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Period: to
1800-1876
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Louisiana Purchase
President Jefferson thought that Napoleon Bonaparte was a huge threat with the huge Louisiana Province, so he sent ambassadors to try and sell New Orleans to them and ended up with the entire Louisiana Province. The purchase spurred westward expansion and gave many in the South reason to move west for more cotton plantations. The action of buying territory wasn't mentioned in the Constitution, but desire trumped legality for Jefferson. -
Marbury v. Madison
This case involved William Marbury, a to-be federalist appointed judge, and James Madison who declined his commission to be a judge. This case ruled in favor of Marbury; however the judge, John Marshall, struck down the Federal Judiciary Act of 1789 while giving the Judiciary branch more power with the power of judicial review where the Court determines if acts of the president/Congress are constitutional. -
Embargo Act
To force Britain and France from violating the rights of the Americans, President Jefferson cut off all foreign trade from America. The idea was to keep the seamen out of harms way and stop the countries from violating rights, but it backfired. Britain and France were not intimidated, and the economy self-destructed due to the loss of the foreign markets. -
Second Bank of the United States is constructed and Protective Tariff of 1816 is established.
After the First Banks charter expired in 1811, finances fell hard with many using local banks with little regulation. The Second Bank was used to provide a national currency that was stable and promote economic growth. In order to stop the British from flooding the market with cheap products, Congress passed the Tariff of 1816 which taxed many imported goods and gave America great annual revenue, but benefited the manufacturers more than the consumers. -
Erie Canal opens in New York
With the use of steamboats rising in America, the Erie Canal connected the Great Lakes to the Midwest to the Hudson river/New York City. It opened up much trade in the area and connected everything commercial. Transporting goods went from 3 weeks or a month to around 8 days. It was a "river of gold." Many grain growing towns along the canals became boom towns and experienced dramatic growth. -
Railroad Expansion
Railroads opened up in the same year as the Erie Canal and proved to be the superior transportation. Trains carried more people faster, farther, and cheaper. From 1830-1850, America went from only 23 miles of track to over 30,000 miles of track. Railroads stimulated national economy and engineered westward expansion. Demand for iron to build trains and equipment skyrocketed. It provided local markets with international shipping to get around the country as well. -
President Andrew Jackson is elected (Beginning of the Jacksonian Era)
Andrew Jackson was the first to be more of the representative people as he was the first western president and not of a prominent family. He reduced government spending to help with economic matters. He favored the hard working people and favored a unique equality that was unseen at the time. His democracy led him to be a popular presidential candidate along with his election campaigns. However, he was arrogant and made many decisions that did not benefit America in the long run. -
Seneca Falls Convention
Many women in the United States began to protest their own rights since they had been rejected basic rights to do their own work without the need of a male. They advocated for the rights of women in the social., civil and religious sense. Although they had not much power as a group throughout the years, this was the beginning for the campaign of women's rights. -
Slave Population reaches 4 million and annual cotton bales reach 4 million bales.
By 1860, the slave population had grown immensely with the South thriving from the cotton economy as shown with the massive amount of cotton bales as well. The slaves were treated terribly and had many restrictions pushed onto them. Many whites also benefited from the slaves in the south and were fiercely loyal to the idea of slavery. More than half of the 4 million slaves worked on plantations all across the south. -
Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated president
Lincoln dealt with the Civil War and did many great things in America at the time. The Emancipation Proclamation, for example, freed many enslaved and was one of the key factors in winning the Civil War. During his presidency, he was a compassionate man that gathered the respect of many people in the United States. He longed for peace for everyone, even after the Civil War's traumatic experience. -
The Civil War begins
The Civil War was one of the most horrific wars in the US, having the most casualties in war. The Union winning changed the course of history for the States since winning outlawed slavery and the South lost immense power. The power of the central government also increased as a result. It was the first modern war, utilizing railroads, photography, and the American "love" for guns. Socially, women gathered much power since most men went to war. Women filled in positions that men had previously.