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1600 BCE
Olmecs
The Olmecs were the 1st advanced civilization in the Americas. Best known today for their colossal carved heads, the Olmecs thrived along Mexico's gulf coast from roughly 1200 to 400 B.C. In their society they use the long-count calendar, allowed bloodletting, built the earliest pyramids, and were the first to use cacao beans(chocolate) -
Period: 1600 BCE to
Beginnings to Exploration
Olmecs, Maya, Aztecs, Black Death, Leonardo Da Vinci, Treaty of Tordesillas, Roanoke. -
200 BCE
Maya
The Maya were centered in the Yucatan Peninsula and modern-day Guatemala. They continued bloodletting, Mesoamerican ballgame, and the long count calendar. The Mayans also used advanced human sacrifice, created hieroglyphics-the only known fully developed writing system of the pre-Columbian Americas, and finally created the caste system. Interesting fact: Mayan women were not allowed to marry outside their caste system -
1300
Aztecs
Mexica, Texcoca and Tepaneca tribes established the Aztec empire. The Aztecs had the largest population-20 million- of the early Native Americas. They were very materialistic and had a bloodthirsty human sacrifice to please the gods, which was considered a high honor for people choosen. They were eventually conquered by Hernan Cortez as they thought him to be a god and didn't even try to fight back. -
1348
The Black Death
Carried by rats and other rodents, the Black Death was an event that transformed society. It arrived in Europe by sea when 12 Genoese ships docked at the port after a journey through the Black Sea. Sailors were overcome with fever and unable to keep food down. The merchants were also covered in mysterious black boils that oozed blood and pus.Over the next 5 years the Black Death would kill more than 450 million people worldwide and the economy would go abrupt and experience extreme inflation. -
Apr 15, 1482
Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo Da Vinci, born April 15,1452 in Anchiano, Italy, was an leading artist and intellectual of the Italian Renaissance Era. His areas of interest including inventing, sculpting, painting, architecture, anatomy and math. Da Vinci had classic realism in his paintings such the " Mona Lisa" and the "Last Supper". He had also a invention called "flying machine" which is based on the physiology of a bat. Leonardo Da Vinci was a man ahead of his time. -
Jun 7, 1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
The Treaty of Tordesillas was a treaty between Portugal and Spain that Pope Alexander VI made. It aimed at settling conflicts over newly discovered lands discovered/explored by Christopher Columbus and other late 15th-century voyagers. The treaty divided the New World lands between Spain and Portugal by establishing a north-south line 100 leagues* west of the Cape Verde Islands. -
Roanoke
Roanoke also known as the Lost Colony was the 1st English settlement in the New World, founded by English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh in August 1585. The first colonist did not do due to little food and Indian attacks. In 1587 Raleigh sent out another 100 colonist under John White. White then went to England to procure more supplies, but we he finally returned everyone had vanished. To this day no one knows what really happened to the Roanoke Colony. -
John Smith
Born January 1580, Captain John Smith was an English soldier, explorer and author. During his two years in America, Smith was responsible for the survival England's first permanent settlement, Jamestown. While at odds with the other colonists he negotiated a treaty with local natives and established trading. This allowed Jamestown to survive the first 2 winters. -
Period: to
English Colonial Societies
John Smith, Mayflower Compact, Cecil Calvert, Bacon's Rebellion, English Bill of Rights, Salem Witch Trails, Act of Union 1707 -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact, signed by 41 colonists among the Mayflower, was the first written framework of government now established in the US. It was made to prevent disputes/arguments amongst the Puritans and Pilgrims who had landed just a few days earlier. -
Cecil Calvert
Cecil Calvert was the first born son of George Calvert. After his father's death, Cecil inherited his father's title as Lord Baltimore and became Proprietor of Maryland. He required settlers to have provisions(no profit before food).Under Cecil's order, Maryland was the first successful English proprietary colony which meant that an individual rather than a company owned the colony. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion was an uprising in 1676 in the Virginia Colony led by 29 year old planter Nathaniel Bacon. Virginians resented Governor William Berkeley's friendly policies towards the Native Americans. When Berkeley refused to retaliate on Indian attacks, others took matters into their own hands by attacking Indians. In the end while the farmers did not succeed in their goal of driving Native Americans from Virginia, the rebellion did result in Berkeley being recalled to England -
English Bill of Rights
By the late 1600's when William and Mary of Orange were ruling England, the rich lords who were in Parliament wanted more rights than just the ones in the Magna Carta. They wanted to make sure that the kings and queens of England wouldn't get to have absolute power. So in 1689 the rich lords added new rules such as no excessive bail, no cruel punishment, and right to bear arms. These rules would have a huge impact on colonial governance. -
