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30,000 BCE
Bering Land Bridge
An extremely long time ago, the two continents of Asia and North America were once connected. The section connecting the two continents was called the Bering Land Bridge, this land bridge allowed people to cross and enter the North American region. People came in three major waves across thousands of years. Over the many years, eventually, the land bridge would be flooded over splitting the two continents like present day. -
Period: 30,000 BCE to
Beginnings to Exploration
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200
Rome
Rome impressively managed to unite most of Europe. Sharing culture, language, and knowledge, the Roman Empire was a strong and united empire, also having a unique (at the time) government and ruling system. However, due to foreign invaders like the Germanic, Western Rome would fall 476, while Eastern Rome, which would be now known as the Byzantine Empire, will continue living and preserving the Roman culture. -
1095
The Crusades
The Holy Wars for the Holy Land. The Crusades were expeditions of catholic soldiers sent to Jerusalem to take it back from the Muslim. There were around 5 expeditions, most of them were unsuccessful in their goal. However, during the expeditions, the crusaders brought back many Muslim advanced technology and knowledge, even uncovering many lost ancient Greek documents and knowledge, which allowed an escape from the Dark Ages, and into the renaissance for Europe. -
1400
The Black Death
All across Europe, a massive plague spread by fleas from rats wiped out an extremely large percent of the population, this led to a major labor shortage, meaning now the remaining laborers who survived could now make demands for their payments and conditions because easily the laborers could just "leave" and go find work somewhere else, and many of the landowners were desperate for workers. -
1450
Maritime Exploration
In the late 15th century, there was a major boom in maritime technology and equipment. The astrolabe, better ships with rudders, cannons, all these things allowed Europeans to head out onto sea. The Portuguese were the first to head out, with Henry the Navigator, they went all the way around Africa and hit Asia by sea. Spain was the next folk who took the sea, with Christopher Columbus they discovered the New World and started an entirely new era. -
1492
Columbian Exchange
Alongside the discovery of the New World, many new crops and animals were discovered. The Columbian Exchange, named after Christopher Columbus, was the exchange of goods between the New World and the Old World (Europe). For Europe, the new crops introduced allowed for a larger, healthier, growing population. However for the New World local residents, the natives, 90% of them were wiped out from disease that was brought from the Old World due to them having little immunity to them. -
1535
New Spain
The first Spanish expedition into the Latin America region which would later become New Spain would be led by Hernando de Soto. Using extreme force and warfare, they would take Natives under their control, forcefully convert, extort, and kill many of them, very unlike the French. Most Spanish came to New Spain in looking for the fabled gold and silver to make fortunes off of. The Spanish treatment of natives in New Spain was extremely disliked by the other European nations. -
Indentured Servitude
Indentured Servitude is when people work off debt for usually four to seven years in the new world. The workers were being fed and clothed. Indentured Servitude was a way for people who weren't of higher class to come to the New World, because you would require much money to even afford a boat trip to the land and money to live on it. People would pay for people to come over and work as indentured servants. This was a popular way of labor in the early colony years. -
Period: to
English Colonial Societies
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Jamestown/Virgina
The Virginia Company of London owned a private charter in the New World and attempts to start a new colony there. At first there was 150 settlers, most of them were rich and lacked survival skills who came after they heard about gold, and then the first winter hits, only 32 survive. The colonists avoided the natives. John Smith, disliked among the colonists, goes out to the natives and asks them for help, they learn and trade from them. And with tobacco, the colony was saved and a huge success. -
Maryland
George Calvert or Lord Baltimore chartered a colony and made it religiously free to anybody, and named it Maryland after the King's Wife, not the Virgin Mary which many believe to actually be. Cecil Calvert, Lord Baltimore's son, would later own the colony as the proprietor, and then made new requirements for settling there. Settlers were required to have provisions, and make profit for the colony. -
Triangular Trade
The Triangular trade was a three-way trade between West Europe, North Africa, and the Thirteen colonies. The 13 colonies would give out their new raw goods to Europe which with those raw goods the Europeans made manufactured goods. With those manufactured goods as currency, they bought slaves from Africa and sent them off to the 13 colonies so they would have a larger labor force to harvest raw goods more efficiently. -
Virtual Representation
Virtual Representation was the idea of the Parliament also represented the colonies even though none from in the Parliament actually was from the colonies. This brought along salutary neglect which was Britain letting the colonies basically do their own thing, which let 13 Colonies create somewhat of a self governing system and militia. This allowed for a sense of colonist self-pride and the idea of not relying on the mother country that would come later Pre-Revolution. -
Colonial Economy
Due to the varying geographical conditions of the 13 colonies, the economies also varied. In the North, they had a diverse economy due to the colder climate, so mostly mostly shipbuilding, lumber and fishing. In the South, it was made up of mostly plantations and agriculture because the warmer wet climate allowed for it. The Mid-Atlantic had a mix of the North and South, having a similar Northern economy plus some agriculture as well. -
Colonial Slavery
Slavery was seen and used differently in different regions in the colonies. In the North, slavery was generally disliked and unused due to the colder climate not supporting plantations, and the more general diverse economy. In the Upper South, slaves were in smaller groups, treated better than the lower and were watched more often because tobacco was much easier to harvest. While in the lower South, they were in larger groups meaning they weren't watched so much African culture was preserved. -
