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The Origins of Civil War (1846-1861)
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Mexican war begins
Where: Rio Grande Border
Who: Mexico and America
Why: Mexican cavalry attacked a group of U.S. soldiers in the disputed zone under the command of Zachary Taylor, killing about a dozen people -
Iowa becomes the 29th state
Where: The United States
Who: Iowa
Why: President Polk signed Iowa's admission bill into law. -
Wilmot Proviso is introduced
Where: Pennsylvania
Who: James K. Polk
Why: To eliminate slavery within the land acquired as a result of the Mexican War. -
Mexican-American War; Guadalupe Hidalgo ends war
Where: Villa de Guadalupe Hidalgo
Who: Mexico and America, Nicholas Trist, Winfield Scott and President Polk
Why: The Mexican government surrendered and peace negotiations began. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: U.S. and Mexico
Why: The treaty added an additional 525,000 square miles to the United States territory including the land that makes up for all the parts of present day Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. -
Wisconsin becomes 30th state
Where: The United States
Who: Wisconsin
Why: wholly formed out of the Northwest Territories -
Zachary Taylor becomes president
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: Zachary Taylor
Why: He won both the popular and electoral vote. -
Thomas Pratt elected Senate from Maryland
Where: Maryland
Who: Thomas Pratt
Why: 27th governor and senator of Maryland. -
John C. Calhoun died of tuberculosis
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: John C. Calhoun
Why: Tuberculosis -
Bloody Island Massacre
Where: "Old Island" at north end of Clear Lake, California
Who: Andrew Kelsey and Charles Stone
Why: A small argument between British Whites and a few colonists outside Boston escalated to throw sticks and snowballs at Private White. -
Franklin H. Elmore died
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: Franklin H. Elmore
Why: He died of erysipelas which was a skin infection -
Squatters Riot
Where: Sacramento, California
Who: Government of Sacramento of Squatters
Why: A lawsuit was filed against squatters and they organized a riot to fight the government. -
Plains Indian Wars (1851-1890)
Where: The United States
Who: Plains Indians and United States
Why: A series of conflicts between Native Americans and the U.S. along with its Indian allies over control of the Great Plains between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin is published
Where: Cincinnati
Who: Harriet Beecher Stowe
Why: Written to deliberate anti-slavery argument and aid runaway slaves in free states -
Franklin Pierce became president
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: Franklin Pierce
Why: Served in the state legislature and later became speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives -
Kansas-Nebraska Act is posed
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: Senator Stephen A. Douglas
Why: It allowed people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide whether or not to allow slavery within their borders. -
Gasden Purchase is finalized
Where: Mexico City
Who: James Gasden, Franklin Pierce, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
Why: The United States agreed to pay Mexico 10 million dollars for a 29,670 square mile portion of Mexico that later became part of Arizona and New Mexico. -
Ostend Manifesto is issued
Where: Ostend, Belgium
Who: Pierre Soule
Why: Described the rationale for the United States to purchase Cuba from Spain while implying that the U.S. should declare war if Spain refused. -
Pottawatomie Massacre
Where: Franklin County, Kansas
Who: John Brown and his sons
Why: A pro-slavery force -
Preston Brooks beats Charles Sumner
Where: Kansas
Who: Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner
Why: Preston Brooks beat him with a cane because he was an avowed abolitionist and leader of the republican party. -
Dred Scott vs. Sandford Decision
Where: United States Supreme Court
Who: Dred Scott and John F.A. Sandford
Why: ruled that americans of African descent, whether free or slave, were not american citizens and could not sue in federal court. -
Minnesota becomes 32nd state
Where: The United States
Who: Minnesota
Why: Gained legal existence and the states economy started to develop when natural resources were tapped for logging and farming and Minnesota became a state. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
Where: Illinois
Who: Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas
Why: series of 7 debates that were caused by the issue of slavery extending into the territories. -
