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Period: 500 BCE to
Beginnings To Exploration
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250 BCE
The Mayan's and their Scholars
Although the Mayan temples were built around 2000 B.C.E, it wasn't until 250 - 900 C.E where priest were considered the intellectuals and developed a system of math, which conceptualized the number 0. This concept allowed the Mayans to develop a high level of math skill and create a system of cycles that would tell patterns of the planets, moon and sun: they eventually could tell the length of the solar calendar. -
400
Catholic Church During Dark Ages
During the middle ages the Catholic Church was involved in the hierarchy that included the pope being the head figure of Western
Europe. The church was used in the peoples everyday life and even served as the government present during the dark ages. Being illiterate was very common among people because only those who needed to interpret the bible were able to read and write and preach for the rest of the people who couldn't. The chances of one being able to read depended on social status. -
1000
Mound Builders
Mounds were built to bury dead members that were meaningful to the tribe. The mounds were rounded on top and made out of dirt, in addition to burying the dead the would also place objects of high value that were trade with from distant lands. The mounds would reach heights from 18 above the ground and 50 or more miles in diameter. Mississippian mounds on the hand had rectangular tops and were the last type of mounds built before and after European exploration in North America. -
1345
Aztec Empire Human Sacrificing
The Aztecs used the practice of sacrifices in order to honor their gods and believed the act was necessary to repay the gods for creating the world they lived in. It is said that the scale of Aztec sacrifices has been exaggerated, but not the purpose remains true. On average, hundreds to a thousand people were sacrificed to the gods each year in order for the Gods feed and nourish off of the blood of the sacrificed. -
1347
Death
If one was to encounter death, if would've been for many reasons during this era. The top cause of death in the Middle Ages is the Black Plague that spread from Asia to Europe taking millions of lives as it spread. Additionally, childbirth was a big factor of deaths for women, because complications were not able to be fixed as easily as they are today.Overall causes of death were due to medical occasions. -
1394
Henry The Navigator
Henry the Navigator was a prince born in Portugal and is ofttimes credited for beginning the Age of Exploration for European countries. He founded a navigation school in Portugal that advanced map making skills. Henry also created the Atlantic Slave Trade by capturing and African slave that negotiated his freedom by offering other African people. Eventually, Henry was the person behind Portugal's expeditions in Africa. -
Roanoke
Walter Raleigh was and English man who took over his half brother's colony called Roanoke. There were some attempts to settle Roanoke one in particular involved 150 colonist including women and children. When they got there they created relationships with the natives who already lived there. When the captain at the time, John White, left the get supplies from England, he came back to an empty colony and tree with the word "croatoan". -
Period: to
English Colonial Societies
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Tobacco
Tobacco was first harvested in the colony of Jamestown, Virginia by John Rolfe who obtained the seeds in Trinidad. With the production of tobacco, the dying colony of Jamestown was soon thriving from the amount of tobacco it was producing. Prior to the harvest Virginia had lost many of its settlers and was doomed to be a failure until John Rolfe discovered tobacco could be easily grown in the Chesapeake soil. -
Mayflower Compact
In order to thrive in the New World, the Puritans needed a bases to be able to make decisions in their new colony. Their temporary solution was the Mayflower Compact written in November of 1620. The Mayflower Compact said the colonist would be loyal to King James of Englad and enforced the colonist to live in one society and follow the Christian Faith. -
Barbados
Barbados was one of the first English settlements in the Caribbean under King James I. Barbados' land was deforested and used to plant tobacco and sugar cane. The production of crops like cotton, tobacco, and sugar cane was held together by indentured servants who were white people who needed a way to get to the New World. Slaves were later brought into the picture when more workers were needed to keep up with the high demand of production. -
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was a puritan women who moved from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1634. Around 1636, Hutchinson began holding weekly meetings that were in competition with John Cotton, a christian minister. She was later banished by the General Court of Massachusetts and excommunication by the Church of Boston. She later moved to New York where she and her family were killed in an Indian raid. -
New Amsterdam To New York
New Amsterdam was a Dutch colony that served as a vast trading post in North America that the West India Company helped set up as a joint stock company. Before 1640 trade was simply done by the West India Company, but eventually they opened their doors to other people who wanted to set up trading post. In 1664, New Amsterdam feel into English control, and the king granted his brother the Duke of York. -
Causes of the Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials started when young girls started acting possessed and claimed they were being bewitched by witches in town. The strong belief of superstitions and constant fear of neighboring native attacks made the people of Salem more susceptible to believing that the young girls were being controlled by the devil himself. As more trials occurred more women were accused of being witches and met death as their fate. -
Unification of England and Scotland
