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Period: 10,000 BCE to
Beginnings To Exploration
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9500 BCE
Beginning of New World Agriculture
The history of agriculture records the domestication of plants and animals and also, the development and dissemination of techniques for raising them productively. Agriculture began independently in different parts of the world. It included a diverse range of taxa. At least eleven separate regions of the Old and New World were involved as independent centers of origin. Agriculture continued to be the dominant economic factor throughout history. -
1000 BCE
Mound Builders/Adena Hopewell
The Adena culture was a Pre-Columbian Native American culture that existed through the Early Woodland period. Their territory had many mounds, which the people were known as "Mound Builders." They would earthen pyramids for sacrifices and they would be part of the continental trading network. It included quartz, copper, etc. They're culture would die in 200 BC. -
750 BCE
Mayan's Human Sacrifice
Human sacrifices were the rebirth and renewal of life cycles. Human sacrifices were associated with a ball game.The objective of the ball game was to knock down players with a "ball" by using their hips. The balls were even sometimes made from skulls, if they had too. The warriors from the tribe would be forced to play and then sacrificed afterwards, with no regrets. -
476 BCE
Rome (Fall of Empire) CE
There are many theories of the fall of Rome.The main ones that are speculated are the fall of its economy and attacks from the Barbarian tribes.By the 300s, barbarian groups (Goths, etc) had reached beyond the Empire’s borders.The Romans had a Germanic uprising in the late fourth century, but in 410, King Alaric successfully took over Rome.Even as Rome was under attack from the outside, it was crumbling from within, thanks to severe financial crisis.Constant wars and overspending meant the end. -
1300
The Aztecs
The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico. Human Sacrifices were common in all of Mesoamerica, but it wasn't new to the Aztecs. In the "Legend of the Five Suns", it says all gods sacrificed themselves for life could exist. Priests decided that human sacrifices were necessary to repay the Gods. Also, the Aztecs followed a strict social hierarchy where men were identified as nobles, commoners, serfs, or slaves. Women had limited leadership roles in the Aztec empire. -
1300
The Renaissance
The Renaissance (also know as rebirth) rose up after the Dark Ages, which was the fall of the Roman Empire. It happend right after the Black Death had ended. Culture started to spread throughout the globe. Technology, classic ideas, and artistry began to increase and transform Europe and the world. Johan Gutenburg created the "Printing Press" in 1440, which spread everywhere. -
1346
The Black Death
The Black Death was a devastating plague. This was caused by the bacterium Yersinia Pestis that comes from rats and parasites. It spread across Eurasia and killed approximately almost 25 million people. The plague lasted for about 7 years (1353) -
1492
Columbian Exchange
The Columbian Exchange were the exchange of goods between the Old and New world. It was named after the explorer Christopher Colombus. Many different types of animals, food, and plants were exchanged. Diseases were often spread to the New World because of migration, which wiped out Indians and reduced the population. -
1519
Conquest of the New World
Hernan Cortez (Veracruz Founder) wanted to conquest the Aztecs for the tales of gold he would tell. He allied with Aztec enemies that would help him conquer them. Montezuma (Emperor of Aztecs) would be killed by Hernan and he would take over their territory. In addition to the conquest of the Aztec, there would also be the Inco conquest by Francisco Pizarro. After he successfully took control, he ended up finding gold & silver. -
Roanoke
Queen Elizabeth I gave Sir Walter Raleigh (the founder) permission to colonize in the New World. The Roanoke island colony was the first English settlement in the New World. In the beginning of colonization, they did not know how to survive on their own. Due to the failure of survival, the colony vanished. The only evidence was the word "CROATOAN" carved on a post tree. -
Period: to
English Colonial Societies
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Life in Virginia
Virginia, back in the 17th century, became hometowns to the "Chesapeake Colonies." The colonies that were settled there were Jamestown, Maryland, and many more. In economy, tobacco was the number one in agriculture and it also established trade. Since tobacco was a common/mostly used crop, slaves were needed. Pirates were the first in buying slaves. -
The Plymouth Colony
The Plymouth colonists were known as "Puritans." The Mayflower kept bringing more and more Europeans/Pilgrims to settle, which caused life to be difficult. The reason for this was because Europeans were fleeing from religious persecution by King James of England. Plymouth decided to make the "Mayflower Compact," the first governing document. In winter season, half the population died because population was really high and no food was enough. -
Barbados