Period: to
Colonial America to 1763
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Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts was an act of jealousy by the English empire. The Dutch was grabbing a lot of the colony merchants as they were more appealing to buy the goods from. The Dutch were really ahead with their higher tech so their goods were a lot nicer and cooler than the mother country. So, the Navigation Acts limited the trade with the Dutch, and all goods would be transported on only English or American ships, basically it was to get the Dutch out. -
Nathaniel Bacon
Nathaniel Bacon was a resident of the Jamestown colony and was not the guy who invented bacon. Bacon was fed up with the issues of how the tobacco pricing was falling and how the classes suck because of the corrupt government of Virginia, and starts his Bacon's rebellion. With an army of discriminated indentured servants, he fought on, but once Nathaniel Bacon dies not from battle but fever, the rebellion and it's army falls apart quickly. -
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment first started in Europe and was spread over to the Americas. Enlightenment sought logic and reasoning, questioning everything to seek an explanation for it, this would disappoint the supernatural, the superstitious, and religion, as nothing could really prove that any of those things existed. Enlightenment theories and ideas would inspire and be used in many documents like the Constitution. Benjamin Franklin, John Locke, and Issac Newton were famous Enlightenmenters. -
Glorious Revolution
James II, a Catholic Monarch of England, wanted to govern the colonies more like the Spanish. More control, less free will, and more taxes. He also wanted ally with France, and create the Dominion of New England, which was all colonies mushed together under one governor. These new ways were disliked by the people, and the last straw was when he dissolved the parliament. So, the parliament gets James daughter and husband, Mary and William as the new king and queen. This revolution was peaceful. -
Act of Union
The Act of Union was what put Britain together. United England, and Scotland band together , and form, the UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN. Ireland would come and join Great Britain later, the Act of Union was only between those two. Now, New Britain (or the U.K. of Great Britain), was an empire ruled by the parliament, with their own federal system, central authority, and multiple levels of government. -
The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was a major religious revival movement. This movement inspired many to decide their own religious beliefs, instead of having somebody else do it for them, specifically the government. So basically a separation of religion and the government. This movement brought along much more education as well. Famous Great Awakening-ers are George Whitfield and John Edwards. -
British Crisis After the French and Indian War
Due to the major struggle of the French and Indian War, even though they won, Britain was facing major debt and need for resources to recover. In order to get rid of this large debt, they needed money. So, they looked to their colonies, and started putting taxes on their goods. The American colonies, weren't so happy about that and would spark the American Revolution. -
Militias
Militias are the local armies of the colonies, usually they were made up of farmers, locals, peasants, basically normal regular people. They weren't trained at all and weren't very organized so it was basically a ragtag team, and this is what the colonies relied on for protection against the British army, which at the time was pretty strong. So the British really expected an easy fight for good reason, however the militias actually put up a good fight and would later win the war. -
Period: to
The Revolutionary War
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The Boston Massacre
With the Townshend acts in place, many of colonists were angered even further with the taxes. In Boston, a large group of protesters would harassing a line of soldiers with thrown rocks. One soldier shot into the crowd as it was harassment was escalating, leading to the other soldiers to also shoot. Five people were killed in this incident. Paul Revere would publish an extreme exaggeration of the event to trigger even more anger in the colonists and make the British the bad guys. -
Olive Branch Petition
Before the war, in a final attempt, the Continental Congress wanted to see if they can avoid the war with Britain quickly and peacefully. They sent a petition to Britain to be seen by the king, which in return the King declined the petition, stating that the colonies have gone too far with their actions and must be put down and punished with force. -
Lord Dunmore's Proclamation
Created by John Murray, this proclamation was created to boost the British forces. It promised that any slaves who would abandon their plantation owners and joined the army would be given complete freedom from slavery. This would lead to many slaves to join the British forces and not the Patriot side because that side never really promised anything like freedom or the such. In the end, the Proclamation was left unfulfilled and the army slaves were ignored. -
The Declaration of Independence
At the Second Continental Convention, a document was signed by the founding fathers which declared the independence of America. The document was written by Thomas Jefferson. Inside this document, they avoided hate-speech against monarchies so that when other European nations see the declaration, perhaps they will help them out and which was what happened with other nations joining America's side. The reason we have Independence Day on July 4th is due to the date of the signing of the document. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the government system put into place for the colonies during the revolution. It was slapped together really quickly, so it's a mess but it worked during the revolution. However after, the flaws started showing. The AoC lacked central authority so they couldn't do much, they also couldn't tax, pay back pensions for veterans, and had to rely on requisitions. Basically, it lacked a lot of power needed to run the colonies. -
Treaty of Paris 1783