Prior to their unification, King James VI was the ruler of both the countries but they were considered two separate states. Together England and Scotland formed the United Kingdom of Great Britain. With the union came a new flag called the Union Jack containing the St. George and St. Andrew crosses. Although it seemed like a simple union, the Scots feared they would have just become a region for the British to claim. -
Period: to
Colonial America to 1763
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Triangular Trade
The Triangular Trade set up a network of trade that exchanged where slaves from Africa were purchased and sent to the Americas to work on the fields. After the slaves worked on the fields and harvested the raw goods, they were sent to Britain to be made into processed goods. Something things that came from the Triangular Trade are rum and sugar. The Middle Passage was the money-maker out of all the routes in the triangle. -
Sir Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton was a physicist and mathematician who discovered the laws of gravity. He moved on to create a reflecting telescope, and became a professor at Cambridge. He further advanced the enlightenment revolution happening in Europe at the time. Newton was also the inventor of an advanced math called calculus. He has multiple theories under his name like the theory of gravity and the light and color theory. -
Salutary Neglect
Salutary Neglect occurred when the British began raising and applying taxes on the colonies. The taxes were put on the colonist due to the war depth the French and Indian War brought to Britain. Because of Salutary Neglect, the British colonies plotted the Boston Tea Party, wrote the Declaration of Independence. The Founding Father's also kept Salutary Neglect in mind and made sure to include protection from it in the U.S Constitution. -
Georgia
Georgia was the last colony to be founded by the British in North America. Georgia served as protection for South Carolina from the Spaniards in Florida and the French in Louisiana. James Oglethorpe had banned slavery and liquor from his colony, but many were against it and caused a dispute. The colony of Georgia was a safe heaven for those who were being prosecuted or persecuted in Europe. There was only one group of people who were not allowed in Georgia, and they were the Catholics. -
George Washington's Role
George Washington, born in February 22, 1732, was the commander for the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Washington gained some military experience from fighting and commanding a small regime in the French and Indian War. He was the president of the convention that wrote the U.S Constitution, and eventually became the first president of the United States of America. -
Fort William Henry
Although Ft. William Henry was a British fort that opened in 1755, the siege of Ft. Henry didn't take place until two years later during the French and Indian War. The French held the siege of the fort, and their British opponents had to surrender the fort. A massacre happens the next day and Fort William Henry is set to flame. -
Treaty of Paris - 1763
The Treaty of Paris - 1763 is the treaty that formally ended the French and Indian War. The treaty proposed that France would lose all of its territory in the mainland North America. This granted the colonies safety from foreign treats regarding France and its allies. French - Louisiana was handed over to Spain as result of the treaty. Because of the Treaty of Paris, conflict between the Colonist and Britain arose. -
Period: to
The Revolutionary war 1763-1783
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Militias
Militias were made up of colonist who were community based or unofficial armies for the community. The Minute Men were a militia that were ready to fight to or go to battle in no time. Militias were the basis of the American Revolution, and supplied men that were able to fight in war. After the war, the president was able to call upon militia. -
"Drunk" Indians - Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a protest against British taxation. The British Parliament put a tax on tea that caused the colonies to become outraged. In particular the Son's of Liberty where the masterminds behind the idea of dumping tea into the Boston Harbor. The drunk men disguised themselves as Indians so all the blame could be put on them and not the colonist. The drunken men climb on three ship and dump 342 chest of tea in to the water. -
Guerilla Warfare
The Guerrila Warfare was a type of hit and run tactic. The American soldiers were up against the best army in the world at the time, the British. With this warfare, Americans had the element of surprise on their side and could actually destroy a well trained army. The term "Guerilla" first came from the Spaniards while battling in the Peninsular War. This tactic was used by the Spaniards, Americans, Indians and other types. -
Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry was known for protesting the tyranny of the Crown and served in the Virginia House Burgesses and Continental Congress. He spoke to the people of Virginia and asked of them to get their arms ready and fight the British. Henry is responsible for the "Give me liberty, or give me death" quote he delivered in his speech in the year 1775. He opposed many tariffs and taxes like the stamp act. He advocated the need of liberty and urged people to stand up the unfairness they lived in. -
Shot Heard 'Round the World
In the Battle of Lexington the first shot of the American Revolution was fired. No one is sure of who fired the first shot but what came after was the first battle for the American colonist. The minutemen prepared their arms the second they heard the Redcoats where on their way to Lexington and Concord. Captain John Parker led 77 minute men against the grand British army, and at the end of the battle, 8 Americans died and 10 were wounded while the British only had one soldier who was wounded. -
Thomas Paine
