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Period: 2000 BCE to
Beginnings to Exploration
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638
The Dark Ages: Catholic Church
.The Catholic church was the dominant power in this era, however, they were corrupt. They had come away from teachings of the Bible and many people began to turn to reason rather than religion. This age was important because the ideas that came out of it were the roots for movements such as The Enlightenment and The Great Awakening. -
1193
The Crusades
The Crusades were wars that were fought between the Christians and their "enemies" (the Muslims) to regain Christian territory. People who fought in the war were promised indulgences. Both the Muslims and Christians had their fair share of wins, recapturing land. The importance of the Crusades to American history is the technological advances in navigation that the Christians brought to Europe from the Middle East. These technologies would later help the European exploration of the new world. -
Jun 7, 1449
Treaty of Tordesillas
The Treaty of Tordesillas was used to settle land disputes and split the "new world" between Spain & Portugal. It had a demarcation line 70 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands. Spain "won" in the end because they gained almost all of North and South America. This treaty benefited the "old world", but hurt native people because it stated that any land with a "Cristian King" would not be colonized. Therefore, they had the chance to take over & build the empires that made way for modern America. -
1492
Columbian Exchange
The Columbian exchange began in 1492 after the arrival of Columbus in American. It was the exchange of disease, animals, plants, and technology between the new and old world. It affected both by introducing new crops to Europe and bringing new technology (gun and other weapons), animals (horses) and several diseases to the Americas. This was important because these diseases caused high death rates among the natives further aiding in the European take over of the new world. -
1512
The Encomienda System
The Encomienda system was a form of social stratification that was put into place by the Spanish in their American colonies in !512. The Native Americans were forced to provide labor and tribute to the Spaniards. They used is to take control of them and make themselves kind of a nobility.It had highly adverse effects on the natives because they were forced to give up land and labor. This was important to American history because it served as a base for future social/caste systems and slavery. -
The Reformation
The Reformation was a religious movement in Europe that questioned Catholic authority and was led by reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin. It began with events like Martin Luther's 95 Theses and Henry the VIII's start of the Church of England and ended with the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia. It was the base of the Protestant religion and other branches breaking away from the Catholic church. These religions would later go to the "new world" to avoid persecution and colonize. -
Beginning of the English Colonization
English colonization began with the establishment of the colony of Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. They were late to colonization in comparison to the other big Europeans countries such as France and Spain. The success of this colony led to several other colonies being established and which would later revolt against the mother country and develop America as an independent country. It also greatly benefitted England and helped further develop them into one of the world's greatest powers. -
Period: to
English Colonial Societies
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Tobacco
In 1612, John Rolfe introduced a new type of tobacco to the colony of Jamestown and it became the first successful cash crop in the colonies. It became their largest export. It greatly benefited their economy and allowed for them to grow. It was not only important because of the prosperity it brought to the colonies, but also because it supported the indentured servant system since there was such a need for labor to grow this crop. It brought in several people greatly expanding the colony. -
Headright System
The Headright system was a system created in Jamestown in which people who came and paid voyage to Virginia would receive 50 acres of land. It was a way of getting more people to live in the colonies because with the emergence of the tobacco economy, there was a big need for labor. Most of the people in the headright system were indentured servants who would work for a few years and then move on to live on their own. It was successful in expanding the colony. -
Slavery began in the American colonies
The first slaves in America were brought over in 1619 to the colony of Jamestown, Virginia. They were mainly used for farming and cultivating crops such a tobacco. As the agricultural economies grew, so did the need for slaves. They were mainly used in southern colonies because of the climate for farming, however, they were still used in the north, but for more domestic jobs. This was important because slavery would cause future issues between the north and south leading to the civil war. -
The Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was signed on November 21st, 1620 and was signed by almost all the male adult passengers onboard the Mayflower. It was the first agreement about self-government in American history and was the foundation for Plymouth's government. It established laws and social rules. One of those "laws" was that adult males, not including servants had the right to vote on things for the colony. This was important because it was one of the first examples democracy in the colonies. -
The Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts were laws that were passed by the British parliament to regulate trade for the American colonies in a way that benefited the British economy. The regulations included restricted trade to England, preventing them from trading with other European countries. This was important because it upset the colonists and was one of the things that slowly pushed them into rebellion and revolution against British government and control. -
The Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trial were trials in Massachusettes that convicted over 200 people of working with the devil and had even had about 20 of them executed. It was caused by mass paranoia of the Puritans and with tensions starting to grow between people in the community of Salem, people began to accuse each other. It is important because it resulted in in mistrust in the government because of possible accusations and shown the negative effect that can be caused by combining religion and government. -
Act of Union (1707)
The Act of Union (1707) was an act passed by the Scottish and English parliaments that unified their two countries. The act was signed on January 16, 1707, and on May 1st, 1707 the Scottish parliament ended and the United Kingdom of Great Britain was created. It was important because Great Britain's focus was on the union, therefore British law was not enforced in the colonies. This allowed the colonies to have more control over local government and a bigger sense of independence. -
The Triangular Trade
The Triangular Trade was a trade route that followed a triangular path between America, Europe, and Africa. Raw materials, such as sugar, cotton, and tobacco were exported from America to Europe to be manufactured. These manufactures products would then be sent to Africa. Then Africa would send slaves to America and the Carribean colonies to help cultiate more raw goods. It was kind of a cycle of commerce. -
Period: to
Colonial America
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steam engine
The steam engine played a significant role in the industrial revolution because it was one of the greatest advancements in transportation. It allowed for people to travel faster than ever before and even aided in U.S. expansion into the west. It also provided a need for labor to build and lay tracks. -
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a cultural movement focused on reason, science, and intellect. It affected the American colonies because it suggested following reason over blind faith and religion. Ideas explored in the age of Enlightenment were the basis for very important documents such as the constitution. Concepts like natural rights also blossomed in this time period furthering the development of America being built on the foundation of democracy rather than religion. -
The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was a religious revival that was a reaction to the secularism of The Enlightenment. It focused on gaining a greater intimacy with God and what was a more personal approach to religion rather than strictly following the church. There was a greater choice when it came to spiritual needs. It was important because it changed the way people dealt with religion and the difference in opinion it led to. Also, some elite universities were founded becuase of it. -
Start of Slave Rebellions
This was one of the first slave rebellions in colonial history. In Stono, South Carolina, about 80 armed slaves planned to walk to Florida to find refuge. They had a kind of battle when confronted by armed rights. About forty-four blacks and twenty-one whites were killed. This event was important because although it wasn't successful, it was a large rebellion and it led the way for many more to come. -
Slave Codes
The Slave Codes were a series of laws established in each state (laws varied by state) against slaves to give the owners complete power. They were established out of fear because of slave rebellions, which is why one of the law prohibited slaves from owning weapons. Others, like prohibiting slaves from reading and writing, were put in place to have more control over slaves and make it harder for them to communicate. -
Ohio Company of Virginia
The Ohio Company of Virginia was established in 1748 by a group of wealthy Virginians. The goal was to acquire land west of the Appalachian mountains from the British government. They would buy it then sell at a higher price to settlers moving west. This was significant to American history because it helped expand the country west and get land that previously belonged to Britain. -
The French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was a war fought between Britain and France (with the natives fighting alongside the French) over territory started on May 8th, 1756 and ended on February 2nd, 1763. The British won and gained large amounts of land, including "New France" and ended French rule in North America. However, the war caused tense relations with frontier natives and raids. These frontier disputes and war expenses caused the colonists to grow unhappy, furthering their motives for a revolution. -
Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne was a very significant part of the French and Indian War. The fort belonged to the French and was a very important location at the intersection of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers which allowed for trade with the Native Americans. The Americans attempted to take it on September 14, 1758 which resulted in a battle. This was a push into the French and Indian War. -
Period: to
The Revolutionary War
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The Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treat of Paris ended the French and Indian war in 1763. It stated that France would give up all its territory in mainland North America. Although this was a major win for Britain and the colonies, it only furthered the tensions between them, leaving them with major war debt. -
The Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were established in 1767, and placed a tax on products in the colonies such as glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. It was important because it upset the colonist and pushed them into rebellion against the British government. They saw it as unfair that England decided to pass this acts without colonist representation in parliament. English parliament repealed these acts in 1770 but kept the tax on tea as a way to show the "right" it had to place taxes on the colonies. -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a skirmish between the colonists and a group of redcoats. It started with colonist throwing stick, snowballs, and stones caused by the tensions between the two groups. In response, the British began shooting because of miscommunication. In total 5 colonists were killed. This was a significant push towards the revolution. Colonists that supported the revolt used the event as propaganda against the British publishing it in newspapers and victimizing themselves. -