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials began in the spring of 1692 when a minister's daughter and other young girls had started acting strangely. They claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several others of witchcraft. Hysteria had broken out all over Salem. By September 1692, dozens would be accused and hanged. -
Act of Union 1707
Passage of the Acts created the nation of Great Britain from the previous separate states of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland. Parliament is the head of this empire. The federal system had central authority while the colonies still had local control. The Act of Union 1707 had a significant impact on the governmental and political structure of both England and Scotland. It also paved the way for modern U.S. system of government. -
Triangular Trade
In early American settlement, goods came from 2 main sources: England and Africa. This came to be known as Triangular Trade. A typical shipment from Great Britain would consist of beads, cloth, hardware, rum, salt, or weapons. A ship leaving Africa would contain hundreds of enslaved people for the journey to their new "home". -
Period: to
Colonial America to 1763
Triangular Trade, American Enlightment, The Great Awakening, Middle Passage, New England Economy, Mid-Atlantic Economy, Fort Duquesne. -
American Enlightment
The American Enlightenment was intellutcal movement that began in the early 1700s and ended in the 1810s. Society began to reject religious views and started viewing theories. Major speakers of the American Enlightenment include Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Patrick Henry. They have expectations for the society that should develop around them. Everything was not so political, there was still a real demand for practical knowledge. -
The Great Awakening
Jonathan Edwards a Yale minister, became concerned that New Englanders were becoming too far concerned with worldly matters. This sparked what became known at the Great Awakening in the American colonies. Although the Great Awakening was a reaction against the Enlightment, it was also a long term cause of the Revolution. New faiths that emerged were much more democratic. It was the 1st major event that all colonies could share, helping to break down differences between them. -
Middle Passage
The Middle Passage was the middle leg of the Triangular Trade. Two by two men and women were forced beneath deck into the bowels of slave ships. The captives lay down on unfinished planking with virtually no room to move or breathe. The trip was horrible. It was very unsanitary with feces and diseases everywhere. Upon reaching the West Indies, slave were clean and conditioned for the New World were they would work on sugar plantations. -
New England Economy
Geography and environment have a lot to with the New England Economy. With towns along the coast, colonists made their living by fishing, whaling, and shipbuilding. Farming was difficult because of the poor soil buy few crops were planted such as corn, pumpkins, rye, squash, and beans. The Northern Colonies focused on town life and industries. -
Mid-Atlantic Economy
In Mid-Atlantic colonies, money came from fishing, lumbering, shipbuilding, and farming. The Mid-Atlantic had a very mild climate and richer soil then New England colonies Farming consisted of fairly large farms that used slaves as workers. Surplus crops (corn, wheat, rye, and barley) and other colonial goods were exported by merchants to Britain and the West Indies. Women also began to take a role in the economy by doing piece meal work. -
Fort Duquesne
On May 24th 1754, young George Washington defeats a party of French and India scouts in southwest Pennsylvania. The action snowballed into a world war and began the military career of the first American commander in chief. Because of Fort Duquesne strategic location, the British made several attempts to take the fort from the French and gain control of the Ohio Country. In 1758, the fort was captured and named Fort Pitt. -
Revenue Act/Sugar Act
On this date in history, Parliament passed a modified version of the Molasses Act of 1733. It was made to attempt to curb the smuggling of sugar and molasses in the colonies. The Revenue Act reduced the rate of tax on molasses from six pence to three pence per gallon. Colonists will resist this act by voicing their displeasure and challenging this act through petitions. The act was repealed in 1766. -
Period: to
The Revolutionary War 1763-1783
Revenue Act, Stamp Act, Nonimportation Movement, Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, The Declaration of Independence, Treaty of Paris 1783 -
Stamp Act
Starting with the Sugar Act, Parliament started to tighten the reins on colonists. The Stamp Act was harsher tax required on all paper items (ship's papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers etc). Lawyers and painters were mostly affected by this tax. Colonists insisted that the act was unconstitutional and they resorted to mob violence to intimidate stamp collectors into resigning. Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in 1766 but issued the Declaratory Act at the same time. -
Nonimportation Movement
American colonists formed the Nonimportation Movement as a form of rebellion. In each case, merchants stop importing British goods. American women became crucial to the movement by reducing their household consumption of imported goods and making their own clothing. This movement rose tensions between Britain and America, as it showed colonial resistance to the crown. -
Boston Massacre