Thomas was the author "Common Sense", published in 1776. In this pamphlet, Paine depicts reasons why the colonies should seek freedom from the crown of Britain. He was one of the first to openly say that the British colonies needed to become independent. Thomas Paine challenged Britain and gained support from the colonist just by simply vocalizing his opinions on a pamphlet. At first he published it anonymously for his own safety. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga was the first battle that the Americans won during the American Revolution. With this battle the French were convinced that America was able to fend off the British and decided to aide them in the war. Britain had planned to invade America from Canada and called the strategy Divide and Conquer. Spies were used by both parties in the war and sent messages throughout. This was had a direct impact on the military career of George Washington. -
Republicanism
Deriving from the Greek, republicanism is a virtue in which citizens get to vote for the one they want to govern them. James Madison was sure that the intelligent population should be the leaders and decision makers for the country. The new country of the United States did not want to go back to a monarchy so the idea of republicanism introduced popular sovereignty to the U.S and has been adopted as the new system America has for centuries. -
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The Constitution
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Currency
The Articles of Confederation did not enforce one single form of currency, meaning the states could print their own money. Eventually the differences in currency throughout the country complicated trade in the United States and with other foreign countries. Over printing added to the failure of the currency system the Articles of Confederation allowed. As states printed too much of their money, the value went down and their economy went into an inflation. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion was a protest of farmers who were angry about tax collections and the state of their businesses.They went against the government in 1786. Farmers rioted against anyone who supported the government and or where the leading market owners at the time. Shay's Rebellion opened the door to the truth of the Articles of Confederation.From Shay's Rebellion it was evident that the need for a new government was needed, so the push for the Constitutional Convention had started. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance created a settlement in the newly acquired Northwest territory proposing there should be 3 to 5 new states in that area. There are actually multiple ordinances that were established in the U.S for states to undergo the process of statehood. Thomas Jefferson was the mastermind behind the Ordinance of 1787, stating that the admission into the Union would require a population of 60-thousand and that slavery and involuntary servitude would be banned from those new states. -
Slavery
While some of the Founding Fathers claimed to find slavery repugnant, a few of them had owner ship of slaves. The Southern economy relied on the backs of slaves, and they were not going to accept the removal of slavery. The south didn't only stop at that, they wanted their slaves to count as part of their population so they could get more votes. This upset northern colonies, so the 3/5's compromise was made. 3 out 5 slaves would now be counted as part of the population in the south. -
Virginia Plan
The Virginia Plan was outlined by James Madison, and carried out an arrangement of a strong central government containing three branches of government. The system of checks and balances was also put in the plan to avoid any injustice of power. The plan has two houses that have different terms and are population based. This seemed like an issue because at the time Virginia had a huge population and would get more votes, while smaller states like Connecticut would get less. -
New Jersey Plan
The New Jersey Plan, also known as the Small State Plan, was proposed after the Virginia Plan. The plan proposed a one house government where each state had the same amount votes each. In general the plan was just an adjustment of the Articles of Confederation. The plan was meant to protect small states like New Jersey, Maryland and Connecticut, but larger state, mainly the south opposed of the plan. The Virginia Plan beat the unicameral plan of the New Jersey Plan. -
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New Republic
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Federalist
The Federalist supported a strong central government instead of a state power. They wished on the ratification of the Constitution to help manage some of the debts that were caused due to the American revolution. The Federalist Party was officially formed in 1795 by Alexander Hamilton, making it the first political in the United States of America. The Federalist Party drew the attention of business owners who wanted the government to administer the money. -
First Cabinet
George Washington's First Cabinet was approved by the Senate in 1789. Washington's cabinet members included Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State, Alexander Hamilton was the Secretary of Treasure, Henry Knox was the Secretary of War and lastly Edmund Randolph was the Attorney General. The current number of cabinet members today is 16, while Washington only had four. George specifically chose those men because they were well fitted for the job and came from different regions of the country. -
District of Columbia
The Residence Act authorized the piece of land selected by George Washington as the official permanent capitol of the United States. The plot of land is in between Virginia and Maryland on the northern bank of the Potomac River. Two years after the land for Washington was established, the White House was built, and a year later the U.S Capitol Building. Although George Washington was the one who decided the area and also saw builders build the White House he never got to live in it. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights was first deemed unnecessary to the First Congress during the writing of the Constitution. James Madison started planning a bill of rights and listened to other's opinions on what should be on the document. The amendments needed to be ratified by 11 states before they could be placed into the constitution. In total there were 12 amendments ratified but the first ten are called the Bill of Rights. These rights made sure citizens were never to be ruled over by a tyrant. -
