1800-1876

  • Marbury v. Madison

    Marbury v. Madison was supreme court case that implemented the process of judicial review into the judicial system.
  • Louisiana Purchase

    The Louisiana Purchase was made in 1803, where the territory of Louisiana was purchased from France for 50 million frances, or $15 million USD.
  • 12th Amendment

    The 12th Amendment provides the electoral college guideline by which to operate.
  • William Lloyd Garrison

    Notable abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison is born in Newburyport, MA in 1805. His work contributed to the popular opinion of slavery being turned negatively, and his works are still regarded highly to today.
  • Election of 1808

    The Presidential Election of 1808 sees federalist candidate Charles Pickney lose to Democratic-Republican candidate James Madison.
  • Slave Import Outlawed

    In a 1809 ban, the import of slaves was forbidden in the United States.
  • War of 1812

    In a Native American War, the Creek tribe was forced to relinquish millions of acres of land to the United States.
  • Tariff of 1816 / Dallas Tariff

    The Dallas Tariff was the first tax on imported goods, placed in order to protect American manufacturers.
  • Harriet Tubman

    Born a slave in 1820, Tubman escaped to the north. Harriet returned to the South through the underground railroad an unknown number of times to assist other escaping slaves. After suffering an injury, Tubman married a free slave.
  • Compromise of 1820 / Missouri Compromise

    The Compromise of 1820 declared that slavery was prohibited in states north of latitude 36°30´.
  • Corrupt Bargain

    The Corrupt Bargain describes an event in an American Presidential Election where Speaker of the House Henry Clay influenced the house to break an election tie in favor of John Quincy Adams in order to be appointed as Secretary of State. To his dismay, Clay was not appointed to Secretary of State and instead continued to serve as Speaker of the House.
  • Sojurner Truth

    Born a slave in 1797, Truth "walked to her freedom" in 1826. Truth was an avid abolitionist and women's rights activist, and wrote many abolitionist/women's rights works in her lifetime.
  • Tariff of Abominations / Tarrif of 1828

    The Tariff of Abominations describes a large tax placed on a majority of imported goods, designed to protect northern industry; however, the tariff crippled southern industry.
  • Election of 1828

    In the Andrew Jackson V John Quincy Adams Presidential Election, Andrew Jackson won the election via 178 out of 261 electoral votes.
  • Indian Removal Act

    The Indian Removal act granted land in Oklahoma and Kansas to the Cherokee Tribe for relocation. The Cherokee took the issue to the Supreme Court. The court sided against the state of Georgia.
  • Cyrus McCormick's Automatic Grain Reaper

    With no formal education, McCormick designs and manufactures the automatic grain harvester.
  • Nat Turner's Rebellion

    Nat Turner, a slave, organized a rebellion of slaves who conducted a slaughter of about 60 white people. Nat Turner was hanged after being arrested by a militia.
  • Bank War

    Andrew Jackson's campaign to abolish the Second Bank of the United States consisted of several measures to reduce the power of the Bank of the United States' power in order to prevent a re-charter.
  • Force BIll

    Andrew Jackson's 1828 Force Bill reduced tariffs and made laws concerning taxes far more struct, in an attempt to force defiant South Carolina to pay tariffs.
  • Treaty of New Echota

    The Treaty of New Echota was made with a minor fraction of the Cherokee tribe, but forced the relocation of all Cherokee. This brutal and deadly relocation is known as the "Trail of Tears".
  • Election of 1836

    In the election of 1836, Democratic Party's Martin Van Buren faced off against 4 candidates from the Whig party consisting of William H. Harrison, Hugh L. White, Daniel Webster, and Willie P. Mangum. This was the first time a presidential nominee had won an election without a majority vote, angering many US citizens.
  • Panic of 1837

    The Panic of 1837 sees one of the first economic crises in the United States, where the value of goods went down and employment was on the rise.
  • Independent Treasury Act

    The Independent Treasury Act separated the federal Government from banking, forcing the Federal Government to rely on entrusted state banks.
  • Election of 1840

    The Presidential election of 1840 sees Martin Van Buren defeated by Whig candidate William H. Harrison.
  • Grime Sisters

    Sarah and Angelina Grimke were avid women's rights activists in the 1800's. By 1840, their work led to women being allowed to participate in the Anti-Slavery Society.
  • Election of 1844

    In the Presidential Election of 1844, nominee James K. Polk won the election over the Whig candidate Henry Clay. Polk's iconic slogan read as "Fifty four, forty or fight", referring to border dispute between Mexico and the United States.
  • Texas Annexation

    Texas became the 28th State in the United States after war with Mexico.
  • California Plan

    In 1845,California is encouraged by the US government to seek independence from Mexico.
  • Battle of Buena Vista

    In the Mexican-American war, the United States faces against Mexico at the Battle of Buena Vista. Major General Zachary Taylor is nearly defeated.
  • Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

    The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo brought the Mexican American war to a close, settling border disputes between the United States and Mexico.
  • Seneca Falls Convention

    Seneca Falls was the first women's rights convention in the United States. The convention drew nationwide attention, and became the epicenter of Women's rights in early America.
  • Commercialization of Sex

    Commercialization of sex in the United States can be described by the fact that in 1850, the United States saw an increase from 200 brothels in New York City in 1820, to 500 in in 1850.
  • Compramise of 1850

    The Fugitive Slave Act was put in place to pacify the South in an effort to avoid civil war, while California was annexed as a free state. Furthermore, the compromise abolished slave trade in the capitol of the United States, Washington DC.
  • Kansas-Nebraska Act

    The Kansas-Nebraska Act declared that Kansas and Nebraska should decide for themselves whether or not slavery would be allowed in those states. The act served to repeal the Compramise of 1820.
  • Frederick Douglass

    A former slave, Frederick Douglass was one of the most prolific abolitionist authors in American History. Douglass was born a slave; however, he taught himself to read and write, allowing him great opportunities. Douglass's "Keys for Success" can be described as the following:
    Believe in yourself.
    Take advantage of every opportunity.
    Use the power of spoken and written language to effect positive change for yourself and society.
    Douglass died a free man in 1895.