The Boston Tea Party
On the night of December 16th, 1773, the Sons of Liberty boarded three ships in the Boston Harbor dressed as "Indians" threw 342 cases of tea overboard. They did it as an act of defiance against the taxation on tea and pushed the colonies closer to war against Britain.The British parliament, in response, created what were know as the intolerable acts as a form of punishing the colonist. This in turn created a snoball effect of events tha led to the American Revolution. -
Common Sense by Thomas Paine
Common Sense by Thomas Paine was published on January 10, on 1776. It was very important to American history because the things written in it laid a foundation for the ideals of independence that pushed the colonists into the revolution. The concepts in it were able to become widespread because it was cheap. It discussed ideas based around democracy and independence. -
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was written by the founding fathers on July 4th, 1776 and signed on August 2nd of that year. It declared the colonies independence from England, talked about basic rights and listed complains that the colonies had against the British government. This was one of the most significant documents in American history because it was what basically stated America as an independent nation and gave a basis for the rights that would later be discussed in the constitution. -
Period: to
The Constitution
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The Massachusetts Constitution
The Constitution of Massachusettes was written in 1780 and ratified on June 15, 1780. The importance of this was that it was the start of the idea of a constitution being established to work as a framework for government. -
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were the first constitution agreement of the newly independent colonies. It set up a "frame" of what the national government was supposed to be, however since anything not reserved by the federal government was left for the states, the Articles of Confederation created a weak national government. The absence of a strong central governenment also led to a difficulty in establishing foreign relations. -
The Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris was the treaty that ended the American Revolution and was the first time the British recognized American independence. British rule in America would no longer exist and America was finally a self-governing nation. This was important because they began to form their own government and after beign under British rule, used a new form other that monarchy,making way for the modern democracy we live under. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion was a series of protests by farmers that were focused on revolting against tax collections and other pro-debtor laws that were the Massachusetts government response to the economic crisis. These laws had heavily affected farmers, some even had their farms seized. It was one of the first rebellions in newly independent America. This event was significant American history because it is one of the major circumstances that contributed to the writing of the new constitution. -
The Great Debate
The Great Debate was a debate in which fifty-five Delegates met at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 to discuss the issues with The Articles of Confederation and how to fix them.The two parties that participated in The Great Debate were the Federalists (supported the constitution) and the Anti-Federalists (opposed the constitution). On September 17 they came to a conclusion with the constitution. This gave a basis for government and continues to be in the present day. -
The Virginia Plan
The Virginia Plan was written by James Madison and proposed by Edmund Randolph to the Constitutional Convention on May 29th, 1787. It was an outline for the constitution. It proposed three branches of government to create a series of checks and balances. It also proposed the idea of a legislature. Overall it focused on enforcing a strong central government. It was very important because it helped shape the constitution, putting government concepts in place that are still in use today. -
The New Jersey Plan
The New Jersey Plan was proposed on June 15th, 1787 by William Paterson to the Constitutional Convention. It is also known as the small state plane because it secured the position of the smaller states in the legislature and their overall representation in comparison to the larger states. The plan was unsuccessful. -
The Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was an ordinance that was put in place under the Articles of Confederation to bring structure to the Northwest territory and made a policy for adding new states. It stated that once a territory reached a population of 60,000 people, they would be allowed to petition for state-hood. -
The Connecticut Plan
The Connecticut Plan was proposed by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth to the constitutional convention on July 16th, 1787. It proposed a solution to the debate between smaller and larger states on the issue of representation in the Senate. It suggested the idea that in the House of Representatives each state’s number of seats based on population and in the Senate, all states would have the same number of seats. -
Election of 1788
The election of 1788 was significant because it was the first presidential election. George Washington was elected President and John Addams the vice president. This was the first time that the people got to really exercise their right to vote in the new nation, although it was only white males. -
Period: to
The New Republic
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Whiskey Rebellion
In January of 1791, Congress passed the legislation for a tax on "spirits distilled in the United States" called the excise whiskey tax to resolve the debt that was caused by the revolution. Western farmers felt this tax was unfair because "the government was targeting their demographic". Protests against this tax became known as the whiskey rebellion and grew very violent. They threatened the stability of the new government, so in 1794, George Washington led a militia to stop the revolt. -
Bank of the U.S.