Jay's Treaty
Jay's Treaty was made to balance out the tension between the United States and Britain. Prior to the treaty, there was a seizure of American ships by the British Navy. George Washington, who was the current president was avoiding any type of war because the United States was a very young country. Conflict between the government arose, some wanted to stay in Britain's good side, while others wanted to make peace with France. Debate over if the treaty should be signed arose. -
XYZ Affair
The XYZ Affair almost brought United States and France into war. President John Adams sent three committee men to settle with the French ambassador, but instead were met with three diplomats who initiated a bribe and ordered a loan from the U.S to France. When word got out to the states, there was a war outcry. As the U.S was getting for war, the Convention of 1800 was occurring in order for the dispute to go away. The Treaty of Mortefontaine restored the friendship of the U.S and France. -
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Age of Jefferson
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Judicial Review
Judicial Review is the process that the supreme court can check the power of Congress by being able to declare something unconstitutional. Marbury v Madison. was a pivotal case for Judicial Review. Marbury had been appointed as a justice of the peace a couple hours before Madison's term had ended. Jefferson was the next president and did not give the job to any of the people Madison appointed. Marbury took it to court and it was ruled that Jefferson did wrong, but the Judiciary Act was invalid. -
Sacagawea
Sacagawea was an Indigenous woman who accompanied and aided the Lewis and Clark expedition. With her ability to speak two languages a chain of translations that included more than three languages was available. While on the expedition Sacagawea was caring for her infant son, Baptiste, and collecting plants, herbs, roots and berries for the men to use as medicine and food. Sacagawea and Charbonneau remained in contact with Clark, and made him Baptiste 's God father. She later died in 1812. -
Embargo Act of 1807
America through out early 1800 was being tugged around by Britain and France. The two countries were in an ongoing war and the U.S was neutral through out it. France passed a law that prohibited trade with neutral countries while Britain began impressing American men. America felt violated and disrespected as an individual country so Jefferson cut off any ties with both the countries as well as trade. American ships did not have access to foreign trips, but that upset the merchant community. -
Andrew Jackson
Serving as a the first representative of the new state of Tennessee prior to the War of 1812, where he served as a war general, Jackson had studied law in North Carolina. Jackson led American troops and defeated the British in the War of 1812 after the Treaty of Ghent had officially ended the war. After all his accomplishments, Jackson ran for president and became the leader of the Democratic Party. Jackson created a new era of called the Common Man, the era of frontier men. -
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The American Industrial Revolution
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Era of Good Feelings
The Era of Good Feelings was occurring during a time of economical depression, but for the political aspect, the Democratic-Republicans where the last party standing in this era. What this meant was that America was now under a one party system, 85% of Congress where Democratic-Republicans. During this era, people were following Federalist ideals of government like the chartering of The Second Bank of The United States. Martin Van Buren later forming a second party that destroyed this era. -
McCullouch v. Maryland
McCullouch v. Maryland was a court case between McCullouch who was a cashier for the Second Bank of the United States and the state of Maryland. The reason why the court case is an important one is because Maryland did not have the power to tax the bank at all because it was federal property made under the Constitution.The bank is ale to set up anywhere around the United States. The state of Maryland could not destroy the bank therefore it did not have the right to be able tax. -
Panic of 1819
After the War of 1812, the United States fell into an economic downfall. Banks all around the country were shutdown along with mortgages, causing people to move out of their land. The Second Bank of the United States' purpose was to balance out any form of bubble that would destroy the economy, but earlier development failure caused it to misfire. European demands on American goods went down, so price of farm goods plummeted. There was a large population of debtors in prisons from the panic. -
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A Changing Culture
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Adams- Onis Treaty (1819)
The Adams-Onis Treaty was signed between the U.S and Spain in 1819, but wasn't ratified until 1821. The treaty helped settle border disputes between the two countries especially in the Louisiana and Florida territories. John Adams negotiated with the Spanish minister Luis Onis over the treaty and concluded the border of the United States began at the mouth of the Sabine River. The U.S got Florida out of the Treaty and ended up paying a fine of around 5 million dollars for breaking boundaries. -
John C. Calhoun
Calhoun was known to be a spokesman for the slave-plantation system in the south. When he was a congressman he aided in leading the United States into war with the British. He established the Second Bank of The United States. He served as the U.S secretary of war and vice president. Calhoun did not shy back on his disagreement of California becoming a slave free state and was well known for seeking the security of the institution of slavery in the south. -