Barbados was one of England's possessions. It had a population of about 26,000. The English would have the natives doing labor on the island. The colony is mainly known for its sugar. Barbados became an English center of the African slave trade so they could train them. The slaves also outnumbered whites. -
The Atlantic Slave Trade
The Atlantic Slave Trade was an Inter-African Slave trade between France, Spain, Portugal, Europe, and more nations. It was a new source of labor for the Europeans. The production of the slave trade increased in the late 1600s. Britain had the "Largest Slave Trader" title in the 1700s. -
The Quakers
The Quakers were actually non-violent and friendly to all other colonies. They were known for being members of a group with Christian roots that began in England. The founder of the Quakers group was George Fox. Their names are also short for "Earthquake." -
Nathaniel Bacon
Bacon was part of the Governor's council, but he had issues with the government and also disliked what they had done right before the end of the 17th century. Therefore, the first American Rebellion rose up because of this man, and it was known as "Bacon's Rebellion." His rebellion erupted in a climate of political and economic uncertainty made worse by a series of Indian attacks. At the age of 29, he died from a fever and immediately after, the rebellion would collapse because of this. -
Pennsylvania
King owed a large debt to Penn. For the king's debt, he granted him land west of New Jersey. When Penn received the land, he wanted to create religious refuge for the Quakers. It was a limited republic meaning men could only vote. It was also called, "Peaceable Kingdom." -
The English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights was signed by William & Mary of Orange. It was an act passed by parliament. It listed many things that would impact the future of the US. Some things it did was protect people's rights, stated no cruel or unusual punishment, no excessive bail, and many more. -
Salem Witch Trials
In the beginning of 1692, a group of girls in Salem Village claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused local women of witchcraft. A special court convened in Salem to hear about the cases. The first convicted was Bridget Bishop, she was later hanged, while about 150 more men, women and children were accused over the next several months and the majority were executed. -
Act of Union
Act of union combined England and Scotland into Great Britain. England and Scotland still maintained their own power, though. This act is still taking pace today. -
The Enlightment
(Also known as the Age of Enlightenment) The Enlightenment had a lot of Religion, Science, and theories for why we exist in life, which caused people to think individually. They also thought Benjamin Franklin as a symbol for Enlightenment. On the Science side, Sir Isaac Newton discovered and made the word "Gravity" come into play until today. In religion, Deism rose up and a theory they thought about was God creating the universe and leaves after he does. -
The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was actually closely related to The Enlightenment. One thing they still had in common was the fact that people still thought individually for themselves to realize what was positive or negative for them and their families. Even though they think individually, many of them were actually afraid of becoming religious. One man that helped change this was George Whitfield, a preacher. Native American tribes were revived, also. -
The Upper South
The colony Chesapeake, Virginia was considered as the Upper South. In the Upper South, Slaves replaced indentured servants. At that time, slaves were separated into smaller groups. Their cash crop tobacco require less of carelessness. Although African culture was hard to reserve, they were still treated better. -
Georgia
The colony was named for King George II. It was originally a Penal colony. A Penal Colony is when they transplanted prisoners and people in debt in rehabilitation in a "pure" environment. They turned it into a Buffer colony. A buffer colony is when slaves are being import in holding. They also imagined an attack on Florida. -
Triangular Trade
Europe, Africa, and the Americas were part of the Triangular trade. Between Europe and Africa, Africa received manufactured goods and those were exchanged for slaves. After the slaves were all together, they would export them across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. Finally, the Americas would harvest raw materials for Europe. This process would keep going for a really long time. -
French & Indian War
The nations England, France, Spain, and Britain all fought for the land of the 13 colonies. France desired more land South while Britain desired more Western land. In 1763, Britain ended up taking over the colonies for their win against the French. The only land the French took were Haiti & small islands off Canada. -
Period: to
The Revolutionary War
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Treaty of Paris (1763)
The French and Indian War was over in 1763, with Britain's victory. The Treaty of Paris was known as a peace agreement. It was signed by Great Britain, France, and Spain. British took east the Mississippi River and part of Canada from France. The Spanish were also forced to give up Florida. If it wasn't for Britain winning, we'd be speaking/writing French at the moment. -
Revenue Act (Sugar Act)
