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The Boston Massacre
This happened after the British had taken a stronger presence in Boston. They took control of the port and shut down many important places. They wanted to make the colonists pay for the Boston Tea Party. This then led a mass of people to come in front of the tax collection building, which was protected by British troops. The officer in charge of the troops told them not to shoot. The crowd got closer and began to assault the soldiers. This led the soldiers to accidentally fire on the crowd -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
The British troops caught wind of the American colonists stockpiling weapons in Concord. They also discovered that Samuel Adams and John Handcock hid in Lexington on the way to Concord. The British prepared to mobilize and this is where we get Paul Revere´s famous midnight ride. He did this to warn people about the British attack. Although he tried to warn them few ended up coming to fight the British. The British won because of their superior numbers and training. -
Siege of Boston
This was a British siege of Boston, a major port city. The British aimed to capture major cities and hold them until they won. The colonists wanted to just stick around long enough and outlast the British. They also wanted to ally with France as the French were looking for a way to get back at the British for the 7 Years' War. -
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Revolutionary War
It was a war between the US and Britain for American independence. The Americans won, but the British were humiliated internationally. The French got payback for the Seven Years´ War. They also finally defeated a British navy fleet. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
This was a battle on a hill near Boston. The British victory completed their siege of Boston. The colonists may have been effective had they not run out of ammo for their cannons. This hurt their morale as Boston was a major port city seeing most of the 13 colonies trade. The fact that they were very close to victory showed the colonial army could hold their own against the British army. -
The Signing of The Declaration of Independence
The colonists tried being peaceful and sent an olive branch petition and the king was outraged at this, so they declared independence. Everyone who signed the Declaration of Independence put a target on their back as now the British wanted to capture them. One major mention would be John Handcock who signed his name the largest and said he wanted the king to be able to read his name without his reading glasses on. Another one would be Thomas Jefferson as he wrote the draft of the paper. -
The Battle of Long Island
This happened when the British faced the colonial troops in Western Long Island. This British victory led to the British gaining the third-largest city in the colonies. This hurt the colonial army as this was the first major city they lost and they would eventually go to lose Philidelphia and Boston meaning they lost their three largest cities. -
The Battle of Trenton
The colonial army had faced defeat after defeat and had low morale. George Washington wanted to gain morale so they could win the war. He planned and executed the historic crossing of the Delaware River and attacked and liberated the city of Trenton, New Jersey, and this made his troops want to stay and keep fighting when they wanted to give up and go home. This helped him improve morale and keep the Revolutionary War going enough to win the war. They defeated the Hessian mercenary group there. -
Battle of Saratoga
This battle is often called the turning point in the Revolutionary War. This battle was where the colonists captured and forced a British army unit to surrender. This is the first time this has ever been done in history. This led the French and the Spanish to aid the colonists and declare war on the British. -
Founding of the Articles of Confederation
This was done by the First Continental Congress they met, discussed, and decided on this. They were a little upset about all the power being in the central government and put most of the power in the state governments. The central government couldn't tax and couldn't have a standing army. This was first official government of the United States of America and it sucked. -
Battle of Yorktown
This was the final battle of the Revolutionary War. It led to the last British troops surrendering to the Americans. This led the British to agree to sign a treaty and led to the independence of the United States about 2 years later. -
Shays' Rebellion
Many of the Revolutionary War veterans were waiting for money from the government which they couldn't give them because they couldn't get money. After all, they couldn't tax. Many of their farms are having difficulty because they are busy fighting a war. they are unable to pay their land taxes and their farm are getting taken. They are upset because they fought for this country to get screwed by said country. They started marching toward Boston as the city had most of the banks in Massachusetts. -
The Signing of Constitution
After Shays' rebellion cracks in the Articles of Confederation were clear so they needed a new government. They met to replace this government and technically they met illegally to do this. They decided on what is today the constitution. The Constitution gave a little more power to the central government. -
Addition of the Bill of Rights
Many were still a little nervous about the central government having too much power. They agreed that they would add a Bill of Rights guaranteeing the rights of civilians. This helped the people scared of a powerful government feel a little more comfortable about the Constitution. They got the constitution ratified because of this agreement. -
Whiskey Rebellion
This was the first of the Constitution. President Washington resolved it peacefully. He fired cannons at the rebelling crowd and scared them away. They were upset about a whiskey tax as it hurt the people of Virginia and the rest of the South. This showed how the Constitution succeeded where the Articles of Confederation failed. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
