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Beginning of the War of 1812
American citizens were moved to begin another war with Britain in 1812. The war was motivated by a desire to remove the British from Canada and change British naval policies. The United States was actually ill-equipped to fight a war at such an early stage, but Britain was primarily concerned with defeating Napoleon in Europe. The War of 1812 was concluded with the Treaty of Ghent in 1814. -
Missouri Compromise
As a method to solve the issue of allowing slavery into new states, Senators Jesse Thomas and Henry Clay promoted the Missouri Compromise. The deal said Missouri would become a slave state, Maine would become a free state (to maintain a balance between slave/free states), and the rest of the Louisiana Purchase territory would be divided along a latitude line. All states above the line would be free, with states below the line as slave. -
Lowell Mills Founded
The mill town of Lowell was founded four years after the death of its namesake, Francis Lowell. The mills represented the modernization of American society, especially in more northern states. The mills would commonly hire young women and used a system similar to modern factories. The mills were also one of the first large-scale examples of wage work, which helped separate the developing middle class. -
Erie Canal Completed
The Erie Canal was built in the state of New York to connect the Great Lakes and the Hudson River (which led to the Atlantic Ocean). Steamboats had already begun traveling the Hudson River in 1807, so the opening of the Erie Canal further promoted the expansion of travel. The success of the canal resulted in several other cities and states building their own canals to better improve transportation methods. -
First Long-Distance Railroad Line
The first long-distance rail line was launched from Maryland and continued to be expanded. The line was run by the newly-formed Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Rail Road Company - named 'Baltimore' for the city which provided half of their starting funds. The line was intended to link products produced in the West to trading outlets near the Chesapeake Bay. Reminiscent of canal-building, the success of this railroad caused several other states to fund similar projects. -
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written By Himself
After escaping from slavery, abolitionist Frederick Douglass published his famous autobiography. While Douglass was not the first or only escaped slave to promote abolitionism, his continued fame and popularity moved abolition to greater prominence. His autobiography was translated and republished several times, which also helped bring slavery to the forefront of American discussion. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
A continued debate over the expansion of slavery led to the creation of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The act proposed that both states would use a method of popular sovereignty to determine the legality of slavery. Abolitionists were angered by the new act, as it ignored the Missouri Compromise (both states were above the latitude line and should have been free). As a result, both states became a battleground for opposing views hoping to maintain dominance. -
Abraham Lincoln Becomes President
Mostly unknown at the time, Abraham Lincoln became the Republican presidential candidate due to his less polarizing views. Lincoln was able to win with around 40 percent of the popular vote and 180 electoral votes. Part of his success stemmed from the lack of organization found in the Democratic Party, as the group was unable to agree and had two separate candidates. Lincoln's election quickly resulted in several states choosing to secede and protect slavery.