The Revenue Act (also known as the "Sugar Act") was an act passed by Parliament (Great Britain). It was a tax on Sugar and Molasses. It was the first tax enacted by the British against the colonists for the purpose of raising revenue.Colonists resisted from it and they voiced displeasure from the British. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act made stamps become required on ALL papers. Lawyers and printers were the ones that were mostly affected by this action. The colonists disliked this idea, so they decided to protest it. Britain also had a similar tax back in their land. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend Act changed a lot of actions the colonists were used to doing. It made new taxes appear, such as a tax on paper, glass, paint, and tea. There was a lot of resistance by colonists, which caused British troops to take care of this. Boston Massacre resulted later. -
Boston Massacre
After colonists found out about the new taxes on tea, paper, lead, etc., they were outraged by this action. In King Street, a crowd of Bostonians were harassing British soldiers because of these taxes. After a while, soldiers became tired of all the commotion, and ended up firing their guns to the crowd. 5 innocent people died that day. -
Boston Tea Party
Colonists, disguised as Indians, sneaked onto three tea-filled ships and dumped over 340 boxes full of tea overboard onto the water and were lost. The Boston Tea Party took place because the colonists did not want to have to pay taxes on the British tea. They were afraid that Britain would take over America, and they wanted to rule their own country. They thought that the tea would put all of the colonists out of business -
Coercive Acts
The Coercive Acts (also known as the Intolerable Acts) changed a lot of things for the colonists. One change it did was that it closed the port of Boston. Therefore, trade would collapse and the U.S. wouldn't be able to have alliances with other nations. The quartering of troops would be enforced, also. -
Common Sense
On January 10, Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" book was published. It mostly argued about independence and a Democratic Representative government. This book was also used to attack Monarchs. The book was also widely popular and cheap. -
Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson wrote a draft and he would finish July 2nd and it would be signed the 4th. This highly famous document did many things. Colonies were declared united and independent states rose up. Since freedom was part of the document, monarchies were avoided. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga to many is known as the "Turning Point" of the American Revolution for the colonists. The reason for why it is the turning point is because France becomes an ally and they support the American effort. France commit troops & their navy to aid the U.S. The result of the battle is a victory for the colonies. -
Battle of Yorktown
This battle was fought in the ocean, therefore, navy strength was key. During the battle, the British made a huge mistake that cost them the victory! French played a huge role in the battle and the U.S. army and French army combine as one. The British end up surrendering, making another victory for the colonies. -
Articles of Confederation
The first constitution of the U.S. was ratified on March 1st, 1781. This document changed many things, like power, laws, jurisdiction, and more. The Articles produced an extremely limited government, which delegates discovered was a disadvantage. It also made limited Power. It later got replaced in 1789 with the document we use still today. -
Period: to
The Constitution
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Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris ended the 8 year-long American Revolutionary War. The results of this was independence for the U.S. from Britain. It established the northern boarder between North America and Canada, also what territory would be gained for the U.S. Life would change for the colonists from here on out. -
Northwest Ordinance
On July of 1787, there was a new system for joining the Union. There had to be a population of at least 5000 for legislation and 60000 for the territory considered to be a state. One thing the Union was strict on was that it rejected slavery, because it was unprofitable for the North after the American Revolution. There would also be future admission for new states. -
Election of 1788
After ratification of the constitution, the election of 1788 was the first election in the history of the U.S. George Washington and John Adams were both running for president and both would represent the nation, no matter who won. The reason why is because 2nd place would end up being Vice President, which would later be John Q. Adams. -
Period: to
New Republic
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Issues (Slavery, Executive, Judiciary)
There would still be many problems even though the constitution was signed. One issue they had was how would slaves be counted, especially with the north being anti-slave and the south being pro-slave. Another issue they had was the Judiciary review not defined 100 percent. The founding fathers ended up deciding it until later. -
Federalists
The federalist party rose up in 1791. They supported the ratification of the constitution and a strong central government. Bill of Rights was disliked and opposed by them, also. One of the federalists that defended the constitution was "John Jay." -