Oregon becomes the 33rd state
Where: The United States
Who: Oregon
Why: oregon became the 33rd state to enter the union -
John Brown leads raid on Harper's Ferry
Where: Harper's Ferry, Virginia
Who: John Brown
Why: He attempted to start an armed slave revolt and destroy the institution of slavery. -
South Carolina seceded from the Union
Where: South Carolina
Who: South Carolina
Why: Because Lincoln won the election of 1860 -
Kansas becomes 34th state
Where: The United States
Who: Kansas
Why: Kansas became the 34th state to join the union -
Civil War and Reconstruction (1861-1877)
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American Civil War begins at Fort Sumter
Where: Charleston, South Carolina
Who: Robert Anderson and P.G.T. Beauregard
Why: several southern states seceded from the union and formed the confederate states of america -
First Battle of Bull Run
Where: Prince William County, Virginia
Who: Union and Confederacy
Why: the northern press and public were eager for the union army to make an advance on Richmond ahead of the planned meeting of the confederate congress -
Jefferson Davis elected President of Confederacy
Where: Alabama State Capital
Who: Jefferson Davis
Why: he ran unopposed and was elected to serve a six year term -
Battle of Hampton Roads
Where: Hampton Roads, Virginia
Who: Union Confederacy
Why: put the nations first ironclad ships against each other -
Homestead Act is passed
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: President Lincoln
Why: to remove the slavery issue -
Homestead Act
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: President Lincoln
Why: to remove the slavery issue -
Dakota War (Aug. 27th- Dec. 26th)
Where: Minnesota
Who: USA and Sioux
Why: the armed conflict between the united states and Dakota -
Second Battle of Bull Run
Where: Prince William County, Virginia
Who: Union Confederacy
Why: it was a stunning confederate victory over the union army of Virginia. Over 20,000 men died -
Battle of Antietam
Where: Sharpsburg and Antietam Creek, Maryland
Who: Union and Confederacy
Why: result of Abraham Lincoln issuing his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation in 1862 -
Emancipation Proclamation
Where: Maryland
Who: Abraham Lincoln
Why: led to the total abolition of slavery in the U.S. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Where: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Who: Union and Confederacy
Why: it was the bloodiest battle of the American civil war -
Gettysburg Address
Where: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Who: Abraham Lincoln
Why: a speech by Lincoln and the best one in history -
Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: Abraham Lincoln
Why: it was the reunification of the united states and a preliminary part in postwar reconstruction -
Lincoln vetoes Wade Davis Bill
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: Abraham Lincoln
Why: he felt it was a harsh punishment on the confederate states that rebelled from the union. -
March to Sea (Atlanta burned down)
Where: Atlanta, Georgia
Who: William T. Sherman
Why: Sherman conducted a march as a campaign in Georgia -
Sand Creek Massacre
Where: Kiowa County, Colorado
Who: John M. Chirington and Black Kettle
Why: 700 members of the Colorado Territory attacked Indian Villages -
March to Sea is complete
Where: Savannah, Georgia
Who: William T. Sherman
Why: the march finishes in Savannah -
Klu Klux Klan formed in Tennessee
Where: Puloski, Tennessee
Who: 6 formers officers of the confederate army
Why: a white supremacist organization founded in 1866. -
14th Amendment ratified
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: U.S. Government
Why: granted citizens equal civil rights to african americans and slaves who were emancipated after the civil war -
Grant elected President
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: Ulysses S. Grant
Why: aligned himself with radical republicans -
15th Amendment passed
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: U.S. Government
Why: granted african american men the right to vote -
15th Amendment ratified
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: U.S. Government
Why: granted african american men the right to vote -
Force Acts (KKK Acts)
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: Republican Reconstruction in supporters in the Congress
Why: protected constitutional rights guaranteed to blacks by the 14th and 15th amendments -
Grant wins 2nd term
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: Ulysses S. Grant
Why: was re elected for his good work in the past term -
Panic of 1873
Where: Europe and the U.S.