A crowd of Bostonians harassed British soldiers by throwing rock filed snowballs. Soldiers were very irritated and started to fire into the crowd. Several colonists were killed and this lead to Paul Revere's creation of fictitious account which was the 1st great example of American propaganda. The Boston Massacre was a signal event leading to the Revolutionary War. -
Boston Tea Party
Seeking to boost the troubled East India Company, British Parliament adjusted import duties with the passage of the Tea Act in 1773. On the night of December 16, 1773, drunk Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty boarded three ships in the Boston Harbor dressed as Indians and threw 340 chests of tea overboard. This action angered British to take action and create the Intolerable Acts. -
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson. It a big help wanted sign to Spain and France. It stated most grievances against Great Britain. It also avoided anti-monarchal sentiment. Even though the document was finished by July 2nd, it wasn't until July 4th. 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. -
Treaty of Paris-1783
The Treaty of Paris of 1783 will end the Revolutionary War and recognized American independence. The document established the northern border between Great Britain and the United States. Both nations will have access to the Mississippi River. It also granted fishing rights to the United States off Newfoundland. John Adams, Ben Franklin, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, and Henry Laurens conducted the treaty. -
Shay's Rebellion
Only three years after the American Revolution, thousands of Massachusetts took up arms in opposition to high taxes and stringent economic conditions. Events flared into a full-scale revolt with the leadership of former captain of the Continental Army, Daniel Shays. The rebellion highlighted weaknesses inherent within the Articles of Confederation. In February 1787 once Shays' Rebellion had calmed down the Philadelphia Convention happened which ultimately led to the US Constitution. -
Period: to
The Constitution
Shay's Rebellion, Northwest Ordinance, Great Compromise 1787, Executive Branch, Judicial Branch, Legislative Branch, The Great Debate -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance chartered a government for the Northwest Territory. It provided a method for admitting new states to the Union from the territory and listed a bill of rights guaranteed in the territory. No fewer than three, or more than five states would be formed. It also rejected slavery. The plan was subsequently used as the country expanded to the Pacific. -
Great Compromise 1787
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, resolved a highly controversial issue at the Constitutional Convention . There were many disputes over the proposals between the large and small states regarded their representation in the US. Finally Roger Sherman proposed the idea of proportional representation in the lower house(House of Representatives and equal representation of the states in the upper house(Senate), a bicameral legislature. -
Executive Branch
When the executive branch was first discussed it presented a lot of ideas. There was to be a 3-man executive, 1 man elected by the people. However our founding fathers did not trust the common man so a electoral college would pick the president. The legislature chose the electoral college. The president was to served year terms and no limits on re-election. -
Judicial Branch
At first the Judicial Branch was set up for overview. It was purposely left alone and would not be decided until later. Today the judicial branch interprets the meaning of laws, applies laws to individual cases and decided if laws violate the Constitution. It's compromised of the Supreme Court ,which is the highest court, and other federal courts. -
Legislative Branch
The Legislative Branch has a bi-cameral legislature. It is headed by Congress, which included the House of Representatives and the Senate. The main job of these two bodies is to make laws. Modern day Congress was influenced/made by the Connecticut Plan. -
The Great Debate
The transition from the Articles of Confederation to the United States Constitution wasn't a seamless one. It had a series of lengthy debates during and after the convention. The Federalists wanted to ratify the Constitution, the Anti-Federalists did not. One of the major issues these two parties debated was the inclusion of the Bill of Rights. The Anti-Federalists claimed that without the Bill of Rights the people would be at risk of oppression. Finally the Massachusetts Compromise was reached. -
Election of 1788
The Election of 1788 was the 1st election under the new constitution. George Washington was everyone's choice, he was a god-like figure, representation of everything right.John Adams became vice president. After the election Washington assigned first cabinet which was only 4 members: Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Henry Knox, and Edmund Randolph. Washington establish the cabinet as the chief executive's private, trusted advisors. -
Period: to
New Republic
Election of 1788, Whiskey Rebellion, Jay's Treaty, The Pinckney Treaty, Washington Farewell Address, Kentucky Resolutions, Marbury v. Madison. -
Whiskey Rebellion
It all started with a tax proposed by Alexander Hamilton, secretary of the treasury, to raise money for debt. Small farmers of the backcountry distilled/consumed whiskey, which made this tax harsh on them. In July 1794 500 armed men attacked and burned the home of the regional tax inspector. The following month Pres. George Washington issued a proclamation ordering the rebels to return home. The Whiskey Rebellion served as one of the 1st tests of the new Constitution and government authority. -