Anti-Federalists
The Anti-Federalists (Like the federalists) rose up in 1791, also. They supported a less powerful central government, but they liked the idea of states rights. The Bill of Rights was favored by them. Even though the Federalists did win, they did an excellent job making strong points. -
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion was mainly made up of Kentucky and Pennsylvania farmers. Whiskey was economically important because it earned large profits for these farmers. After many get frustrated with the tax, 6000 of them threaten to attack Pittsburgh. Although it may have been a big number, Washington leads an army to defend Pittsburgh. This was the first major domestic test of the constitution. -
Election of 1796
In the Election of 1796, Washington does not seek to be president for the third time. Instead, the two running for it are John Q. Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Adams and Jefferson were also representing their own party (Adams = Republican and Jefferson = Federalist). In the end of the debate, John Adams wins and Jefferson becomes Vice President. -
Washington's Farewell Address
George Washington (1st president of U.S.) wrote his Farewell Address to the citizens and his friends. He was only going to run for president for 2 terms only. In the address, he mentioned to avoid conflict with other nations. One thing he specified the most was to never have permanent alliances and only temporarily when needed the most. -
Presidency of John Adams
When John Adams became president of the U.S., he chose to add many things. One thing he was known for adding was the "American System." This caused for the increase on tariffs and industry, a new national bank, and Improvements on transportation. He also made a national university that would be into observing space. -
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was known for the idea of the Kentucky Resolutions. The idea was that states could nullify unconstitutional laws. Although, constitution was a compact among states. The resolutions also declared the alien and sedition acts unconstitutional. -
Alien & Sedition Acts
In 1798, John Adams (President) signed the Alien & Sedition Acts. The term "Alien," would be referring to immigrants not from the U.S. For them, it would be difficult to become a citizen after this act was signed. It would also deport them back from where they came from or where originally they are from. The Sedition Acts made criticizing the president or the U.S. a crime. -
Election of 1800
The Election of 1800 was the fourth U.S. presidential election. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both try to run for president, but they're would be a problem. Jefferson ends with a win between him and Adams, but not only did he win, but also Aaron Burr. Therefore, The House of Representatives had to choose the next president. This is where the 12th amendment was born. -
Period: to
The Age of Jefferson
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Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was an opportunity for the U.S. territory to expand, and Jefferson bought it for $15 million which was expensive back then. He actually bought it from the Napoleon (French) who were in need of money, so it was an advantage for both nations. Besides all this, there were many controversies for what Jefferson had done, especially the fact that it was unconstitutional. Lewis and Clark became famous after they did an expedition for the new acquired land. -
Hamilton vs. Burr
The hatred that Burr and Hamilton had for each other reached over the limit, by one choosing to die. On July 11, 1804, they decided that a duel was the best option to end the hatred they had for each other, even though duels were actually illegal. After the dust was settled, the Vice President of the U.S. had killed the federalist leader. -
Cotton Gin
During the War of 1812, America would start to develop technological innovations that would help build the economy. One invention that would help wealthen the U.S. was the "Cotton Gin." In 1793, an inventor named Eli Whitney revolutionized the production of cotton by speeding the process of the removal of seeds. Slavery would increase, but the U.S. would rise to be the most productive nation in the world. However, there would be an economic depression after the war. -
War of 1812
On June 18, 1812, America declared war on Britain, for the raids Britain had been doing on American settlements. Since Britain had the most powerful navy at the time, America planned a strategy to go against the British: combat on land. During the war, they would both exchange capital buildings by burning each down. In the conclusion of the war, it resulted in a tie and nothing was solved. -
Period: to
The American Industrial Revolution
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Changes in Transportation
The growth of the Industrial Revolution depended mainly on how raw materials and goods were transported from one area to another. Therefore, new modes of transportation would rise during this era. Some examples are the inventions of Steamboats and Railroads. With these existing, not only would the transfer would get easier, but also they can carry a variety and huge amount of items. -
Changes in Communication