Corrupt Bargain
During the election of 1824, four candidates for presidency were running. The election was super close but Andrew Jackson won the popular vote over John Quincy Adams by seven points. To make matters not so good for Jackson, none of the candidates received the greater number of votes in the electoral college. The final decision came down to the House of Representatives. Henry Clay secured the spot for Adams by signing a coalition. Jackson supporters called this the Corrupt Bargain. -
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Age of Jackson
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Temperance Movement
The Temperance movement was lead by woman who had witnessed the power of alcohol on their husbands. During this time, alcohol was blamed for societies issues, health issues and crime. In the early 1800 temperance associations were established in both Massachusetts and New York. Temperance was such a huge thing that even people of different religions found it an important issue. Temperance groups were set up around the 1830's to help people rid of their drinking problems. -
Second Party System
The year 1828 presented a turning point in the American Party system. The Democratic party didn't form until 1828, however, Democratic thinking was diffusing into the culture around 1800. Andrew Jackson was the first Democratic president, and his supporters referred to themselves as Democrats. The Whigs were a second party created by Henry Clay, and were derived from Republican ideals. The Whigs were the biggest opponents of Jackson and anything Democrat. -
Democratic Mascot
Jackson's opponents used to call him a jack*** during his presidential campaign. Instead of getting mad Jackson turned that name into his mascot for his new political party. Jackson thought the image of the donkey was strong-willed and used on his campaign papers. A cartoonist named Thomas Nast drew a picture of the Donkey and has now been the official mascot for the Democratic party ever since. Democrats today say that the Donkey is smart and brave. -
Death of Jackson's Wife Rachel
During Jackson's campaign for presidency, Rachel Jackson fell ill. As the campaign moved further Rachel's condition was worse. The medical disease she had was hard to determine, but many suspect it was a heart attack or murmur. She died on December 22, 1828, almost one month after Jackson won the presidency. She had symptoms of a sickness around 1825, but Jackson believed it was the stress from all the political backlash he and his wife had received during the election. -
Eastern State Penitentiary
On October 25, 1829, Eastern State Penitentiary was opened and as the first modern prison the United States ever had. The first ever prisoner received in the penitentiary was Charles Williams who was sentenced as a prisoner. The idea behind the prison was to change the way inmates behaved under confinement in solitary and labor work. The prison was around 11 acres with plumbing and sewage systems and included around 450 heated cells. Eastern State Penitentiary was the model for modern prison. -
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith founded the Church of Latter-Day Saints in Fayette, New York. Joseph Smith became a martyr after he was killed in a mob while he was in jail. During the time he was living he had manage to get his supporters from 6 to 26,000. His childhood consisted of him being educated for three years and then being thought straight out of the bible. Joseph Smith was best known for translating the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ in just three months. -
Indian Removal Act 1830
May 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. This act allowed granted land west of the Mississippi River to the Indians in exchange for their Native land on the east of the Mississippi . Although the removal was supposed to be voluntary and peaceful, it did not go that way at all. The Cherokee people were forced out of their land and march their way west. Around 4,000 Cherokee died on the Trail of Tears -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
One the closest slave rebellions to be anywhere near successful was the Nat Turner's Rebellion. The leader was Nathaniel Turner, who believed he heard voices telling him that he needs to revolt against the white people who owned him. From the rebellion, 75 were part of the cause and 51 white men resulted dead. The Travis family was murdered, and that's where the rebel forces got a hold of guns. Turner hid for 6 weeks until he was found and hung. Southerners were afraid and applied harsher laws. -
Tariff Act of 1832
The Tariff of 1832 was meant to clear the air for the south when the Tariff of 1828 was placed. Both of the tariffs ended up being strongly opposed by the southern states as it increased the value and cost of goods in the south. The north and west were not affected since it was a tariff that was made to protect them from foreign competition. The south claimed that the the tariffs were unconstitutional, from there John C. Calhoun started organizing the Nullification Doctrine. -
Steamboats
By 1834, steamboat arrivals in New Orleans skyrocketed to 1200 a year. Steamboats brought in cargo made up of cotton, sugar and other goods down and up stream. The first ever successful steamboat was built in 1807 by a man named Robert Fulton. It wasn't until after his invention that people started using them for their capable purpose. Steamboats were large contributors of the United States' economy prior to the invention of the railroad. -
Shakers
Shakers derived from Manchester England during the colonization era. Their actual name is The Unites Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, but were nicknamed shakers because they would tremble and shake during their worships. The Shakers believed that Christ would come for the second time and their leader was going to tell them when. In the 1830's Shakers were at their prime time with almost 18 Shaker communities. Just like other religion they were persecuted for being different. -
Lower South