This is the most controversial part of John Adams' presidency. The Alien Act took away the rights of immigrants. The sedition act made it illegal to criticize the government which was unconstitutional, but nothing was done and then it ended with his term as well. This is what ruins his name and makes most people hate him. -
The Revolution of 1800
This is when Jefferson took office. Everyone thought the US was going to fall apart. This is the first time in the history of the world that a country changed political parties peacefully. The whole world watched this election as they thought the US was going to fall into ruin. -
The Louisiana Purchase
Thomas Jefferson was offered the entire Louisiana Territory by Napoleon. Jefferson was unsure of how to acquire new territory and wasn't sure what to do. He decided to buy the territory and double the territory of the US. This is something few presidents can claim and makes him a great president. He secured both banks of the Mississippi one of the major rivers in the United States and he got the port city of New Orleans. -
The Embargo Act of 1807
Jefferson was enraged about the abduction of American ships by French and British navies. He placed an embargo on them in retaliation. The first effect was economic devastation. The economy of the US fell apart and Jefferson is widely criticized for this. He helped the US become more industrious in the long run. -
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The War of 1812
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The Battle of Detroit
The British captured Detroit after the fall of Fort Detroit. The British advanced from Canada, invaded Michigan, and took Detroit a major city in Michigan. This is also known as the Second Revolutionary War because the US was on the defensive again. The US and British were a lot more balanced at this time and the US could defend itself better. Detroit fell to the British however. -
Burning of Washington
The British forced their way into Washington and began burning important buildings in Washington. They burned the white house because it is a symbol of the president and the government. They burned many important buildings not just the white house they also burned the Capitol Building and the Library of Congress. -
The Battle of Baltimore
This battle was a major attack on Fort Mchenry. The British heavily bombarded the Fort and demolished it. Francis Scott Key a poet was a prisoner in a British ship and saw the attack the next morning when the dust cleared up he saw the flag and wrote a poem, that poem became our national anthem "The Star Spangled Banner." The fort lasted heavy bombardment the entire night. -
The Battle of New Orleans
In the War of 1812, the British and the Americans had begun peace discussions. This is the most famous battle in the war because General Andrew Jackson hadn't received knowledge that the war had ended he faced a fleet of British ships trying to take New Orleans. He united pirates, Cajuns, and soldiers to defeat the British. He defeated the British and became a war hero and he gained a lot of fame. -
Acquisition of Florida
The colonies of East and West Florida were loyal to the British in the Revolutionary War. They were returned to Spain in 1783. When Napoleon invaded Spain, West Florida declared independence James Madison took advantage of this and claimed it. Spain was too weak to stop them. They signed 2 treaties to get East and West Florida. -
Missouri Compromise
There was a problem because Missouri wanted to be a slave state. The North wouldn't allow it. They made an agreement Missouri would enter as a slave state and Maine would enter a a free state. It also stated that all states North of the Mason Dixon line were free and all states South are slave. -
The Corrupt Bargain
Andrew Jackson was the clear choice of the public, but none of the candidates reached half so Congress chose. The speaker of the House Henry Clay had a lot of power in Congress so the two candidates began courting him. Henry Clay went into a room with John Quincy Adams and no one knows what was said but all we know is after that Clay backed John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay became Secretary of State which was thought of as the "springboard" to the presidency. -
The Tariff of 1828
This increased the price of European goods. Which angered the countries who in turn put tariffs on Southern cotton. The South starts buying more European goods to appease Europe. The South wants to declare the tariff null and void to aid their economy. This starts a dispute between not only Jackson and the South but also between Jackson and his vice-president Calhoun. -
Indian Removal Act
People didn't like the Native Americans so close to their cities and families so they moved them legally to what is today Oklahoma. This caused what is known as the trail of tears where they were forced to move away from their homelands. The Natives tried to fight but they weren't strong enough and were forced up. This made Jackson one of the most controversial presidents ever. -
Jackson's Veto of the National Bank
Jackson thought the national bank to be corrupt and wouldn't support it. He moved all the country's money into smaller local banks, who gave all the money away. This caused economic devastation and ruined the reputation of the president that followed him. He never saw any problems while he was president almost immediately after the United States had their economy almost fall apart entirely because they ran out of money. -
Nullification Proclamation
South Carolina was extremely upset about the tariff and decided to declare the tariff null. South Carolina said if they tried to use military force to get them in they would declare Independence. This was bad as South Carolina was considered the voice of the South so they thought more would rebel. Henry Clay found a solution that worked for both of them. -
Panic of 1837
This was caused by Jackson's feud with the national bank. This is viewed as though it was Martin Van Buren's fault but it wasn't, so he spends almost his entire presidency trying to fix this. He ends up fixing it but it ruins his reputation. He leaves office extremely disliked by many as he is blamed for this panic even though it wasn't his fault. -
Acquisition of Texas