Besides transportation improving, they're would also be better communication. One invention that aided this idea was the invention of the telegraph. It worked by transmitting electrical signals over a wire laid between stations. The inventor of the telegraph is Samuel Morse. -
Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening started around the 1800s, but it picked up around 1820s. Education and prisons would start to develop and help shape the future of the U.S. There would also be higher forms of educations, like new colleges and textbooks. On the prison side of things, Penitentiaries would reform prisoners and isolate them from the outside world. Housed at night and worked during the day. -
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Cultural Changes
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Immigration
Since the population was increasing a lot, it meant some of them were actually immigrants from other nations. In Irish, a potato famine was spreading and that meant they needed to settle elsewhere. Some nations that chose to settle in the U.S. were Scandinavians and Britain, for economic opportunities. Ethnic changes were enforced. -
Texas (Tejas)
In 1824, Mexico allowed some whites to expand to Texas, but there had to be conditions to be allowed to settle. These conditions were: becoming catholic, Mexican citizen, learn Spanish, and get rid of slaves. However, the Americans decided to ignore these laws and continue to expand the land and eventually, they would outnumber Hispanics. By the 1830s, 30,000 settlers were in Texas. -
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Age of Jackson
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Election of 1824
In the election of 1824, there was actually an increase in numbers of candidates. The 4 candidates are: John Q. Adams, Andrew Jackson, William Crowford, and Henry Clay (Speaker of House of Representatives). At the end of the election, Jackson won the popular vote, but not the electoral college vote which was won by John Adams. House of Representatives had to choose, but Clay convinced everyone there to choose Adams for president. Jackson called this "Corrupt Bargain." -
Planters
In Southern society culture, Planters were the dominant social class. The majority of them did not own slaves, but the ones that did have slaves owned from 1 to 9. They would continue this culture for a long time. -
Free Black Communities
While small towns were turning into large cities in the North, free black men began to look for economic opportunities. Since whites disliked being with blacks at the time, segregation was enforced between them. The reason for this was also because discrimination and prejudice would happen based on the color of Africans. Immigrants would compete with them for economic opportunities. -
Election of 1828
Jackson came up with new strategies to have advantages over Adams, but the election of 1828 would be one of the most nastiest elections in the history of the U.S. The reason for this is because during the election, Jackson and Adams would use personal attacks to make the enemy look bad. Lies and rumors would start to spread, and Jackson's wife would unfortunately get attacked and die. Fortunately for him, he would get elected president of the U.S.! -
Millennialism
William Miller proposed the fact that Christ was coming back a second time. He'd say Christ would come for Judgement Day, which is where every person in the world/universe would be judged based on the sins they committed. Some people claimed that they knew when that day would come, but it was all a lie. Besides that, there would also be the "Shakers" and they were celibate. Joseph Smith would find golden tablets written in an ancient language, which later he made the "Church of Jesus Christ." -
Election of 1832
In the election of 1832, Jackson was representing the Democratic Party, while Henry Clay was taking control of the National Republicans (Anti-Jacksons). In the election, the central issue was whether the bank should stay (Clay) or be taken out (Jackson). Congress petitioned Nicholas Biddle (President of 2nd U.S. bank) for early renewal of the charter. Soon after though, Jackson would end up winning the election and defunds and shuts down the 2nd bank of the U.S. -
Manifest Destiny
The Manifest Destiny was a highly common belief that it was God's given right to expand to the West. They went to Oregon where there were lots and lots of economic opportunities. The expansion to Oregon was called "Great Migration," where there was about 400-500,000 people migrating there. Overland Trail was about 2,000 miles long and about 5-6 months worth of traveling. -
Period: to
Westward Expansion
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Election of 1840
After Martin Van Buren won the election in 1836, he runs for re-election for president a second term in 1840. He was representing the Democrats, while his opponent William Henry Harrison, was representing the Whigs. During the election, the Whigs would spread rumors and influence women into voting for Harrison. The Whigs won by a landslide and John Tyler becomes Vice President of the U.S. -
Election of 1844
The election of 1844 would be disputed over the admission of Texas. Tyler would represent the Whigs and James K. Polk, also called Young Hickory, would be representing the Democrats. The 3 goals of James were to just annex Texas, settle the Oregon border, and the Mexican border as well and he would leave the presidency with just the accomplishments of those 3. -