The first official bank of the U.S was proposed by Alexander Hamilton as a way to repair the economy. After the war of, America was left with debt, some states becoming bankrupt, and a need for a unified currency.It was closed in 1811 when the Congress did not renew the charter. -
Bill of rights
The Bill of Rights, written by James Madison, is composed of the first 10 amendments in the constitution. It was a list of amendments that put a limit on government power and protected "natural rights". They were written in response to the people asking for a greater protection of individual liberties from the federal government.Without them, the government would have the power to take away rights and people would not be protected as they are now. -
Cotton Gin
The cotton gin was an important agricultural advance invented by Eli Whitney in 1793. It was important because it helped pull seeds from cotton faster meaning that mass production was starting and the southern economy would rely on agriculture more than ever. It also brought an increase in slavery, even though it was already at an incline, because of the increase of cotton production. It helped the industrial revolution becuase there was more need for machines to manufacture cotton into clothes. -
Jay's Treaty
The purpose of this treaty was to settle disputes between the British and Americans that were unresolved in the revolution. It succeeded in removing British troops from the Ohio Valley and made it possible for American ships to trade with both England and France . However, the French began to attack U.S. merchant ships after the treaty had been signed because they felt it violated their treaty with them. -
Kentucky Resolutions
The Kentucky Resolutions were written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison and passed by the legislatures of Kentucky and Virginia. After the strict regulations put in place by the alien and sedition acts, the Kentucky resolutions were written to argue that federal government could not go out side of powers stated in the constitution. -
Election of 1800
The Election of 1800 was a significant event in American history because it was the first time the power in the government would shift to another political party. To some extent, this election established the two-party system. It was also important because the winner of the election was Thomass Jefferson, and he was an important figure in the shaping of early America. -
Yeomen Farmers
Yeoman Farmers were around during the 19th century. They were part of a social system in the south, and they were under the wealthy farmers. they were poor whites and made a majority of the population in the south. They bounded together with wealthy whites in the common goal of white supremacy. Although they were part of a social hierarchy, it was more strict in terms of race rather than economic status. -
Period: to
The Age of Jefferson
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Louisiana Purchase
In 1803, the United States bought territory from France that included almost all of the present-day central states and some southern ones totaling up to about 828,000,000 square miles of land. It became known as the Louisiana purchase, and one of Thomas Jefferson's greatest achivements as president. This was important because it paved the way for westward exploration and expansion. -
The Embargo Act of 1807
The Embargo Act was a law passed by Congress on December 22, 1807. It was created because there were trading problems between France, America, and Britain. America's neutrality in the Napoleonic Wars made them fall victim to a series of trade barriers instilled by France and Britain onto one another, some giving the right to seize American ships. Also impressment, the British taking Americans under the claim that they were people who left the British Navy, which led into the war of 1812 . -
The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a system carried out by abolitionist to hide and protect slaves that were escaping from the south up into the north. People, such as the Quakers would hide them in their houses and have systems for the slaves to know whose house was safe.According to one estimate, the South lost 100,000 slaves between 1810 and 1850. -
War of 1812
British interference with American trade and the impressment of American sailors led to the War of 1812 between the two countries. The war started in 1812 and officially ended in 1814, however, the fighting stopped in 1815 because there was no communication of the treaty being signed to end the war. The importance of the war was its impact. It led to the "era of good feelings" and paved the way for the rise of several successful generals such as Andrew Jackson. -
Period: to
The American Industrial Revolution
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Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans was the last and most significant battle in the War of 1812. Andrew Jackson led a diverse army including slaves, pirates, and Indians unaware of a peace treaty being signed a couple of weeks earlier. This was the most important battle because it was won by America, greatly boosting patriotism leading into the era of good feelings. It also labeled Andrew Jackson as a hero earning him a large following that led him to later become president. -
The New Bank
The second bank of the United States was created in 1816 after an economic downturn. However, just like the first, it failed. It was established to serve as government financial agents and depositories for federal funds. -
Mcculloch vs Maryland