Jay's Treaty
President Washington chose to nominate Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay as a special envoy to negotiate disputes between 2 nations. Representatives from United States and Great Britain sought to settle outstanding issues that has been left unresolved since American independence. It limited trade relations. England also agreed to give up its forts in the northwestern frontier. Washington signed the treaty 4 days after it was approved by Congress. -
The Pinckney Treaty
The Pinckney Treaty was signed by the United States and Spain on October 27,1795 to end land disputes between the two countries. The treaty stated that Spain would recognize the 31st parallel as the southern boundary of the United States. Spain would allow American goods to land at New Orleans tax-free. Also both countries would be allowed to use the Mississippi River freely. -
Washington Farewell Address
The Farewell Address definitely embodies the core beliefs that Washington hoped would continue to guide the nation. He set the rule of only 2 terms for each president. He wanted the US to stay away from permanent alliances with other countries although temporary alliances were okay. He wanted it this way so the US could avoid conflicts with other nations. -
Kentucky Resolutions
The Kentucky Resolutions was an idea from Thomas Jefferson. It stated that the states had the duty to nullify within their borders laws that were unconstitutional. The resolutions also opposed John Adam's Alien and Seditions Acts.If the Sedition Act was a threat to civil liberties, the resolutions was a threat to the sovereignty of the national government and the survival of the union. -
Marbury v. Madison
William Marbury had been appointed a peace justice in the final hours of the Adams administration. When James Madison refused to deliver Marbury's commission, Marbury petitioned for a writ of mandamus compelling delivery of the commissions. Chief Justice John Marshall denied the petition and refused to issue the writ. This court case established judicial review. -
Louisiana Purchase
Pres. Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the US at a time when the nation's population growth was beginning to quicken. The final cost was about $15 million(3 cents per acre). Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led a expedition to explore the wilderness of the west soon after the signing of the Louisiana Purchase. Traveling 8,000 miles, the expedition gathered information about the landscape and with the help of Sacagawea learned about the people. -
Period: to
The Age of Jefferson
Louisiana Purchase, Embargo Act, Burning of the White House, Battle of New Orleans, Adams-Onis Treaty, The Panic of 1819, Missouri Compromise. -
Embargo Act
The Embargo Act was a law signed on December 22,1807 by Pres. Thomas Jefferson. It closed all U.S. ports and placed restrictions on imports from Great Britain. The act was very unpopular in seaports. Effects that the Embargo Act had on American shipping and markets it made agricultural prices and earning fell. Also shipping related industries were devastated. -
Burning of the White House
During the War of 1812, British troops entered Washington, D.C and burned the White House in retaliation for the American attack in Canada. When the British arrived Pres. James Madison and his first lady Dolley were already to safety. The British ransacked the presidential mansion and then set it ablaze. It was not until 1817 Pres. James Monroe moved back into the reconstructed building and had it painted white to hide the burn marks. -
Battle of New Orleans
Led by Andrew Jackson, the Battle of New Orleans was the final major battle of the War of 1812. It happened on January 8,1815 although it was preceded by minor encounters. With a multicultural army Jackson defeated the British. His name was now a household name and he represented the common man. -
Adams-Onis Treaty
An agreement between the United Sates and Spain that gave Florida to the U.S and set out a boundary between the United States and New Spain. The US also had to pay $5 million to Americans in damage claims. It was signed by John Quincy Adams, the American secretary of state, and Luis de Onis, the Spanish minister. The treaty was considered a triumph of American diplomacy. -
The Panic of 1819
In 1819 economic expansion ended. Banks throughout the country failed; mortgaged were foreclosed, forcing people out of their homes and off their farms. The primary cause of the misery was the Second Bank of the United States. All regions of the country were impacted and prosperity did not return until 1824. This was one of the worst recessions in US History. -
Missouri Compromise
An effort by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to maintain a balance of power between slave states and non-slave states. The salves feared that if they became outnumbered in Congress representation they would lack the power to protect their interests.An amendment was also propose that slavery was allowed below the parallel 36 degrees, 30 minutes in the vast Louisiana Purchase territory, but prohibiting it above that line. It ran along the southern border of Missouri. -
Election of 1824
The main candidates included John Q. Adams and Andrew Jackson. Andrew Jackson won the popular vote but not the electoral vote. In early January 2824, John Q. Adams invited Henry Clay to visit him and suspicions arose about a deal made between the 2 men. Henry Clay then made it known that he was supporting Adams and thanks to his influence Adams won the election. Andrew Jackson denounced the election as "the corrupt bargain." -