Signed after the British loss in the Battle of Yorktown, this treaty officially ended the American Revolution. In this treaty, the British would officially recognize the 13 Colonies as their own independent nation, and also vacate all their soldiers from the forts on America. The Americans also promise to give back anything taken from the Loyalists during the Revolution, however this promise would not be respected so the British would later not vacate their men from the forts in the future. -
Period: to
The Constitution
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Shay's Rebellion
Many farmers were fed up with the taxes and low agriculture prices that were placed after the revolution. A lot were put into debt and lost much of their farmland. In Massachusetts, Daniel Shay, was super fed up, and rallied a bunch of farmers and started the rebellion. The rebellion would take a while to be put down by the government because of how slow it was to respond. This rebellion was a wake up call of how bad the Articles of Confederation was, and led to the Constitutional Convention. -
The Plans for the Constitution
For the Constitution there was the Virginia Plan, and the New Jersey Plan. The Virginia Plan was to replace the AoC and supported larger pop., it included a single executive, judiciary court, and a two house legislature, they would all be equal through checks and balances. The New Jersey Plan only changed the AoC and supports smaller states, it had a single legislature elected by the people that elects the executive. The plan chosen included a mix of the two plans, being the Connecticut Plan. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was put in by Congress for the new Northwestern states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. The Ordinance stated the requirements for a territory to become a state and that these new states would be equal to the older states, and not inferior. You would need at least five thousand free males to elect a legislature, then with a population of sixty thousand the territory has the possibility to become a state. These new states would reject slavery as well. -
Period: to
The New Republic
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Post Revolution and the British Situation
After the revolution, the states were still having issues with the British. Some British soldiers wouldn't leave forts and Ohio Valley which was stated in the Treaty of Paris (1787). The British gov. didn't try to do anything about it because the Americans weren't respecting the treaty as they weren't giving back the loyalists their properties so until they did that, the British would not act. They were also trading with the fed up natives which would often raid and attack nearby settlements. -
The First Bank of the United States
The Bank of the United States was thought of by Alexander Hamilton. He planned on the bank to stabilize currency and economy, it allowed people to make deposits and loans. Specifically, he wanted private investors and rich people to use the bank to boost the economy. Republicans hated the idea of the bank because nowhere in the Constitution did it state anywhere that we could build some federal bank. The bank would later be made official and chartered under Washington. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights was a document written by James Madison to guarantee the rights of the people. Between the two parties, the Federalists supported the idea of a constitution and disliked the Bill of Rights, while anti-federalists had the complete opposite opinion about the two. So when the federalists win the election, they put in the constitution, and to also satisfy the anti-federalists, they compromise and put in the Bill of Rights as well. -
Whiskey Rebellion
Whiskey is extremely important for the economies of farmers, usually that's what they gain most of their profit from. So, once Hamilton puts a 25% tax on Whiskey, lots of farmers are mad, specifically Pennsylvania and Kentucky ones. They all team up and lead a large revolt to Pittsburgh. However, the national army led by Washington quickly scares the rebels and the rebellion ends peacefully with little bloodshed. This rebellion showed the new dandy Constitution is able to run and do it's job. -
Pinckney's Treaty
Spain was giving us much issues with the Southern coast, they wouldn't let us go through the Mississippi River, Florida is split up very awkwardly between the two nations, and there is a lot of conflict in those regions. So Thomas Pinckney came up with his treaty, which successfully settled the Florida border and gave us control of the economically important Mississippi River with the new New Orleans ports. Spain also became a favorable trade partner in the end. -
Washington's Farewell Address
With the coming Election of 1796, many expected Washington to run again, however, the man was tired and did not want to run another term. So, with his presidency coming to an end, he had his farewell address. The importance of this address is that he established the tradition, not law, of presidents only running two terms, he also said to never have permanent alliances, only temporary ones, and to not get involved in others affairs and avoid conflict if possible. -
Kentucky Resolutions
With the issues that arrived with the Alien and Sedition act, the issues of how those two acts basically ignored and displaced what the Constitution put into place, Thomas Jefferson thought of a plan to resolve those issues. The Kentucky Resolutions is what he wrote, and he gave a lot of power to the states. It stated that states could nullify any unconstitutional laws and if that nullification was not respected then the state could leave the union. This is the basic foundation of states rights. -
Period: to
Age of Jefferson
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Marbury vs Madison
This supreme court case is considered the most important one, as it set up the idea of judicial review, which allows them to decide if something is constitutional or not, and finalizes the judicial branch. Marbury was one of the judges chosen during Adams Midnight Judges, and one of the judges who was not commissioned by Madison. So Marbury sues Madison and the Supreme Court tells Marbury that he should've been entitled to judge, however they lack the power to tell Madison to deliver it. -
The Louisiana Purchase