Mcculloch vs Maryland was a supremer court case regarding the Second National Bank of the U.S. The state of Maryland legislation to tax the bank. A cashier at the Baltimore branch of the Back refused to pay the tax which provoked the case because they deemed the tax unjust. This was a major case because it explored and helped establish differences in federal and state powers. The case was "won" by Mcculloch because the supreme court ruled the tax went against constitutional and federal powers. -
The Panic of 1819
The panic of 1819 was a regression in the country's economy after the war of 1812. What took the fault other than the war was the failure of the second bank of the united states, and the expansion westard. this was the first major depression in economic U.S history. -
The Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening took place in the 1800s and focused on religion. The effects on religion also had effects on society ideals and movements. Evangelical churches became popular among people because of their ideals and "salvation being seen as more accessible". It was more of an individual journey and gave people the ability to change their paths. It revived religion and made way for namy large religion "groups" -
The Temperance Movement
The temperance movement was a movement against the consumption of liquors, that was usually led by women. Men would come home intoxicated and beat their wives thus giving a reason for the push towards abstinence of alcohol. People protested against alcohol using moral reasoning and talk of the health issues it presented. In the beginning of the 1800s, temperance associations were established, and by the 1830s there were about 6,000 local groups. -
The Adams-Onis Treaty
The Adams- Onis treaty was a treaty between Spain and the U.S. concerning the selling of Florida from Spain to the U.S. Although Spain recieed no money, the United States assumed resposibility for $5 million worth of damage the Americans has caused in the rebellion against Spain. It was important becuase aquirring Florida aided in the expansion of the country and estabished new borders of the time . -
Mormons
The Mormon church, also known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was founded on April 6th, 1823. It was founded by Joseph Smith who claimed to have golden tablets that God gave him the power to read. People were skeptical and juded the mormons persecuting them and causing them to move west to find land to create a mormon community free of persecution. -
Corrupt Bargain
The election of 1824 was won byJohn Quincy Adams won, to everyone' suprise, because he was elected by the House of Representatives even though Andrew Jackson won the most popular and electoral votes. It was believed that Henry Clay, the speaker of the house, convinced them to choose Addams rather than Jackson. Then when Addams wone, he maade Clay his secretary of state. this became known as the Corrupt Bargain. -
Period: to
Jacksonian America
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Greek revival
Greek revival was a movement, mostly based on architecture, in which America took concepts of design from other countries, such as domes and columns often seen on government buildings. However, this was also a way of America trying to get closer to their concepts of democracy. -
The Election of 1828
The election of 1882 was very important because it was the start of campaigns using personal attacks and several other campaigning strategies that have created a system of modern politics. It also started the political movement of Jacksonian Democracy. this election basically made the political system return to being a two-party system much liek today's politics. -
telegraph
The telegraph was invented in the 1830s by Samuel Morse.It was a machine that sent out electric signals on wires. It was extremely important because it was the first form of long-distance communication and played a major role in the civil war. It allowed for messages to be sent out faster than ever and get information to the union army fast and easily and Lincoln used it to send direct oreders to general contributing to their vicory. -
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was a leader of the Transcendilism movement. HIs idea was to have Americans stop looking to Europe for inspiration and use their own intuition and spirit to feel beyond physicality, to transcend. He urged people to use nature and art, because his idea was based on philosiphy and life relations, not religion. He lectured his ideas and then published them in a series of essays in -
Indian Removal Act of 1830
Andrew Jackson signed the law of the Indian Removal Act on May 28, 1830. It was a law to move the Indians out and take their land; they were going to basically relocate them. Some tried to assimilate by practicing their methods of farming and education to stay on their land, but it didn't always work. Some moved peacefully and others by force. The path they took became known as the Trail of Tears on which about 4,000 Cherokees died. -
The Tariff Act of 1828
The Tariff Act, also known as the Tariff of abominations, was established on July 14, 1803. It was put in place to protect U.S. goods however the people, especially the south, was upset because if anything, it took away profitable opportunities. The tariff would make it more expensive for Great Britain to export their finished products to the U.S., they would then have less money for purchasing their esential raw materials, which was the souths bigget source of income. -
Nat Turner's Slave Rebellion