Growing Cities
In the early 1800s, the majority of the population lived in rural areas. After the Industrial Revolution started to develop in the 1850s, small towns would slowly turn into large cities. The reason for this is because economic opportunities would start to pop up increasingly. Although this may be an advantage for living in growing cities, there is also many disadvantages. Some of them are the increase in pollution and crimes. -
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Sectionalism
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California Gold Rush
After California is part of the U.S. territory, gold is discovered! When the news spread through the whole nation, thousands of people migrate to California to taste the money they dream. Since many settled in California, it was now recognized as a state for the sufficient population. Mining begins to happen in 1852 and the gold rush would end later. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo solved many problems, after the war. It settled the border dispute the U.S. would have against others. Over half of Mexico's territory would be seized for the victory of U.S. Although it did manage to execute problems, one that would come later would be slavery. -
Zach Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States. Taylor was a officer in the United States Army and rose to the rank of major general. Taylor being known as a hero from Mexican–American War won him the election. During the election, He didn't take sides about slavery. He died sixteen months during his term -
The South
The South had small industrialized areas unlike the North. Although tobacco, sugar, and rice crops were in the South, they weren't as important as cotton. In order to grow those crops, they need slaves. About 4 million slaves worked on the South and they believed slavery was part of society. -
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman was an abolitionist, scout, and spy. She was a former slave who helped slaves escape to the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved Africans to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists. She helped make over 19 trips to the South for the Underground Railroad. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
This book (Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe) was published in 1852. Uncle Tom's Cabin was about slave life in the South. The book became popular in the North and South. The North saw how bad slavery was and the South disliked the book. It also caused the Civil War. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott v. Sandford was a Supreme Court case. Dred Scott (former slave) wanted to sue Sandford (his former master) for his freedom because his master had taken him to areas where slavery was illegal. SCOTUS rules say slaves aren't citizens and can't sue. It also says that Congress can't regulate slavery in territories (North or South). -
John Bell
John Bell was a politician, attorney, and planter. He was a candidate for the election in 1860 by the Constitutional Union Party. He was also a part of the U.S. Congress in both the House of Representatives and Senate. He mainly focused on the Constitution and enforcing laws. -
Crittenden Compromise
Crittenden Compromise was written by U.S. Senator, John C. Crittenden. The compromise was written so that they would let the Union stay united, but allowed the South to keep slavery and expand it. President Lincoln rejected it because it went against his political plan. -
Women During Civil War
During the Civil War, women would get many new roles that originally men would only have. Some would be teachers, farmers, nurses, and more. Clara Barton would start the "American Red Cross" and it is still functioning great today! They would help soldiers, no matter what side they were in, enemies or not. -
Period: to
The Civil War
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North Advantages (Civil War)
In the Civil War, the North had a variety and a very good amount of advantages over the South. The population of the North was way much bigger than the South with a difference of about 13 million people. Industrialization would also help the North, especially with the economy. The one HUGE advantage though, is the fact that the North had railroads which meant fast transportation of troops. -
The First Battle of Bull Run
The First Battle of Bull Run was the first major battle in the Civil War. Union troops were led by General Irvin McDowell and the Confederates were commanded by General P.G.T Beauregard. About 30,000 Union troops marched South. After the battle was fought, the Union lost to the Confederates. -
Twenty Negro Law
The Twenty Negro Law was made by the Confederate Congress during the Civil War. Southerners were excused from fighting in the war if they had 20 or more slaves. They could also pay someone to fight for them if they didn't have the right amount of slaves. Almost all poor Southerners were upset! -
Battle of Antietam
In the Battle of Antietam, the Union army won over the Confederates. Although they did get beaten, McCellon from the Union army didn't choose to fully defeat the Confederates and let them retreat which made Lincoln angry. After the battle, this inspired Lincoln to write and sign the "Emancipation Proclamation," on January 1st, 1863. This document declared ALL slaves free, no matter where they were located. -