Due to the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleon is desperate for money for resources, so when France gets back Louisiana from Spain, Napoleon attempts to sell it to Thomas Jefferson. However, nowhere in the Constitution did it say Jefferson could buy land from foreign states, so he was shaky at first. However, due to the price of 3 cents an acre (cheap) and Napoleon saying he might drop out of the deal, Jefferson takes the deal and doubles the size of the nation. -
Embargo Act of 1807
The British were forcing American sailors into their naval forces, which is called impressment, thinking that some of them were actually British soldiers, and they also fired upon the U.S.S. Chesapeake. In reaction to these issues, Thomas Jefferson creates the Embargo Act of 1807, which restricted and deprived Britain and France of American goods. This really hit the economy, and was hated in seaports and merchants because it mostly applied to them. -
Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry, Baltimore, was shelled by the British heavily. The Americans were able to hold out the shelling and keep hold of the fort till the British were forced to retreat. Francis Scott Key, an author and lawyer, was inside the fort during the British shelling. Inspired by the warfare, he wrote a four verse poem, which would include the famous national anthem of America, the Star-spangled Banner. Much of the lyrics were inspired by the attack on Fort McHenry. -
Aftermath of the War of 1812
The War of 1812 was mostly a draw between the two nations. The group who actually took major losses were the Natives, while the Americans benefited economically with the new tech gained.The Hartford Convention was during this time, mostly Federalists, they wanted to secede from the Union due to the war and Embargo, however they were seen as traitors after this and the political party broke up. This led to the Era of Good Feelings, which was a time of no political personal threats and conflicts -
Period: to
The American Industrial Revolution
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Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans was the final battle of the War of 1812, with the victorious being the Americans. This battle was actually fought two weeks after the war ended with the signature of the Treaty of Ghent. Due to the major victory, the man who led them, Andrew Jackson gained major fame and glory from this, even getting the nickname based off his toughness, "Old Hickory". This battle would lead to his eventual presidency. -
McCulloch vs. Maryland
In this supreme court case, the situation was that Maryland sued McCulloch who was the owner of the Bank of the United States over taxes. The question was if the sue was constitutional or not. The final conclusion was that, Maryland was not able to sue the Bank of the United States because it is federal property. This case gave implied powers to the government, and stated that the government is supreme over the states, so states are unable to sue the federal government. -
Missouri Crisis
Missouri finally has enough population to become a state, so it applies for admission as a slave state. This was an issue for the North because another slave state would give the South more power in Congress. So they temporarily compromised with the Missouri Compromise, which drew an imaginary line at the geographical lines of 36 30. To the North of the line, all new states would be free, while to the South, all new states would be slave, this would balance out the slave-free state ratio. -
Period: to
Cultural Changes
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Mormons
One day, Joseph Smith finds these golden tablets, and through divine intervention, he is able to translate the tablets and then writes the Book of Mormon based off the tablets. In this book, he stated that Native Americans were one of the lost tribes of Israel, where Jesus fled to. It inspired many to flee to the West to escape persecution like how Jesus fled. Mormons were mostly unindustrialized farmers and traders, because they were often behind and unsuccessful, so the Book appealed to them. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was the most important thing that happened during the Monroe presidency, and it was a speech. Due to the Spanish Empire collapsing, a lot of European nations wanted to take their land, Monroe made this speech. In his speech, he declared that Europe has no intervention or influence on Latin America and the Western Hemisphere, and that if they do invade Latin America, then they'll also pick a fight with the U.S, because they would be attacking the U.S. influence zone. -
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson before his presidency was an idol. Due to his victories in the Battle of New Orleans and his actions in Florida, he was renowned. He was seem as quick tempered and tough, even being nicknamed Old Hickory. During his presidency it would bring along the Age of Common Man as he supported the common people instead of the rich due to his frontier origins and to be appealing. There were also many scandals during his presidency, like with the Spoils System. -
The Corrupt Bargain
The Election of 1824 was between John Q. Adams and Andrew Jackson. Jackson would win the popular vote, however not the electoral college vote, this tie would be dealt with in the House of Representatives. Henry Clay, a large influence on the House of Representatives struck a deal with Adams. If Clay becomes vice president, he will guarantee that Adams would win. Adams does manage to win in the end, Jackson becomes extremely angry with this bargain, calling it unfair and swearing revenge on Clay. -
John Quincy Adams Presidency
After his victory of the Election of 1824, Adams became president. He would input the American System, which was to improve industry. It created new tariffs, requires a new national bank, and made general internal improvements to infrastructure. He also created a national university and observatory. Adams as a president, didn't so well. He was a very reserved and quiet man, so it was very difficult for him to connect to his people, leading to a very awkward relationship. -
Pre-Revolution Texas/Tejas
The Northern Frontier of Mexico was underdeveloped, due to the terrible climate conditions and land, not many Mexicans wanted to settle over there. So, in their new Constitution, they started inviting Anglo-Americans over if they follow certain rules. These rules were that, become Catholic, become Mexican citizens, learn Spanish, and give slavery. Many Americans did not follow any of those rules due to the lack of enforcement, and quickly the Americans outnumbered the Mexican pop. -
Period: to
Age of Jackson