Period: to
Age of Jackson
Election of 1824, Spoils System, The Indian Removal Act, Bank Veto Speech, Tariff Act of 1832, Election of 1836-Whigs, Panic of 1837 -
Spoils System
The Spoils System was the name given to the practice of hiring and firing federal workers when presidential administrations changed in the 19th century. It began with President Andrew Jackson as he seen it as necessary and overdue effort at reforming the federal government. To Jackson and his supporters, such changes were a welcome change.Jackson's opponents cited it often as an example of blatant corruption which rewarded political supporters with federal jobs. -
The Indian Removal Act
In 1830 Andrew Jackson encouraged Congress to adopt the Indian Removal Act. The act established a process where the President could grant negotiate land by exchanging treaties with tribes living within the boundaries of the states. A few tribes went peacefully, but many resisted the relocation policy. This act would eventually lead to the Trail of Tears. -
Nat Turner's Slave Rebellion
Nat Turner was born on the Virginia plantation of Benjamin Turner who allowed to be instructed in reading, writing, and religion. When he grew up believing in signs and hearing divine voices, Turner was convinced by an eclipse that a time to rise up against slavery had come. On August 21, 1831 with the help of his followers Turner killed the Travis family and enlisted about 75 other slaves that killed 55 white people. The revolt resulted in even harsher laws against slaves. -
Period: to
1st Half American Industrial Revolution
Yeoman Farmers, Steamboats, Nat Turner's Slave Rebellion, Lowell Mills, Free Black Communities, First Police Forces, Telegraph -
Bank Veto Speech
President Andrew Jackson vetoed a bill that would have renewed the corporate charter for the 2nd Bank of the United States. In his speech Jackson explained why he vetoed the bill and laid out his vision for American democracy. He appealed to the common man and was his vision was widely supported . -
Tariff Act of 1832
The Tariff Act of 1832 was another protective tariff that was passed to reduced existing tariffs. It was also created as a remedy for the conflict created by the 1828 tax referred to as the Tariff of Abominations. South Carolina threatened to secede if the government attempted to collect the tariff duties. This led to the Nullification Crisis. -
Yeoman Farmers
Below the wealthy planters were the yeoman farmers or small landowners. They were the majority of white families in the south. 75% didn't own slaves and they usually farmed their own land. Some relied on planters while others resented planters. Yeoman farmers also formed southern militias to catch runaway slaves and guarded against slave rebellions. -
Steamboats
A steamboat is a boat moved by a steam engine, especially a paddle-wheel craft of a type used widely in the Industrial Revolution era. Although first introduced in 1787 by John Fitch, from 1787 to the 1830's steamboats were improved. In 1804, John Stevens built a steamboat with a new high-pressure steam engine. Steamboats were mostly used to carry passengers and cargo across canals and other navigable waterways. -
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny refers to the 19th century period of American expansion that the United States was destined to stretch from coast to coast. This fueled western settlement, Native American removal, and war with Mexico. Many Americans believed that God blessed the growth of American nation and even demanded of them to actively work on it. The term "Manifest Destiny" first appeared in a newspaper article on the annexation of Texas written by John L. O'Sullivan. -
Period: to
Westward Exapansion
Manifest Destiny, Battle of Gonzales, Battle of Goliad, Battle of San Jacinto, Sam Houston, Election of 1844, James K Polk. -
Battle of Gonazles
Commanders at the Battle of Gonzales were Colonel John Henry Moore and Lieutenant Francisco Castaneda. On October 2, 1835, Moore's men attacked the Mexican camp while flying a white featuring a picture of cannon and the words "Come and Take It". Castaneda told his men to fall back into a defensive position, outnumbered and outgunned. Though losses had been minimal, the Battle of Gonzales marked a clear break between the settlers in Texas and the Mexican government -
Battle of Goliad
The Battle of Goliad toke place four months prior to the San Antonio fight and showed that the Texans were in it to win their independence. The battle would be a Texas victory and would show the mettle of their cause. There were only fifty Mexican soldiers in the fort when the Texas force hacked through the door and got Mexican surrender. Although not as famous as the Alamo, the victory rallied the men and women of Texas into sustaining a revolution that would eventually lead to a nation state. -
Battle of San Jacinto
On April 26, 1836 Texas militia under Sam Houston launched a surprise attack against the forces of Mexican General Santa Anna along the San Jacinto River. The Texans fired at close range and rolled over the hasty Mexican breastworks. Santa Anna's defense collapsed as panicked Mexican tried to flee. After an 18 minute fight, the remaining Mexican surrendered, and Santa Anna was captured. Santa Anna was then freed after he came to terms with Sam Houston to end the war. -
Sam Houston- Role in Westward Expansion
