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Louisiana Purchase
President Jefferson supports a $15 million investment for the buying of the Louisiana Territory that Napoleon is willing to sell to fund his wars and battles. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
In 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out to explore the Louisiana Territory. They depart, moving up the Missouri River to explore the West. -
War of 1812
In this war the United States took on Great Britain, because of Great Britain's continuous attempts to restrict U.S. trade and the impressment of U.S. seamen. Although the U.S. lost many battles, they won some very big ones, and it boosted the country's confidence and patriotism. The war was ended by the Treaty of Ghent, and everyone involved walked away happy. American's thought of this as the second war of independence, and it really boosted American pride. -
Erie Canal Completed
The Erie Canal was built for means of transportation and trade and connected the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. -
Underground Railroad Established
The Underground Railroad was an expression used meaning the large network of people who who help escaped slaves get to the Northern States or even Canada. Harriet Tubman was a huge factor of the Underground Railroad. -
Dred Scott Case
The case of Dred Scott v. Stanford was a very important event preceding the Civil War. Dred Scott, a slave, filed against Stanford saying he should be emancipated because he lived in Illinois and Wisconsin, free states, before the owners moved to Missouri, a slave state. The Supreme Court ruled against Dred Scott, saying that slaves were not citizens, but merely property of the slave owner. They concluded that property could not be taken away from a person without due process of law. -
Lincoln Inaugurated
Lincoln's inauguration was a big deal leading up to the Civil War. Because he was Republican, the south feared that he would abolish slavery and this added to the tension already there. To help, in his address, he stated he would keep slavery where it existed, but would still collect their taxes. -
Civil War begins
While the American Revolution made America, the Civil War decided what kind of country it would be. It also resolved the problem of slavery in the United States. -
15th Amendment Ratified
This amendment gave Blacks but not women the right to vote. -
Jim Crow Laws in Tennessee
Jim Crow Laws were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the US.