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The Waltham System
The Waltham System was new setup for female laborers to be able to do their work much more efficiently. It set up centralized factories or mills, it put in a larger labor force, the women would live inside the factories with dorms, and the workers would earn more profit. Mostly this system included young and single women. These systems allowed for the women to learn and interact with other women, however, the conditions were grueling and difficult. This system would be used in the Lowell Mills. -
The Cotton Gin and Slavery
The Cotton Gin was an invention made by Eli Whitney. This machine allowed for much quicker production of cotton as it separated cottons from their seeds easily. Before, people would have to take out seed by seed with their own hands which took a long time and labor. This new machine hit the South very hard, making Cotton the major cash crop, becoming the most of the exports and profit. This boost in cotton, also boosted the usage of slaves, as more slaves were needed to work the machines. -
Antebellum South Classes
In the South, there was three major classes, the Planters, the Yeoman, and the Tenants. The Planters were the elite class, they owned the plantations, had much money, and the majority didn't use slaves. The Yeoman were the middle class, 75% didn't have slaves, had a mixed relationship with planters, and they formed the Southern militia who caught runaway slaves and dealt with rebellions. The Tenant made much of the population, the lower class, they had to rent farms from the Yeoman and Planters. -
Transportation Improvement
The Industrial Revolution in America brought major changes to the process of transportation of people and goods. New, modern, safer roads were created, also introducing the turnpike. New canals like the Erie Canal were made allowing for even faster transportation over water. The major improvement was the railroad, it allowed for extremely quick movement while carrying a lot of goods. These improvements greatly decreased prices as transporting the goods were much easier and safer. -
Foreign Immigration
The major immigrant groups of America were the Irish, German, and the Scandinavians. The Irish were trying to escape from their deadly potato famine, Germans were trying to escape the political mess of the current state of split-up Germany, and the Scandinavians came for economic opportunities. The Irish were disliked due to their wild behavior so they resided in slums, while the other two groups resided in the Midwest and the North. These immigrants made America more culturally diverse. -
Election of 1828
The Election of 1828 would be the first modern election. Andrew Jackson vs. John Q. Adams. The Democratic-Republican party would fade away, while the new democratic party under Andrew Jackson would form. To gain followers, Jackson would promote his frontier origins, military achievements, and the common man, he would also go to the grassroots. There were many personal attacks between the parties, starting incriminating rumors about each other. Jackson would later win in a landslide. -
The Spoils System
During Andrew Jackson's presidency, there were a lot of controversies and scandals, one of them being the spoils system. Unlike John Quincy Adams who appointed office members through merit and talent, Andrew Jackson did the exact opposite. Jackson appointed office members only through their support for him, similar to a reward. For being a great supporter, he would grant them a government position, which led to many unqualified and unskilled to appear in the government. -
The Temperance Movement
With the lackluster market revolution and economy, many men turned to drinking. During this time, alcohol consumption was extremely bad, a lot of men would basically drink all day. This extreme consumption would lead to worse home and work life, so the temperance movement was to reduce drinking. Some states would actually straight up ban alcohol. Women were the leaders of this movement, as they were the ones who could pull them out of the addiction. -
Abolitionists
Abolitionists, were people who believed that slavery is inhumane and that slaves should be freed. Naturally, the North were mostly abolitionists while the South didn't have many. There were two solutions the abolitionists came up with, gradualism, and immediatism. Gradualism meant freeing slaves little by little, and send them to Latin America or Africa, specifically Liberia, this solution was unpopular with blacks. Immediatism would immediately end slavery straight up and would be more popular. -
Shakers
Shakers were people who really screwed themselves over. They believed in equality, somewhat similar to communism but wasn't as problematic. They believed in equality of the sexes, and rejected any women domestic chores/norms, and had no private property. They also believed in something which extremely shot them in the foot, they were celibate. Basically, they couldn't bang each other or marry at all. So quickly, Shakers would die out because there it couldn't be passed on. -
Nature Movement
To get have a more appealing setting and a get-away from the fast-paced industrial life, parks were created. Areas to relax, enjoy nature, and escape the smoke and dark dank areas of factories. This would boost peoples morale and general happiness. Cemeteries would also follow this new naturalistic design, with the Rural Cemetery Movement. These new cemeteries would be more modern-like for respect to the dead and health reasons. -
The Prison Movement
During the Second Great Awakening, many were looking at the lives of prisoners and the prisons themselves. The conditions inside prisons were terrible, and a new idea and belief of prisons arose. This new belief was that prisons should be an area of where criminals should be reformed and made "pure" again. So, penitentiaries were created, in these prisons, prisoners would reform in isolation or under constant watch. Sing Sing and the Eastern State Penitentiary are examples of these new prisons. -
Greek Revival
The Greek Revival was a large Greek architectural movement across America. This revival came because of the Jacksonian Democracy. Due to Jackson's Age of the Common Man, many people looked back and saw that the Greeks did something similar with their democracy system, and they were the first to do so. So, Americans would celebrate the idea of democracy by using some Greek architecture ideas. Some cities would even be named after Greek cities like Troy, Ithaca, and Syracuse, all Greek cities. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner was a slave and preacher, who believed in the supernatural and superstitious. One day, he saw a lunar eclipse, which inspired him to start a rebellion in Virginia. This rebellion was short, and managed to kill 50-65 whites. Northerners would see this rebellion as inspiring, while the Southerners were scared. This fear lead to limiting slaves actions and rights, and would also lead to the later Slave Codes which made official the limitations on slaves. -