The states in the Lower South were Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. These southern states' economies relied solely on the labor of slaves because their main cash crops were cotton and sugar. Before the Civil War these states were the most worried about losing slavery since that is how they made their money. Because this region has the most agriculturally based economy, it had to rely on the northern states for supplies. -
Iron Plow
In 1837 John Deere invented a farming tool that would ease up tough soil. Prior to the Iron plow, people had to make do with wooden ones, but they would break easily. He developed and built the plows in 1837 but didn't start selling them until 1838. When he first sold the iron plow it was a huge success. His company was incorporated in 1868, but by 1855 he was selling around 10,000 per year. John Deere became a millionaire in under 50 years, and his company is still running today. -
Panic of 1837
Under Martin Van Buren's administration, had to cope with the result of former President Jackson's financial decisions. After the shut down of the Second Bank of The United States, the economy fell into a funnel. Jackson had moved all federal funds into state banks but they had brash credit policies that ate away the economy. When Van Buren was elected, banks started to close and people shut down their businesses. There was a huge amount of people that had lost their job due to the panic. -
First Police Forces
The first full-duty officers were established in Boston 1838. As a huge shipping and commercial city, Boston merchants wanted more protection shipping their goods from the Boston Harbor. For a while the merchants were paying people to provide them protection. Eventually merchants decided that they shouldn't be paying for the police force and argued that it was actually a good for the people. By the time 1880's arrived, almost every city in the United States had a police precinct. -
Frederick Douglass
At the age of 20, Frederick Douglass escaped from his slave owners and became a prominent anti-slavery activist.as one of the most important black American leaders of the 19th century, Douglass wrote three biographies that are considered good examples of slavery in the south. He was an abolitionist in the 1840's and advocated against Jim Crow laws and lynching in the 1890's. Douglass edited for an influential black newspaper and became famous internationally. -
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was an opportunity for people living out in the east to move into the frontier. The trail stretched from Missouri and ended in Willamette Valley or the gold fields of California. The Oregon Trail moved through the Great Plain, and the dangerous Continental Divide. In total around 400,000 pioneers traveled its trails in the years between 1840 and 1860. Diseases and wagon accidents were common while on the trip. Different roads were used by pioneers to hunt. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The first ever woman's rights convention was held in Seneca Falls with around 200 women that attended. Elizabeth Cady Staton and Lucretia Mott who were both abolitionist. Staton modeled the Declaration of Sentiments and Grievances after the Declaration of Independence. The declaration called on women to petition for the injustices inflicted on women in the United States. Staton wrote in her declaration that all men and women were created equal, and created the first woman's suffrage movement. -
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Westward Expansion
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Irish
The massive migration of Irish immigrants was from the cause of the Potato Famine that occurred in Ireland. Ireland's fields were no longer able to support farms due to the color of the soil turning black. Irish emigrants were discriminated in the United States due to the fact that many lacked the skill most people had in the U.S. That sort of situation created a stigma towards the Irish even though some did have useful jobs like blacksmiths. Irish were used to fill in spots for cheap labor. -
The Telegraph
The first ever telegraph message was sent in 1844 by the man who invented it, Samuel Morse. The telegraph revolutionized the way of communication because now messages were almost instantaneous compared to waiting for someone to take a message by horse. The code used to decipher the telegraph is the Morse Code. Each letter was given a set of dots to identify that word. Eventually people were able to decipher the Morse Code just by listening to the beeps that occurred while a message was sent. -
Battle of San Jacinto
By 1845, Texas became part of the Union, by declaring independence from Mexico. The Battle of San Jacinto took place in 1836 near present day Houston, Texas. The victory at San Jacinto captured hundreds of Mexican soldiers including the Mexican General, Santa Anna. For his freedom, Santa Anna agreed to sign a treaty that recognized Texas as an independent country and retreated across the Rio Grande River. Sam Houston became the first out of 4 presidents Texas would end up having. -
Sam Houston
Sam Houston was born in Virginia, and became a lawyer, congressman and senator for the state of Tennessee. Sam Houston moved to Texas and he became part of people who were in the conflict with the Mexican Government. Houston served in the War of 1812, where he got military experience to lead the Texas army against Santa Anna's forces. General Houston led his army to San Jancinto in 1836 and defeated the Mexican Army. Texas had become independent and Sam Houston was the first president of Texas. -
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
Santa Anna was the Mexican officer who was at the center of all the Mexican battles during the 19th century. Santa Anna started off his career by fighting in by Mexico's side when Spain tried to reconquer them. He became a war hero, known as The hero of Tampico. Since he was well known he was able to snag the Presidency that later turned into a dictatorship. He defeated the Texans in the Siege of Bexar, but one military error cost him his chance to win at the Battle of San Jancinto. -