With the outbreak of the Texas Revolution, Sam Houston was elevated to the command of the ragtag Texas Army. Aware that he was heavily outnumbered, he kept up a retreat from the Mexican army over a month. Finally, when the Mexican general Santa Anna split his forces in April, Houston ordered the attack at San Jacinto that gained Texas its independence. The newly independent Lone Star Republic made Houston its first president in 1836. As president, he secured United Sates recognition of Texas. -
Election of 1836-Whigs
The Whigs favored strong central government. In particular Whigs favored a program of modernization, banking, and economic protectionism to stimulate manufacturing. The Whigs, however were badly split and decided to field a number of regional candidates. Even thought Martin Van Buren destroyed the Whig strategy, the Whigs were able to make significant gains in Congress. -
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was a crisis in financial and economic conditions in the nation. It was initiated by Andrew Jackson's changes in the banking system and failure of the wheat crop. President Martin Van Buren was blamed for the Panic of 1837 was given the nickname Martin Van Ruin. The effects of the Panic of 1837 were foreclosures, bankruptcies, unemployment soared, and bread riots broke out. The recession continued for nearly 7 years and the system of state banks never fully recovered. -
First Police Forces
With people coming into the North with different ethnics, tensions were starting to rise. Tensions needed to be dealt with and so came the first police forces. In 1838 Boston organized an independent, 24-hour police force. Soon places such as Chicago, New Orleans, Cincinnati, and New York City will follow suit. -
Free Black Communities
Free Black Communities were largest in the North. Free black gravitated to the Northern cities looking for work. They found sporadic employment as laborers, tradesmen, wagon drivers, construction workers, etc. Segregation was still active in the North. Hostilities rose along with additional prejudice. -
Lowell Mills Girls
The Lowell Mills refers to the mills that operated in the city of Lowell,Massachusetts during the Industrial era. The Lowell Girls were young female workers who work in the mills. The female operatives worked on spinning mules 12-14 hours a day. The workers stayed in clean boarding houses run by women who served as mothers to younger girls. -
Telegraph
The telegraph revolutionized long-distance communication. The first message sent was in 1844 by Samuel Morse, the telegraph's inventor. The telegraph allowed people to communicate almost instantaneously without being in the same place.Information sent via telegraph also allowed news and media to share information more quickly. -
Election of 1844
The forerunners for the presidential race in both parties were Henry Clay(Whig) and Martin Van Buren (Democrat). The election of 1844 was fought over American expansion and the questioning of the annexation of Texas. . At the Democratic convention many Democrats opposed Van Buren 's position on Texas. He did not received the required 2/3 vote and James Polk was now in the race with Henry Clay. Clay was expected to have beat Polk but his opposition on Texas caused him to lost the race to Polk. -
James K Polk
James K Polk was a slave owing southerner dedicated to Democratic party. Polk favored American expansion, especially advocating the annexation of Texas, California, and Oregon. He was a friend and follower of Andrew Jackson. He opposed Henry Cay's American System, instead advocating lower tariff, separation the treasury and the federal government from the banking system. He believed in Manifest Destiny. In 1844 he ran for president and won the election. -
2nd Great Awakening
The 2nd Great Awakening began around 1800 and was past its peak by the late 1850's. It was marked by an emphasis on personal piety over schooling and theology. In education grades were assigned to students and attendance was mandatory. The movement also influenced many other aspects such a prison reform, the women's right movement, and advancements in literature. -
Period: to
Cultural Changes
2nd Great Awakening, Shakers, Revivalism, Seneca Falls Convention, Temperance Movement, Transcendentalism, American Anti-Slavery Society. -
Shakers
The Shakers were a religious group that established small utopian communities. The name "Shakers" was based on their ecstatic dances that were a part of their worship. In the mid-1800s, the Shakers reached their peak with almost 6,000 members. The Shakers were celibate, rejected domesticity and believed in equality among the sexes. -
Temperance Movement
The temperance movement was an organized effort abstain from alcohol. Alcohol consumption was at an all time high. In fact, alcohol was blamed for many of society's problems among them severe health problems, destitution and crime.The movement's ranks were mostly filled by women who with their children had endured effects of their drunk husbands. The first statewide success for the temperance movement was in Maine, which passed a law on June 2, 1851, which served as model for other states. -
Revivalism
Revivalism was a specific period of spiritual renewal in the life of the Church. Direct preaching was used such as in the First Great Awakening with George Whitfield. From this era emerged a figure who would become the central figure of the revivalist movement: Charles Grandison Finney. Finney's revivals achieved spectacular success in large cities. -