Nullification Crisis
The Tariff Act of 1832 put a tariff on textiles, which hurt the Southern economy. Due to the Kentucky Resolutions, which stated that a state could not follow a national law if they didn't like it, South Carolina holds a convention. In this convention they discuss nullifying the law, and Jackson says that if they nullify it then he'll execute them all. Scared, the convention ends. The crisis ends with Clay's Compromise Tariff of 1833 which scaled back the tariffs. -
Election of 1832
The Election of 1832 was a war over the national bank. Andrew Jackson vs. Henry Clay. Jackson dislikes the bank, saying that it only supports the rich people and screws over the poor classes. Clay believes that Jackson's hatred would be key to his victory, so he lays a trap with the Bank's owner, Nicholas Biddle. He made Jackson veto a bank charter renewal, leading to Jackson's Bank Veto Speech. In this speech he explained publicly why he vetoed, and this speech made him win the election. -
The Western Frontier and Native Americans
Manifest Destiny was every American's dream and there was one major blockade in the middle of the U.S. territory and the Mexican territory, the Natives. Natives were already being moved towards Oklahoma with the Indian Removal Act, however there were other issues further beyond. The Black Hawk War was a war between Black Hawk, a Native leader, and his man vs. the Americans. The war wouldn't last long, and with the American victory, much of the Western frontier would be stolen from the Natives. -
Whig Party
After the Election of 1832 and the Bank War, the Republican party decides to go under a new name, the Whig Party. This party was now mostly "anti-Jackson" as they mostly opposed anything he did and believed in. They are even called the Whigs which is a reference to a patriot during the American Revolution. And since the main party opponent was Jackson, because they're called Whigs, it made it seem like Jackson was a snobby ruler like the British. -
The Telegraph
During the American Industrial Revolution, the ability to communicate long distances became much easier with one new invention, the telegraph. Invented by Samuel Morse, the telegraph is able to send instantaneous messages to others through the use of the language, Morse Code, which was named after the inventor. The new ability to instantly communicate allowed for quicker expansion and efficiency, and also played a large part in the later Civil War. -
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was the man nominated by Jackson to run in the Election of 1836, in which he barely wins. Due to the recent Bank War, the economy was in shambles, which Buren inherited and couldn't deal with very well, so then started the Panic of 1837. The Panic of 1837 was a major recession which many blamed Buren for. Many even started rumors of him being a pervert and called him Martin Van Ruin. These issues and rumors during his presidency would screw over his run in the next election. -
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto was the decisive battle in the Texas Revolution. Santa Anna decided that his army should take a quick siesta one night, and when Sam Houston gets knowledge of this, he sets up a surprise attack on the napping soldiers. This battle would only take less than twenty minutes, and only with a few Texas casualties while Mexico suffered many. Santa Anna was captured and he signed a treaty that declared Texas's independence. -
Fire-eaters
Fire-eaters were Southerners who were angry over Northern aggression about slavery. Due to the constant annoyances the South was facing about slavery, a lot of southerners got fed up, and a lot of them urged to secede from the union. When conflict was spicing up and it was nearing the Civil War, the Fire-Eaters would be the first reactors and would grow in size greatly. Until, finally the Fire-eaters got what they wanted with the South seceding from the Union. -
Northern Industrialization vs. Southern Agriculture
The North had a large industrialization pace and expansion as they also used immigrants as cheap labor. They had railroads and waterways connecting each side so they can transport goods easily. The South only had industrialized areas near the North, and they were very jealous of the North's industrialization. However, they had cotton and tons of slaves, so they could still make a lot of money to survive. They also had good leaders unlike the North, which would play a large role in the Civil War. -
The Great Migration/Mormon Plight
Using the new Oregon Trail, many white settlers would take 5-6 months on their Great Migration to the West. Many would fear native attacks but most died to disease or road accidents. Mormons would also go on their own Great Migration to the West, specifically Salt Lake Valley. After Joseph Smith's death, Brigham Young took over, and to escape all the persecution the Mormons were facing for simply being Mormon, they all escape to the West and establish their own communities. -
Period: to
Westward Expansion
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Election of 1844
The Election of 1844 was Henry Clay vs. James K. Polk. The major topic for this election was over letting in Texas. Polk promised to only run for one term, if Polk fails his 3 goals, he is unworthy for a 2nd term, while if he completes his 3 goals, there is no need for another term. His 3 goals were, Annex Texas, settle the Oregon Border with Britain, and settle the Mexican Border, basically complete Manifest Destiny. Polk wins the election, with Texas already annexed before his inauguration. -
Wilmot Proviso
With all the new territory acquired through the Mexican-American War, a past question arose again. Would these new states be slave or free? Wilmot Proviso was a theory to just ban slavery in all the new territory we got. This theory caused a political firestorm, as it split up the two major political parties more. The Wimot Proviso will however be shut down in Congress. The theory would actually be brought up again in the Election of 1848 with Buren's comeback and the Free Soil Party. -