Battle of Vicksburg
Many advantages happened to the Union after their win over the Confederacy in Vicksburg. The South would get cut into 2 parts and the North would start overwhelming them. Also, after they won, they captured and New Orleans, which was the South's largest city. They also took control of the Mississippi River. -
Election of 1864
The Election of 1864 was between George McClellan and Abraham Lincoln. During this election, Lincoln wanted to ablolish slavery, while McClellan wanted to keep it and end the war. Lincoln would win with 212 electoral votes and George would have 21 electoral votes. After the re-election of Lincoln, he would be assassinated. -
Black Codes
In 1865, the black codes limited civil rights and economic opportunities to African Americans. This would be definitely enforced in the South. It also outlawed interracial marriage and serving on juries for them. -
Lincoln's 10% Plan
Lincoln's 10% Plan would be part of Lincoln's idea of Reconstruction. It would forgive ALL Southerners of leaving the Union, but not to officers and officials. All the Southerners had to do was just to take an oath of loyalty and everything would be forgiven. Although it was easy for the people, states had to apply for Federal recognition, or come back. -
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Reconstruction
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40 acres & a mule
After the Civil War, some planters abandon their land. This allowed their land to be owned or rented to farm. It was given to former slaves and they were given a mule with the free 40 acres. Eventually, it would be given back to original farmers. -
13th Amendment
This amendment abolished slavery in the U.S. Lincoln and Radical Republicans would pass it before the end of the Civil War. Slaves would be free, but not from racism and segregation! The sections would provide further points for slavery being abolished. -
Appomattox Courthouse
At the Appomattox Courthouse, the Civil War was finally coming to an end. The Union Army would finally end up defeating the Confederates by making them surrender. Robert E. Lee would surrender to Ulysses S. grant on April 9th, 1865. The Civil War is known as, "The Bloodiest War Of All Time." -
John Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth was an American actor. He was also a supporter of slavery and the Southern Confederacy during the Civil War. On April 14, 1865, Lincoln and Booth both attend a play at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. and Booth would assassinate the 16th president of the U.S. This was the first presidential assassination in U.S. History. -
Ku Klux Klan
The KKK was formed by 6 former officers of the Confederate side. The Klan was the white Southern resistance to the equality for blacks. They used violence to keep blacks from earning civil rights. This group became one of the nation's first terrorist group. Congress passed acts to protect black voters. For the people that interfere with a citizen's right to vote, they would be penalized. -
Election of 1866
The Election of 1866 was between Schuyler Colfax, Samuel Marshall, and Nathaniel Boyden. The election was not presidential, but for representation of the House of Representatives. This election would be focused on the ideas for reconstruction. By the Summer, Johnson would lose support within the Republican Party for his Reconstruction policies. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment would be enforced by Congress in 1866. It would define people born in the U.S. as citizens. It would also entitle them to equal protections of law. This would still be used in our nation today! -
Election of 1868
The Election of 1868 would be between Ulysses S. Grant and Horatio Seymour. Ulysses would be representing the Republicans, while Horatio would be the Democrats. The Republicans would win and Grant would be the new U.S. president. The election also showed that whites in the North & South were racist over blacks. -
Black Friday Scandal
The Black Friday Scandal occurred later after the Civil War at the end of the Reconstruction Era. It was one of the first scandals that affected the Grant administration. Jay Gould and James Fisk controlled the gold market on the New York Gold Exchange. The controlling of the mark \et resulted to the price of gold dropping. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment would be added in the 1870s. It would let ALL men vote, whether their American or African. It would also be necessary to protect the black vote from all resistances. It was the final reconstruction amendment added. -
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 was caused by financial crisis that took place in Europe and the U.S. Because of this recession, there were foreclosures, bankruptcies, factories closing, unemployment became an issue, and riots broke out. The 8th president (Martin Van Buren) was blamed for the Panic of 1873. It lasted for 6 years and State banks didn't recover 100%. -
Compromise of 1877
The Compromise of 1877 was a deal between the Democrats and Republicans that settled the disagreement of the Election of 1876. The Republicans promised the Democrats to remove all federal troops from Southern states. In return, the Democrats agreed that President Rutherford B. Hayes assume presidency Samuel J. Tilde. This also ended the Reconstruction era.