Texas had fought for independence and wanted to join the United States. Texas fought and defeated General Santa Anna and gained their independence. They asked Van Buren who denied them wanting to avoid hurting relations with Mexico and they were denied until President Tyler. They almost immediately applied to be a state but had to lose some land as they went over the Mason-Dixon line and that had to be free territory instead of slave and Texas had slaves. -
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Mexican- American War
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Battle of Chapultepec
This was an important battle because it was considered a major step for the Americans to win the war. This is considered the battle that led to the siege of Mexico City and the American victory. If the Americans didn't win this battle they may have lost the war. They would have likely taken a lot longer to reach Mexico City at the very least. -
The Siege of Mexico City
Mexico City was the capital of Mexico so it was very strategic to get. Once they captured Mexico City they could force Mexico to peace and gain land. They won the war because of the strategic capture. They got California and gained more power in North America. -
Gold Rush
Someone found gold in California and accidentally told someone about it. People began moving to California. California experienced a massive population boom. This made their population boom so much they could apply for statehood in 1850. -
Compromise of 1850
When California admitted to be a free state the South complained and blocked it. They agreed that California enters as a free state. They also agreed that the slave trade would end in DC. The South got a new strict fugitive slave law and the Mason-Dixon line was repealed. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Kansas is torn as it is decided that people vote whether a state is a free state or a slave state. They released an act that repealed the Missouri Compromise completely got rid of the Mason-Dixon line and made it so that states could vote whether they were free of slave. -
Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott and his wife live with his master in Virginia. His master was moved to Illinois he sued for his freedom. The Supreme Court sided with the master and said he wasn't a citizen he was property. This outraged the North because it meant there were no true free states. This also meant that Congress couldn't outlaw slavery as it was a constitutional right and they couldn't touch it as the supreme court made their decision. -
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Civil War
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Battle of Fort Sumter
This was the first battle of the Civil War and seeing the Confederacy win caused three more states to succeed. This was also the first time a black regiment had ever been used and they were significantly more effective than white regiments. This battle happened in South Carolina and after seeing Fort Sumter survive the battle North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee all succeeded. This hurt the Union as they lost more states. -
Battle of Bull Run
The Union thought that this war was going to be easy. They were shocked when the Union troops started fleeing. People were picnicking watching this like it was a game. This shocked the Union when they lost and messed them up for a while. This was the first major battle of the Civil War. -
The Battle of Fort Donelson
This battle was one of the early Union victories. This helped them capture an important river. it was a crucial part of the Civil War and for the Union. It opened up an important avenue for the Union. -
The Battle of Shiloh
This caused a Confederate General to fall. This made the Confederacy give up on its hopes of preventing the Union from capturing the Mississippi River. This caused a significant drop in Morale for the Confederates. The Union was now able to reach Vicksburg. -
Battle of Antietam
This battle was one of the first wins for the Union during the Civil War which allowed Lincoln to release the Emancipation Proclamation. This changed the entire goal of the war from preserving the Union to whether slavery was allowed to exist or not. This made our view of the Civil War change to it was about slavery. This battle changed the entire purpose of the war. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
This battle was important because the South lost one of their major generals. This led to the South slowly start falling back and losing. This helped the North to overwhelm them. This gave than much more confidence. -
Battle of Gettysburg
This was one of the few battles fought in the Union territory. This battle was the bloodiest in American history. This battle was a realization for Lee that he couldn't invade the North and he never tried to invade the North again. This allowed for the North to begin ending the war. -
Battle of Vicksburg
This was a pivotal battle for the Union. This allowed them to complete their Anaconda Plan. If it had been unsuccessful they would have had to change plans. This was also what got Ulysses S. Grant the promotion to head general of the army which led to the Union winning the war. -
Battle of Chickamauga
This is a Confederate victory. This was the second bloodiest battle of the Civil War. This also stopped the Union from entering Georgia. This made the Union wait a year before trying to enter Georgia again. -
Battle of the Wilderness
This was the first battle where Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee faced off head-on-head. There was a dense forest which made the battle significantly harder. This was where Grant could show his power and charisma and wear Lee down and defeat him. The battle was inconclusive. -
Battle of Atlanta
Atlanta was a major city in the Confederacy. it was their industrial city it held most of their industries. Most people in the South thought if Atlanta fell the entire South would. The Union capturing this city and burning it to the ground really hurt the South and their morale. -
Lincoln's Assassination
Lincoln was trying to keep people going easy on the South still as he wanted to keep the Union united again. He fought with Congress and was trying to work something out. He was then shot in the head and killed and called a tyrant. -
The 13th Amendment
The radical Republicans got a supermajority in Congress and pushed for an amendment to keep their work from being undone. so they got an amendment made. This was the thirteenth amendment which abolished slavery.