Election of 1848
The Election of 1848 was a war over slavery. Lewis Crass v. Zachary Taylor. Zachary Taylor was pragmatic, he was a more of a middle man when it came to choosing political parties, making his views kind of unknown. The Free-soil Party pops up led by Martin Van Buren, they supported Wilmot Proviso but wanted to keep slavery where it already is. When Zach campaigned in the South, he was pro-slavery, however in the North he was for banning slavery, this would lead to him easily winning the election. -
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Sectionalism
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The Chinese California Migration
In 1849, Gold was found in California. This would attract thousands of settlers, and start the California Gold Rush. This Gold Rush also attracted others, specifically, Chinese immigrants. When word of this gold came to China, thousands of Chinese came to find new opportunity and escape from the Taiping Rebellion. However, Chinese often were faced much racism, they were given the least amount of pay and the jobs and mines with the worst conditions. -
Personal Liberty Laws
The Personal Liberty Laws were laws that were passed only in some of the Northern states to nullify the Fugitive Slave Acts. Specifically nine Northern states would prohibit the returning of slaves to their masters in their state. These laws were effectively prove on how Southern politics have spilled into the North, and created an even larger divide between the two. Even northerners who were neutral at first were forced to pick a side due to the laws. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 is a finalized version of the Henry Clay Compromise, and would deal with the new states and the issue of being free or slave. It said that, California will be free, New Mexico and Utah will be left undecided for now, Texas will relinquish their disputed Western land to pay for their debt, and would start the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. The Fugitive Slave made legal the obtaining of runaway slaves, and made it much more difficult to be neutral and a freeman. -
Nativism
Nativism is the hatred of immigrants or any foreign thing in politics. In America, Nativists would blame most of the issues on any the immigrants, saying that without them, the issues wouldn't exist. They were particular on hating Catholics like the German and the Irish. The Know Nothings Party were made up of Nativists, and their stance was, well a secret, or nothing. Whenever somebody asked they wouldn't tell, but really their main goal was to get rid of all the immigrants. -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
There were two new possible free states due to the Missouri Compromise and it's 36 30 line, Kansas and Nebraska. There was much debate over if these two states should follow the Missouri Compromise or just get rid of it, the South wanted to get rid of it, and that's what Stephen Douglas and Franklin Pierce did. The Kansas Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise, and instead put in popular sovereignty. Kansas should now be slave, and Nebraska should be free, the keyword being "should". -
Bleeding Kansas
Due to the Kansas-Nebraska Act making Kansas free or slave based off of popular sovereignty, many abolitionists pay people to settle in Kansas. However, due to illegal voters from other states, the pro-slave gov. wins, but the abolitionists also form their own gov., meaning there's two separate govs. in Kansas. Charles Sumner makes his "Crime against Kansas" speech angering a lot of people, John Brown has his attack on Pottawatomie Creek, there was just a whole lot of bloody fighting in Kansas. -
The Republican Party
With the disintegration of the Whig Party, and the weakening of the Democratic party, a new party is formed, the Republican Party. This party is the same as the modern one today, however it's main goal in this time was mostly only anti-slavery. It was very regional, mostly Northern. The party was made up of free-soilers, ex-Whigs, and Northern democrats, basically all with the goal of anti-slavery. -
John Brown's Holy War
John Brown as a destroyed man who has gone through many hardships and struggles in his life. However, he believes his goal which God told him to do was to destroy slavery. He has his attack on Pottawatomie Creek, and his raid on Harper's Ferry. During this raid, he's hoping for slaves to join in and help him fight against the federal troops, however, not many join him, and soon he is captured and hanged. Brown was seen as a hero to the North, and an insane evil to the South. -
The Crittenden Compromise
Thought up by John J. Crittenden, the Critten Compromise was a last ditch effort for the Confederate States of America to rejoin the union without the need of a war. The Compromise proposed to re-institute the Missouri Compromise and it's 36 30 line, and extend it all the way to the Pacific. However the Compromise is shot down by Lincoln himself, saying that he will propose something else. If the states come back, he'll make an amendment that will protect slavery, which none do come back. -
Neutral States in the Civil War
The neutral or border states would mostly states in the middle of the country. Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware, each of these states were slave states but decided to go neutral. The South wanted them to join their side because most of their industry lives there. The North wanted them to deprive the South of resources, have easier access to the Mississippi River, and promised them that they could keep their slaves for the time being, so they wouldn't get angry and join the South. -
Leadership in the North
During the Civil War, the North, well had very lackluster leadership. After the embarrassing Battle of First Manasses, Lincoln appoints George McClellan as the leader of the Potomac Army. He was great at training, but sucks at everything else. He would lead his terrible Peninsular Campaign, which had the sneak power of bright colored ninjas with air horns for shoes. Lincoln would struggle finding a competent leader until much later in the war, with Ulysses S. Grant. -
Women at Work
With the Civil War going on, many men were forcefully enlisted in the war with the many drafts that both sides were putting out. So, many jobs were left open and needed to be filled. This is where women come in, women would take the typical or traditional men jobs when they were out fighting. Jobs like, teachers, nurses, planters, and many other jobs. Clara Barton was a famous female worker, as she would start the American Red Cross, a neutral care for the wounded on the battlefield. -