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism is a philosophical and social movement in reaction to rationalism. It taught people to think for themselves and be non-conformists. People called transcendentalists also look towards nature for understanding whenever they state that there is more to life than the reality around. Important figures in transcendentalism include Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson wo was a essayist, lecturer and poet. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The leaders of the Seneca Falls Convention were Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. There were 300 women and around 40 men in attendance. For proclaiming a women's right to vote, the convention was subjected to public ridicule and some backers of women's rights withdrew their support. However, the resolution marked the beginning of the women’s suffrage movement in America. -
American Anti-Slavery Society AASS
The society was founded in 1833 under the leadership of William Lloyd Garrison. It supported immediate abolition of slavery in the United States. Its auxiliary societies sponsored meetings, adopted resolutions, signed antislavery petitions to be sent to Congress, and sent out agent and lecturers to carry the antislavery message to the North.The society’s antislavery activities frequently met with violent public opposition, with mobs invading meetings, attacking speakers, and burning presses. -
Seventh of March Address
On March 7,1850 Daniel Webster delivered one of the most controversial Senate speeches in history. Webster endorsed one of the most hated provisions of the compromise bills in Congress, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. The speech provoked instant and extreme reactions. People who had admired him for years suddenly denounced him as a traitor. In the end, the Compromise of 1850 including the Fugitive Slave Act, became law. -
Period: to
Sectionalism
Seventh of March Address, Fugitive Slave Act, Underground Railroad, Uncle Toms Cabin, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Harper's Ferry, Fort Sumter. -
Fugitive Slave Act
Congress enacted the Fugitive Slave Act to assist the South with maintaining a tight rein on slaveholders' property. It said for the seizure and return of runaway slaves who escaped from one state into another or into a federal territory. The law was met with strong opposition in the Northern states, some of which enacted personal-liberty laws to hamper the execution of the federal law. It was not until June 28, 1864 that the act was repealed. -
Underground Railround
The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses to aid and offer shelter to escaped slaves. Most Underground Railroad operators were ordinary people, such as farmers and ministers. Harriet Tubman was the most famous conductor for the Underground Railroad. Tubman regularly took groups of escapees to Canada distrusting the United States to treat them well. The Underground Railroad ceased operations about 1863, during the Civil War -
Uncle Toms Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin brought upon the real treatment of slaves and was the first book the told the real truth. It was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe an American abolitionist. The Northerners were horrified at the actions of Southerners towards slaves. The Southerners claimed the book falsified the real action tat were taking place. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a law that allowed for popular sovereignty in the Kansas and Nebraska Territories. It was devised by the "Little Giant" Stephen Douglas. Although Northerners were against it, Douglas rammed his bill through Congress. The 36,30 line was nullified by the Kansas-Nebraska Act. This law would lead to the fight over Kansas. -
Harper's Ferry
In October 1859, the U.S. military arsenal at Harpers Ferry was the target of an assault by armed band of abolitionists led by John Brown. The raid was part of a plan to establish an independent stronghold of freed slaves. Brown was captured during the raid and later convicted of treason and hanged, but the raid inflamed white Southerners fears of slave rebellions and increased tension between the North and South. -
Fort Sumter
The new Lincoln administration sought not to provoke armed conflict, but refused to surrender federal installations to the Confederates. Lincoln chose resupply Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor and other forts when required. The government in South Carolina demand that all U.S. troops be evacuated out of the fort. General Anderson then moved his troops into the fort, president Buchanan’s supply ship was sunk by the Confederates. The battle of Fort Sumter sparked the Civil War into action. -
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Civil War
Fort Sumter, 1st Battle of Bull Run, Trent Affair, Emancipation Proclamation, Conscription Act, Clara Burton, Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address -
1st Battle of Bull Run
On July 21, 1861 Union and Confederate Armies clashed near Manassas Junction, Virginia. 1st major battle of the Civil War known as the First Battle of Bull Run, the engagement began when about 35,000 Union troops marched from the capital in Washington, D.C. to strike a Confederate force of 20,00 along a small river known as Bull Run. The Confederate victory gave the South confidence and the North realized the war would not be easily won. -
Trent Affair
