico City was the last American victory and resulted in the end of the war and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Most battles were fought in Mexico. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was a form of peace established between the United States and Mexico. It settled the previous disputes during the years of the Mexican American War, which was fought because of the annexation of Texas and trouble figuring out where the border between the two countries should be. The treaty also seized more than half of Mexico's current territories to the United States. With the new annexation of the territory of Texas, problems with slavery are sure to come soon. -
Election of 1848
The Election of 1848 was between Zachary Taylor, who was part of the Whig party, and Martin Van Buren, who was part of the Free-Soil Party. Taylor's views were generally unknown, but he campaigned as a Mexican-American War general and was a slave owner. Van Buren, on the other hand, wasn't a supporter of slavery. He supported Wilmot Proviso and wanted to keep slavery where it exists, not expand it further. He also resented Southern influence in the Democratic Party and wished it was unbiased. -
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Sectionalism
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Slave Codes
Due to Nat Turner's slave rebellion, the southern states passed new laws around that limited the actions and rights of the population of slaves in the south. It would limit the travel of slaves so that they could only travel in certain areas. They also now did not have the right to read or write. Along with this, if a slave were to be put on trial, Planters would serve on jury and trial with them and they couldn't testify in court. And lastly, all their property rights would go to their masters. -
Underground Railroad
The "Underground Railroad" was an unofficial route taken by those under slavery to escape to more free areas such as those up north. Many abolitionists chose to volunteer to help guide these slaves through the complex system of swamps and towns. They used houses known as "safe houses" to hide the salves if they knew trouble was coming. These homes would be owned by people that, too, did not support slavery. One of the most well known conductors of this underground railroad was Harriet Tubman. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the United States Congress during the year of 1850 as a form of compromise between the free North and the slaveholding South. It created a whole job in order to hunt down runaway slaves that had fled to the north. These fugitives would have no right in trial and would be immediately returned to their previous masters. If a white person refused to help track down the slave, they would be punished too, through being jailed and being fined an amount of money. -
California Gold Rush
This event occurred due to the discovery of a precious metal in the state of California, cause thousands to migrate. 200,000 would have settled by 1852, many striking it rich because of how easy it was to find gold. Industrial mining will begin in 1852 as well, also causing other supporting industries to follow up. During this time was also the time of Chinese migration. Many of these new immigrants worked in horrible conditions in the gold mines and faced harsh racism by the white population. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This act was created because of the problems regarding whether Kansas and Nebraska should be considered a slave state or a free state. Before this, Southerners wanted to abolish the current standing Missouri Compromise and didn't want another free state. They also wanted the transcontinental railroad to run through their half of the country, not the north. Stephen Douglas introduced the bill which repealed the 35* 30* and concluded that Kansas would be a slave state, and Nebraska would be free. -
Industrialization vs. Agriculture
The industrialization versus agriculture differentiation was essentially between the north and south. The north had much more factories, steam engines, and railroads. And because of this, much more immigrants settled up here than they did in the south, creating a source of labor. The south, on the other hand, was less industrialized. Most of their economy came from the production of a cash crop known as cotton. Due to its harsh cultivation, slaves were needed and were seen as an institution. -
Dred Scott vs. Sandford
The Dred Scott versus Sandford case was one that was situated in the Supreme Court. Scott was a former slave that had traveled around in many parts of the free north with his former master. This master passed away and Scott was sold to another master, the one in which he ends up suing for his freedom from. The Supreme Court rules that slaves are not citizens and don't have the right to sue. They also established that Congress cannot regulate slavery between the territories of north and south. -
Confederate States of America
As the nation was in the middle of its divide and the differences between the north and south states became more clear, the Confederate States of America began to form. It consisted of most of the southern states that agreed on slavery. And soon after, they declared their independence from the union and refused to go back and join the rest of the states. They wanted to also be left alone and not messed with. These new states captured all federal property, leaving two forts behind untouched. -
North
The northern side of the states, also known as the Union, had a much larger population than the south of about 22 million people. Industrialization wise, the north was also more factory based. They had 110,000 factories with a $1.5 billion dollar industry, mostly made of clothing, shoes, and books. With about 22,000 miles of railroad track, the Union would be able to transport goods to a larger portion of North America. The downside to the north, however, was their military leadership status. -
The Battle of Bull Run
The Battle of Bull Run was the first major battle of the Civil War and was initiated by the Union side of the war. The Army of the Potomac, which is made up of about thirty thousand Union troops, will march down south to the Confederate state beyond Centreville with General Irvin McDowell. Although they were the first initiators, they soon faced a humiliating defeat once the south had received the victory of that battle. The Union troops then fled to the Union's states capital of Washington D.C. -