Who: Jay Cooke
Why: a major economic panic swept the nation and was closing down banks and other industries -
Civil Rights Act
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: Charles Sumner and U.S. Government
Why: ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination, color, religion, sex or national origin -
Whiskey Ring Scandal
Where: St. Louis
Who: Ulysses S. Grant
Why: concerned a conspiracy to bribe government officials and defraud the government of the excise taxes on liquor -
Battle of Little Bighorn
Where: Bighorn County, Montana
Who: Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Chief Gall, Two Moon, Lame White Man
Why: part of the U.S. government to forces Sioux tribes onto their Reservations -
"A Century of Dishonor" is published
Where: Amherst, Massachusetts
Who: Helen Hunt Jackson
Why: chronicled the experiences of Native Americans in the United States -
Dawes Act of 1887
Where: Washington D.C.
Who:Senator Henry Laurens Dawes
Why: provided the granting of landholdings to replace communal tribal holdings -
USS Maine
Where: Havana, Cuba
Who: United States
Why: started the Spanish American War -
Wounded Knee Massacre
Where: Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota
Who: U.S. Government and Great Plains Indians
Why: the last major battle of the Indian Wars resulted in the death of 300 Sioux men -
Teller Amendment
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: President William McKinley
Why: regarded control over Cuba after the Spanish American War -
Creation of anti-imperialist league
Where: NYC, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Chicago, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Oregon, Los Angeles
Who: Gover Cleveland, Carl Schurz, Andrew Carnegie, and Samuel Gompers
Why: to battle the American annexation of the Philippines as an insular area -
San Juan Hill
Where: Santiago, Cuba
Who: U.S., Republic of Cuba, and Kingdom of Spain
Why: to attack Santiago and reduce Spanish stronghold on troops -
Treaty of Paris
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: Spain and U.S.
Why: ended the revolutionary war and recognized American Independence -
Benevolent Assimilation
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: President William McKinley
Why: a policy towards the Philippines to end the Spanish American War -
Open door policy formed
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: John Hay
Why: proposed an open and free market for all nations with regard to trade with China -
"Big Stick" Diplomacy
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: Theodore Roosevelt
Why: a major component of Roosevelt's international relations policy -
Roosevelt Corollary
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: Theodore Roosevelt
Why: convinced that all of Latin America was vulnerable to European attack -
Gentleman's Agreement
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: U.S. and Empire of Japan
Why: america would not impose restriction on Japanese immigration -
Great White Fleet (Dec. 16th, 1907- Feb. 22nd, 1909)
Where: World Wide
Who: Theodore Roosevelt
Why: the U.S. Navy completed a journey around the globe -
Mexican Revolution (1910-1920)
Where: Mexico
Who: Revolutionary forces vs Counter revolutionary forces
Why: ended dictatorship in Mexico and established a constitutional republic -
Zimmerman Telegram
Where: United States, Germany, and Mexico
Who: Arthur Zimmerman, Heinrich von Eckardt and U.S.
Why: proposed an alliance in the case of war between united states and germany -
Fourteen Points Plan was established
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: Woodrow Wilson
Why: important for peace and ethics and motivated allied forces -
Treaty of Versailles (June 28th, 1919- Jan. 21st, 1920)
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: U.S., British Empire, France, Italy, and Japan
Why: brought world war 1 to an end -
League of Nations formed
Where: Geneva, Switzerland
Who: Soviet Union, U.S., France, U.K., and People's Republic of China
Why: to keep peace between nations -
Kellogg-Brand Pact of 1928
Where: Paris
Who: Frank B. Kellogg and Aristide Briand
Why: outlawed the use of war to resolve disputes between states -
Young Plan of 1929
Where: Washington D.C.
Who: Owen D. Young
Why: a program that settles German reparations debts after World War 1 -
The Expansion of U.S. Power from the 1840s to the 1930s