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The Civil War
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Fort Sumter
Lincoln tells South Carolina, a Confederate state at the time, that ships are going to go and resupply Fort Sumter, a fort the Confederates haven't gotten to yet in South Carolina. The South needed to prove their worth and authority, so P.G.T. Beauregard leads an assault onto Fort Sumter. The fort garrison was already ordered to surrender, meaning the South fell in Lincoln's trap. Lincoln could now with a legal reason to declare war on the South as they were in a "state of insurrection". -
The First Bull Run/Manassas
The First Bull Run was the first major battle of the Civil War. On July 21st, 1861, in Virginia, the Union wanted to take control of the train station Bull Run. So the union sends the Army of the Potomac, which was made up of 30,000 troops at the time, to the South. The union soldiers were extremely unprepared, and lost so hard that a lot of the soldiers ran away to D.C. This battle makes Lincoln realize he's gonna need a lot more men, and makes George McClellan the leader of the Potomac Army. -
Trent Affair
The Confederates really wanted Britain on their side for the war, so they send two diplomats over to Britain. However, the boat they were on, the Trent, was intercepted by the USS San Jacinto, and were arrested. The British are upset over the arrest, and demands a formal apology from Lincoln. Lincoln releases the the Confederate diplomats, and in very calm manner, manages to make France and Britain rethink helping the Confederates because they are both for non-slavery. -
Plans for Reconstruction
There were two plans for Reconstruction. The first plan was Lincoln's 10% Plan. Very lenient, pardoned all southerners except for officials, all they had to do was take an oath of loyalty, and once 10% of a state's pop. does that, they would be readmitted in to the Union. The second was the Wade-Davis Bill which was written by the Radical Republicans and was much more strict. States would be readmitted after long punishment, destroy the slave society mindset, and required an oath from all. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
While Grant was going after Lee, William Sherman leads his men to take Atlanta, the last industrialized area of the South. After he takes Atlanta, he starts his march to the Savannah (sea) and is the first time we see the strategy Scorched Earth. Scorched Earth would burn everything that the enemy could use, including civilian areas, so this was the first war that brought the war to civilians. Sherman successfully split the South into three. He also issues the Special Field Order No.15. -
40 Acres and a Mule
After the success of Sherman's March to the Sea, many planters retreated from their land so many fields were left free to take. So, Sherman orders his Special Field Order No. 15, which divided up the land he got by 40 acres, and would give each freedman those lands plus a mule since they had a surplus of those. Freedman would get to own this free land, however after Johnson lets many planters off the hook, many planters would take back their land from the Freedman cancelling the field order. -
Freedman's Bureau
To help deal with how in shambles the South was after the Civil War, a relief government agency was formed, the Freedman's Bureau. The Bureau would help freedman with food supply, they would set up schools and education systems for them so they could learn how to read and write, and would be similar to polices as Freeman could reported to them and they would deal with the issue. The Bureau would gain much more power to deal with the rise of White Resistance groups like the KKK or White League. -
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The Reconstruction Era
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Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
A few days after the Civil War ended, to celebrate, Lincoln goes to watch the play, "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theater. There's been a conspiracy going on to assassinate Lincoln and other cabinet members, but that doesn't bother Lincoln. However, at the theater, Lincoln would be shot by John Wilkes Booth who snuck up behind him. Lincoln would die a day later due to how fatal his wounds were. John Wilkes Booth would be captured a few weeks later shot in a burning barn. -
The Presidency of Andrew Johnson
After Lincoln's assassination, Vice President Andrew Johnson would take over. He had a very large hatred against planters and black people, more of the latter. He hated black people so much he would forgive planters if they would just do a simple oath and they would get all of their land back, he also pardoned high-ranking Confederates and gave back their property. He put in the infamous black codes and vagrancy which basically made blacks slaves again. He would be impeached by Congress in 1868. -
The Freedom Amendments
The Freedom Amendments all dealt with the freeing of slaves and freedmen, as you can tell from the name. These amendments were the 13th, 14th, and 15th. The 13th officially abolished slavery. The 14th stated that any citizen born in the U.S. are citizens, and that citizens gain equal protection of the law. Not stated in it, but it made it hard for Confederate officials to join Congress, and prohibited financial compensation for ex-slave owners. The 15th gave universal male suffrage to all races. -
Election of 1866
Inside the Congress, Andrew Johnson, the current president, was extremely unpopular, to the point where the people who hated him, the Radical Republicans, had so much power in the Congress that they can basically veto anything Johnson tries to do. This would lead to Reconstruction to be placed in Congress's hands, and they instead use Military Reconstruction. They divided the South in to five military-occupied districts to calm and simmer things down. -
Election of 1868
The Election of 1868 was between previous war hero Ulysses S. Grant, a pragmatic kind of dude but he was republican, and Horatio Seymour, an extremely random and unimportant democrat. Ulysses would win the election. In this election, it showed that both whites that are in the South and the North were both racist. Due to the 15th amendment, many whites were fed up and angry with blacks voting. So, by using violence and intimidation, they beat up black voters and often swayed their votes.