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The Civil War
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Women at Work
Because most of the working male population was fighting in the Civil War, their absence gave way to new roles for women. They replace the traditional male-dominated positions and took over jobs in fields such as teaching, nursing, and civil service jobs. Women even took on tasks such as managing stores, farms and plantations. Important women, such as Clara Barton rose among this time too. She started the American Red Cross to help wounded soldiers, no matter what war side they belonged to. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. It declared that all slaves in the ten states of the Confederate States of America will be given their freedom if the rebelling states don't come back to the Union by January 1, 1863. The proclamation also will stop Great Britain from joining the Civil War to ally with the southern Confederate side. Although these state's slaves will soon be set free, the bordering states will be allowed to keep their slaves. -
Peninsular Campaign
The Peninsular Campaign all began when union president Abraham Lincoln wanted to take the Confederate capital in Richmond, Virginia, which was 100 miles away from the union capital in D.C. McClellan, the general of the north, took 3 weeks to take his army on the peninsula. On the south side, the current standing general was Robert E. Lee, who became the lead of the Army of Northern Virginia. Once the two armies met, Lee's army will defeat McClellan's, resulting in the 2nd Battle of Bull Run. -
Neutral States
The Neutral States, also called the Border States, were not part of the Union or Confederates. They included the states of Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware. Both the south and north tried to persuade each state to come join their side through different methods. The south would help industrialize them by using them to produce their weaponry. The north gave the border states easy access to the Midwest Rivers and allowed them to keep their slaves after the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Assassination
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States and died due to an assassination just days before the end of the ongoing Civil War. He was attending the play Our American Cousin at Ford's Theater, five days after the Appomattox Courthouse. The man that assassinated him, John Wilkes Booth, was a successful actor and a fierce supporter of the Confederates. Lincoln was able to survive the night after getting shot but died the very next day. Booth was found 12 days later and killed. -
Lincoln’s 10% Plan
On December 8th of 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued his ten percent plan, formally known as the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction. This was one of Lincoln's plans for reconstructing the Union back together. It allowed southern states to be readmitted into the Union, as long as ten percent of its voters swore an allegiance to the Union. Later one, the Radical Republicans would pass the Wade-Davis Bill to counter the ten percent plan. It required fifty percent to swear the oath. -
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Reconstruction
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Sharecropping
The sharecropping system occurred directly after the Civil war because of the need for labor by white farmers. These farmers would allow former slaves to rent out a portion of their land in exchange for parts of their harvest as a form of rent. However, this system was highly rigged on the side of the tenant farmers, because the rentee would come up with ways so that the renters would never be able to make enough for their rent. It usually ended with the tenant farmer having to work forever. -
Freedom Amendments
The Freedom Amendments was a set of three new amendment that was added to the Constitution to give rights to the newly freed African Americans. The 13th Amendment, released in 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude completely unless it was used as a punishment for a crime. Following was the 14th Amendment, which gave equal rights and protection to everyone, no matter the race and religion. The last, the 15th Amendment, granted all men the right to vote, including African American men. -
Election of 1868
The election of 1868 was a political battle between Ulysses S. Grant and Horatio Seymour. Grant was part of the Republican party and a Union war general. Everyone saw him as the face of American victory after the conclusion of the Civil War. Horatio was part of the Democratic party, and unlike Grant, had no participation or image during the war. Because of his popularity, Grant ended up winning. During this election, many southerners tried to prevent black voters from voting through violence. -
White Resistance
During the Reconstruction era, many forms of white resistance took place as a way to try to intimidate the now-free African Americans. Groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, formed out of racism and hate for all other races. They would often capture innocent black people and hang them in public areas for all to see. Because many whites were trying to stop the flow of rights for these former slaves, the government passed the Enforcement Acts, which protected their rights to vote and hold an office. -
Scandals
There were 3 main scandals that occurred during the Grant administration. The first one was the Black Friday Scandal, where 2 speculators, Jay Gould and James Fisk, tried to corner the gold market on the New York Gold Exchange. The second was the Whiskey Ring Scandal in which influential people diverted tax revenues in a conspiracy. And lastly was the Credit Moblier Scandal, when stockholders in the Union Pacific Railroad created a company to build a railroad, but they sold shares to congressmen -
Jim Crow
Jim Crow wasn't an actual person, but more of a fictional character. He was played by a white actor and portrayed in a very dimwitted way. As the show became even more popular, so did the use of the term "Jim Crow", which was used as a derogatory term for African Americans. The Jim Crow Laws were also named after this. These laws were created by white people to restrict the rights of the blacks that were stated in the 3 recent amendments, such as requiring a literacy test in order to vote.