Nat Turner’s Slave Rebellion was a revolt that took place on August 21st, 1831 in Southampton Virginia, where slaves killed about 60 white people by securing weapons and horses. It was led by Nat Turner, a preacher that believed that the eclipse of the sun that year was a divine sign from God to revolt. This was a crucial part of history because it was the 1st time that there was a successful revolt of slaves against white people. Virginia put suppressive policies in place as a response. -
The Nullification Crisis
In response to the tariff of 1838, which was highly unpopular in the south, John Calhoun brought forth the theory of Nullification. It stated that states could nullify federal laws considered unconstitutional. This created a large "debate" over the constitution and brought up another issue: the balance of powers between the federal and state government. It was isses like this that created tensions leading into a snoball efect on issues between states and the federal government. -
American Anti-Slavery Society (AASS)
The American Anti-Slavery Society was established in 1833, founded by Theodore Weld, Arthur Tappan, and Lewis Tappan. They were an abolitionist organization that was focused on convincing the country, both north, and south, on why slavery was wrong. They sent many petitions to the U.S. Congress to end slavery, however, none of them were accepted because they had to do with slavery and because of congresses gag rule. The group split in 1840. -
Defending the Bank
On September 10th, 1833, Andrew Jackson defunded the second bank of the United States. He put an end to what we called the "Bank War". He had never supported it and it brought up controversy in his political life. It had become the focus of the campaign, and despite protest, he decided to shut it down. The funds he had removed from the state bank would be redistributed to state banks. He also had announced that deposits to the bank would not be accepted after October 1. the bank ended by 1836. -
The Alamo
The Alamo was a fort, formerly a mission, in the Mexican American War and was the site of one of the most important battles of that war. The battle happened when the Mexican side started a siege of the fort. Although the Americans lost that battle, it became a symbol of resistance and independence because they lasted 13 days against the Mexican troops. -
Panic of 1873
The panic of 1873 was a crash in the economy caused by industrial capitalism. It was important because it was one of the things the sped up the end of reconstruction. -
Lowell Mills
The Lowell Mills refers to mills that were a big part of the industrial revolution. It introduces a new system of manufacturing and helped start trends in the industrial work life. They had over 8,000 factory girls that worked the textile machines and looms and spent long hours working for little pay in harsh working conditions. -
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was a trail that people took when traveling west during the westward expansion era. It streched over two hundred miles and passed through wat is modern day Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, california, and utah. -
Period: to
Westward Expansion
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Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was the belief that America was destined to stretch from coast to coast and that people had to expand west to do so. It was first mentioned by John L. O’Sullivan in1845 in an article on the annexation of Texas. Fulfilling manifest destiny was the ultimate goal of westward expansion. The idea was built upon with the more land the country acquirred and explored. -
Annexation of Texas
The colonist that were in Texas we upset with the Mexican government for trying to restrict them from slavery and making them comply with rules that were put in place for Americans coming to Mexico for land. they rebelled, separating themselves and declaring Texas was an independent state. After the War Texas asked to be admitted into the United States. -
The Mexican American War
The war began over border disputes and was triggered because a Mexican cavalry attacked a group of U.S. soldiers under the command of General Zachary Taylor. Congress officially declared war on May 13th. Mexico was led by the General Antonio López de Santa Anna and the U.S. was led by General Winfield Scott. On Feb. 2, 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed ending the war with the U.S. winning and securing more land. -
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso was created with the purpose of banning slavery in the land that was acquired by the United States after the Mexican American War. It was called the Wilmot Proviso because it was proposed by David Wilmot, a Pennsylvania Congressman. This created even more controversy about union states adn slavery, adding to tensions that let to the civil war. -
Election of 1848
The ELection of 1848 was the election between James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor, and Martin Van Buren.Zachary Taylor won easily but died because of the stomach flu and Millard Fillmore his, running mate replaced, him. -
Period: to
Sectional Crisis
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Seneca Falls Convention
A meeting focused on women's rights was held in Seneca Falls, New York. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organized it to address the barriers put between women and men, and although it was for women, not all the attendees were female, about 1/3 were male. This convention was very important because it sent a wave of women reformers out to fight for women's sufferage and changeged the economical and educational opprotunitues available to women. -
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush occurred when gold was discovered in California leading to an influx of miners, and settlers coming in hopes of getting rich. A total of $2 billion worth of expensive metal was extracted from the area during the Gold Rush.It helped with the expanision in the west and aided in te process of claifornia becomgn a state. -