The Trent Affair was an incident during the American Civil War involving the doctrine of freedom of the seas, which nearly precipitated war between Great Britain and the United States. The crisis came after the captain of the USS San Jacinto arrested two Confederate envoys sailing to Europe aboard a British mail ship, the Trent, in order to seek support for the South in the Civil War. The British were outraged. In the end President Abraham Lincoln released the envoys. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Issued after the Union victory at Antietam, the Emancipation Proclamation had both moral and strategic implications for the ongoing Civil War. On September 22,1862 President Abraham Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation declaring as of January 1, 1863, all slaves in the rebellious states "shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free." It was issued as a war measure during the American Civil War, directed to all of the areas in rebellion. -
Conscription Act
In 1863, the United States government implemented the Conscription Act, which was also known as the Enrollment Act. The law required states to draft men to serve in the American Civil War if individual states did not meet their enlistment quotas through volunteers. All white men between the ages of twenty and forty-five years of age were eligible for the draft. Drafted men paid commutation fee of three hundred dollars or to hire a substitute to escape service if they were drafted. -
Clara Barton
Following the outbreak of the Civil War, Clara independently organized relief for the wounded often bringing her own supplies to front lines. As the war ended, she helped locate thousands of missing soldiers, including identifying the dead at Andersonville prison in Georgia. She also organized the American Red Cross. Barton continued her work through several foreign wars and domestic crises before her death in 1912. -
Gettysburg Address
In November 1863, President Abraham Lincoln was invited to deliver remarks on site of one of the bloodiest and most decisive battles of the Civil War, which later became known as the Gettysburg Address.Lincoln’s 273-word address would be remembered as one of the most important speeches in American history.In it, he invoked the principles of human equality contained in the Declaration of Independence as well as the all-important preservation of the Union created in 1776 and self-government. -
Wade-Davis Bill
The Wade-Davis Bill was passed by Congress on July 2,1864. It outlined far stricter requirements for re-admission to the United States during the reunification period of Reconstruction. The bill was a response in opposition to President Lincoln's lenient Proclamation of Amnesty and his 10% Plan. The Wade-Davis Bill was vetoed by President Abraham Lincoln and never took effect. -
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Reconstruction
Wade-Davis Bill, Ku Klux Klan, Black Codes, 13th Amendment, Black Friday Scandal, 15th Amendment, Compromise of 1877 -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
On the evening of April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor and Confederate sympathizer, assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. John Wilkes Booth was a Confederate supporter and hated that the war ended in an Union victory. While viewing "Our American Cousin" Booth slipped into the presidents box and fired his 44-caliber single-shot derringer pistol into the back of Lincoln’s head. Lincoln died the next morning and the nation was in distraught. -
Ku Klux Klan
The KKK was a group of mostly Southerners who were extremely racist against African Americans, and disliked all other cultures and races. They originated in Tennessee in 1865. General Forrest was in charge of this group. The members of this group dominated the democratic party. They also released a campaign that terrified the republicans. The Ku Klux Klan went around blackmailing many republican politicians and burned black schools and churches. -
Black Codes
The Black Codes were a series of statutes and laws enacted in 1865 and 1866. At the end of the Civil War, southern states created black codes, laws which aimed to keep white supremacy in place. Black codes attempted to economically disable freed slaves, forcing African Americans to continue to work on plantations. -
13th Amendment
Although President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, there were problems with relying on it to ensure an end to slavery in the U.S. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States and was the first of three Reconstruction Amendments adopted in the five years following the American Civil War. It was passed by Congress on January 31,1865 and ratified December 6, 1865. -
Black Friday Scandal
The Black Friday Scandal was an attempt by two aggressive Wall Street speculators, Jay Gould and James Fisk to corner the gold market on the New York Gold Exchange. The financial speculators then intended to sell everything at an enormous profit. It was the first scandal to taint the Grant administration. Although President Ulysses Grant was never a target of investigation but his reputation was badly tarnished -
15th Amendment
The purpose of the 15th Amendment was to ensure that states or communities were not denying men the right to vote simply based on their race. The right to vote is known as suffrage. The 15th amendment was important in that it not only finally gave African Americans the right to vote, but also allowed the most African Americans in history to be elected into public office. -
Compromise of 1877
The Compromise of 1877 resolved the disputed 1876 presidential election between Democratic candidate Samuel Tilden and Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes. Hayes would become president in exchange for the withdrawal of troops from South an granting of home rule in the South. This effective ended the Reconstruction Era and issuing in the system of Jim Crow.