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant graduated West Point in 1842 then had moved on to fight in the Mexican-American War in the years 1846-1848. He served as Junior Officer in an infantry in Missouri. After the Mexican-American War, he went on to command the Union army during the American Civil War. He had the command over all the U.S armies and had aggressive strategies that had not been seen by the previous Generals. He defeated General Lee and decided to run for president in 1869. -
Zach Taylor
Zachary Taylor had a rich history of military experience that deemed him a war hero in the United States. He defeated the exceptional Mexican army in the Battle of Palo Alto near present day Brownsville, Texas. Taylor was sent by President James Polk to defend the Rio Grande River as the border of U.S and Mexico. Taylor invaded Mexican territory and led a war for 10 months gaining control of some northern Mexican States. -
Rail Roads
Rail Roads were in use since the 1820's but it wasn't until the late 1840's were new inventions to make the railroads faster were done. Railroads at the time were being built by immigrants who worked for cheap labor in California. Railroads served as a fast way to transport needs to different areas that were once hard to get to. For example the Appalachian Mountains had 5 major railroads being crossed on them in the 1950's. And innovations like the steam engine replaced horse powered trains. -
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Sectionalism
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Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War and secured the United State's win. The war was over a territorial dispute that included Texas. In addition the treaty gave the U.S 525,000 square miles of land on the west coast of the continent. The Rio Grande River was the official border between Mexico and the United States.The U.S paid in return $15 million dollars to Mexico and agreed to settle all the claims of U.S citizens against Mexico. -
Chinese Migration
When mews of the Californian Gold Rush in 1849 broke out, immigrants from China were ready to seek fortune. The majority of Chines migrants were unskilled workers who were seeking for better lives for their families and themselves. Chinese immigrants were treated well at the beginning of the Gold Rush because they were hard working and added an exotic feel to the country. But when the Gold rush started to simmer, and people got more frustrated, the Chinese were the only ones to blame. -
Abolitionist
The Fugitive Slave act of 1850 sparked an abolitionist movement in the North. The act permitted slave owners to get their slaves who escaped and went to the north. The problem was that the Northern citizens were now expected to aide the Southern people who were looking for their slaves. If someone refused they were to be fined or dealt with. Uncle Tom's Cabin created a massive abolitionist movement as northerners were horrified of the literature depicting slavery. -
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe was a well known abolitionist who in response to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1852, she wrote the novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin". The book was a success selling almost 300,000 copies and capturing the talk of the town because she was a woman. Women were not involved in the affairs of the country and were often looked upon when they did. In fact no one expected Stowe's book to become a huge success that it even opened up the door for woman to participate in public affairs. -
Bleeding Kansas
The Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise, and changed the way states determined if they were slave or free states. When the decision to become a slave or free state came for Kansas, floods of pro and anti slavery believers swarmed into the voting ballots. The use of popular-sovereignty created friction inside of Kansas and the violence of Bleeding Kansas began. John Brown an abolitionist led his people in Kansas, later moving south to Harper's Ferry, Virginia. -
Republican Party
The Republican Party was the party against slavery that was founded in the March of 1854. Their anti-slavery beliefs gained them a strong support base in the North. Southern states were the opposing team being that their party was mostly pro-slavery. Republicans had one the Presidency in 1856, and that upset the southern states more, so they started threatening to secede from the Union if another Republican candidate won the election of 1860. -
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter had gone under a series of wars and reconstruction. Being opened in 1811, the fort was used for the war of 1812 against the British. Fort Sumter did not become established until 1829 while it was still being repaired. Fort Sumter was halted from construction in 1859 due to the lack of funding and in 1860 the outer fort was complete, but the inside remained damaged. Fort Sumter is well known and important for being one of the first battles of the Civil War. -
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the official army of the Union. During the early years of the Civil War, the Potomac suffered through many defeats against the Confederate forces. The Battle of Antietam was one of the first successes for the Union because the Potomac were able to stop the Confederate invasion. The Army of the Potomac would mainly be defeated because they did not have a good leader compared to the north. After a while the Potomac began defeating the Confederate, which ended the war. -
Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee's career as a military officer in the U.S Civil War was full of ups and downs. Lee was the commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, and achieved successful outcomes with that army in the war. In spring 1863, Lee had led his men north to invade the Union army at the Battle of Gettysburg, where he resulted at a major loss in the war. General Lee surrendered his forces in April 1865 at the Appomattox Courthouse. In regard to the war, Lee was stripped of his citizenship. -