The Compromise of 1850
The compromise of 1850 was an attempt at a compromise between the north and south because of tensions between them caused by things like that abolishment of slavery or that start of the Fugitive Slave act. -
The Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Act was a law that stated that any fugitive/ runaway slaves were to be found and returned to their master. It was part of the compromise of 1850. This was important because this act was one one of the reasons that abolitionism in the north grew. it was also a push into the civil because of the tensions about slavery it provoked. -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas- Nebraska Act allowed for these two territories (Kansas and Nebraska) to choose whether or not they were going to a slave or free state. This caused several tensions between the norht and south -
John Brown’s Raid
John Brown was a radical abolitionist that led a raid on Harper's Ferry, Virginia in 1859. HIs plan was that it would turn into a slave rebellion, but it never did. He was captured, tired, and killed for these crimes. The north made him seem like a saint after he did making him a symbol of abolitionism. It the south through he was seen as the attacker and terrorist. -
Nurses
With all the men at war and in the army, women had to fill in the job slots that were missing. One of these jobs was nursing. this was important because nurses like Clara Barton would move on to be some of the most famous nurses, or like her move on to create the AAmerican Red Cross. -
Union Blockade
The Union ordered a blockade of southern ports to stop the export of cotton. They did this because the south mostly depended on the export of cotton and gained most of its profit from it. Without it, they wouldn't have any more money and wouldn't be able to gain resources and materials for the war. Also they could be gettign supplies smuggled in through the ports. -
Ulysses S. Grant
He was the Army general during the American Civil War and Commanding General at the conclusion of the war. He fought on the Union's side. He had also fought in the Mexican war. He was later elected as the 18th President of the United States in 1868, serving from 1869 to 1877 with his main focus being reconstruction after the war. -
Period: to
American Civil War
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Emancipation Proclamation
Abraham Lincoln issues the emancipation proclamation after the battle of Antietam(union victory) statign that all slaves in the rebellious states were free. It aimed the war more towards the end of slavery. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was one of the most important and bloody battles of the Civil War and was considered a turning point. It was a huge loss for the south and greatly boosted northern morale. General Lee will retreat back to south losing 1/3 of his force. -
The North
The northern states made up the union. They had the advantage since the beginning of the Civil war because of industrialization. They had factories so they could mass produce clothing and other materials. Not only that but they also had railroads and other inventions such as the telegraph that helped the spread of messages. They were able communicate faster and that contributed to their victory in 1865. -
Lincoln's 10% Plan
After the Civil War Lincoln's 10 percent plan for reconstruction proposed that any southern state could be readmitted into the union once10% of its voters swore an oath of allegiance to the union. Many believed the plan was too lenient, and it was unsucesseful with being put inot effect. -
Period: to
Reconstruction
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Freedman's Bureau
The freedman's bureau was established March 3, 1865 to help former slaves after the civil war. It was a wellfare agencey that provided food, housing medical aid, and established schools and offered legal assistance. -
Abraham Lincoln's Death
Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865, in Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Booth was an actor and had planned to kill Lincoln while the men he was working with were to kill Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William H. Seward. Abraham was the only one to die. -
KKK
The KKK, or Ku Klux Klan, was an extremist group that promoted and believed in white supremacy and white nationalism. It used violent means of promoting its ideas and is one of the oldest hate groups in America. It was established December 24, 1865. -
The Black Codes
The Black Codes were laws passed in Southern states that lasted from 1865-1866 and ended in 1877 because of the Reconstruction. They were laws that restricted freed blacks' activity and made sure that whites still had control over their labor activity. Many states required blacks to sign yearly labor contracts; if they refused, they risked being arrested or forced into labor. It basically was a way of ensuring the way slavery was. They were now free but were still controlled by whites. -
The Compromise of 1877
The Compromise of 1877 pulled federal troops out of the south and put Rutherford Hayes into office. This was important because he agreed to end recconstruction and began and era of total suppression of southern blacks. -
Jim Crow
The Jim crow laws were a series of laws established sometime around 1877 that was intended to segregate people in the south much like the black codes. It promoted rasicm and led to violence. It was important because it led into the civil rights movement.