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The Civil War
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Clara Barton
Throughout the Civil War, Clara Barton wanted to help soldiers in any way possible. She started of helping by collecting supplies for the Union Army. She ended up becoming an independent nurse and saw her first war in the Battle of Frederickburg, Virginia. She cared for the wounded soldiers and herself the nick-name "Angel of the Battlefield" because she had marvelous outcomes. After the Civil War, Clara Barton became the President of The American Red Cross. -
Twenty Negro Law
The Twenty Negro Law was made by the Confederacy to exempt any slave owner who had 20 or more slaves.This was controversial because wealthy white people were immune to the law while the poor people, non-slave owners and small farmers of the south had to be drafted into the war. The rich white male population did not suffer through the war because there were numerous laws that were favored to their good. The law was later changed to where the minimum was 15 slaves. -
Civil War Nurses
It wasn't uncommon for women to volunteer as nurses in the Civil War. When the war was barely started, wounded soldiers were taken to military hospitals, but it wasn't until the Battle of Bull Run, women began caring for men in the field. Nursing Corps organized by Dorothea Dix and Clara Burton were set up and woman came to help. These women lacked the training to become a nurse but were super resourceful and got the hang of it. The Civil War opened up a job profession once done by men to women. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Abraham Lincoln was determined to preserve the Union, so abolishing slavery was not his first priority in the Civil War. He knew that the abolition of slavery would not be supported by the south nor the north so he aimed for a different motive. Before the actual Emancipation Proclamation was issued, Abraham Lincoln waited for a major Union victory to warn the south that on January 1,1863 all slaves will be freed. The Emancipation freed 3 million people who were slaves. -
Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is considered to be one of the most impressive speeches in American History. Abraham delivered the speech in 1863 at the National Cemetery of Gettysburg where the bloodiest battle of the Civil War took place. Lincoln was the second speaker to speak at the gathering after Edward Everett, who's speech was two hours long. Lincoln's speech was 273 words and lasted for only two minute. The nation was moved by the words Lincoln wrote in his speech. -
Black Codes
Black codes constructed another form of slavery, by economically replicating it. Freed were stopped from exhibiting freed rights, like the right to vote, right to serve on juries and the right to rent and lease land. The Black Codes enforced the slavery lifestyle in the sound. Free adult men had no other choice but to sign contracts with previous owners so they could work for them and earn a wage. Freemen who violated the codes were thrown back into a slave lifestyle. -
Lincoln's 10% Plan
Lincoln's 10% Plan was an easy punishment for the south. It proposed that a state that had left the Union would be admitted back until 10% of the voters swear an oath to the Union. High ranking officers were not pardoned at all for their service in the war. The reason why Lincoln's 10% Plan was agreed by many was because some republicans, and Lincoln himself, feared that if the war was too overdrawn, the Union would never get back together. -
Carpetbaggers
Carpetbaggers had two different types of people, the ones who came to help the newly freed slaves and the one who came for economical gain for themselves. Carpetbaggers were northerners looked down upon by the southerners who claimed they were exploiting them. Carpetbaggers were actually well-educated middle class people, despite what southerners thought and said of them. A great majority of Carpetbaggers were concerned about the civil and political rights of the former slaves. -
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Reconstruction
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Impeachment Proceedings - Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the first impeached President of the U.S. He was granted for an impeachment for trying to remove Edwin M. Staton from his Secretary of War office. Johnson was already in hot water when he tried to remove Staton the first time because congress was discussing impeachment. When the second time came , the House of Representatives undertook an official impeachment trial for President Johnson. In order to convict Johnson, the people against Johnson needed to get 2/3 rds of votes. -
Enforcement Acts 1870
Enforcement Acts banned people from forming a group and terrorizing other groups of people. The Enforcement Acts were placed to enforce the assimilation of Americans into the society, but southern hate groups were not having it. The Third Force Act allowed the president to impose armed forces against anyone who does not want equal protection. When the end of Reconstruction Acts came, the Enforcement Acts were ignored and the segregation returned. -
Jim Crow
In 1875 the Supreme Court reversed one the key elements of the Civil Rights Act, that stated segregation should not occur between people. After being repealed, whites and people of color were considered equal but meant to be separated. The years between 1887 and 1892, 9 states required their citizens to be parted from each other in public places like railroads. The name Jim Crow derived from a character in a play. The character was always played by a white man in black face. -
Statues
Confederate statues were built to revere the Confederate Generals and fallen soldiers. The statues were funded by women of the south to glorify the leaders. The United Daughters of The Confederacy influenced the whole era of "greatness" the south had embellished because of the Civil War. In fact most of the statues are not historically correct as some if not most were built years after the Civil War. The statues were built to defend the Confederacy for the most part.
