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Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown, Virginia is the first permanent English settlement in North America. Many moved for religious freedom, but only 20% of the people that moved to the colony survived. They had to survive and harvest natural resources for profit, but didn't know how. The people that survived only did by observing and getting help from Native Americans. -
Great Awakening/Enlightenment
The Great Awakening was a religious boom following generations of waning churches and strict religious rules. It was led by a new generation of ministers including George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards, who gave impassioned sermons and focused on the principles of living a Godly life. Enlightenment was founded in Europe and offered new ways of thinking about science, logic, and reason. This was dangerous to governments because people began to question power. -
Stono Rebellion
The Stono Rebellion was a protest by slaves that revealed how hard it was for them to speak out. After the governor of Spanish Florida promised freedom for fugitive slaves, over 70 slaves escaped. So, once a war between Britain and Spain broke out, the slaves revolted and supported the Spanish. It was one of the largest and most organized rebellions, but also one of the deadliest, with 44 slaves killed. It also made plantation life much more disciplined. -
French and Indian War
Both France and England had overlapping land claims in North America. This made fighting break out between the two countries over defending land. They each allied with Native tribes and established new forts and settlements all over Ohio and Pennsylvania. By 1756, the war spread around the world and pitted the two countries in an all-out battle for imperial dominance. Following the war, tensions between colonists and the British began to rise over what both sides perceived about the war. -
British Control
Following the French and Indian War, the British looked for ways to control the colonies and make them more profitable. The first thing they implemented was the Sugar Act which was supposed to limit the amount of smuggling of molasses and sugar. Then, they introduced the Quartering Act which forced colonists to house and feed British forces. Finally, the Stamp Act forced colonists to buy stamps for anything that they wanted to be considered legal and binding. These acts only increased tensions. -
Sons and Daughters of Liberty are Founded
As anger towards the British increased, more citizens wanted a way to get involved. Because of this, the Sons and Daughters of liberty were founded. The sons staged boycotts, riots, and mobs against the government and British businesses, while the daughters boycotted British products, and began producing textiles in America. Both groups proved to have success in their missions. -
Boston Massacre
Following the British's creation of new laws, colonists started to participate in political activism, including speeches, riots, and boycotts. Colonists were protesting in front of the Custom House on King Street when they decided to throw rocks at the 5 soldiers outside of the building. This led to the soldiers shooting 5 colonists dead and began tensions between colonists and the British being deadly. -
Boston Tea Party
Due to the tea tax, many colonists were extremely angry. When British tea arrived in Boston, many colonists wanted it to be sent back so that they didn't have to pay taxes on it. A group of men disguised as Indians boarded the ships and dumped all the tea in the harbor. They wore these outfits to hide their identities and show their rebellion against parliament. -
Intolerable Acts
Following the Boston Tea Party, the British tightened their grip to punish the colonies by enforcing old laws and passing new ones. The new laws called the Coercive Acts, or by the colonists, Intolerable Acts, caused outrage. The port of Boston was closed until the wasted tea's money was returned, assemblies were outlawed, trials were held in England, the Quartering Act was enforced, trade was regulated, and high taxes were enacted. This only made the colonists more angry. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
Colonists had been preparing for revolution by storing gunpowder, rifles, ammunition, and some cannons in the town of Concord. The British marched to Concord in an attempt to seize the goods and also heard about rebellious colonial leaders staying in Lexington. In Lexington, the colonists faced off with the British with a shot known as 'the shot heard round the world' coming from an unknown side. This led to the Bristish open-firing on the colonists, and the revolution beginning. -
Olive Branch Petition
At the Second Continental Congress, all 13 colonies sent delegates with radicals desiring independence and conservatives desiring reconciliation. Because of the overall desire to be united, the radicals agreed to try to reconcile with Britain. They sent a letter to King George III, with him responding with rejection and declaring the colonies to be in rebellion. Following this, the delegates charged Thomas Jefferson with writing a declaration of American independence. -
Thomas Paine's Common Sense
Following intense fighting in and around Boston and before independence had been declared, Paine wrote "Common Sense." It is largely thought of as a brilliant propaganda piece that lays out a passionate case for independence in the language of common people. It got more common people on board with the idea of independence. Paine also wrote "American Crisis" a year after independence was declared in order to boost the low morale of the army. -
Battle of Saratoga
The battle of Saratoga was considered a turning point in the war. Following a long streak of losses, this win boosted patriot morale and boosted hopes for independence. This battle also secured the French as allies, who were previously skeptical that a colonial win was possible. The French sent their troops and navy, which proved to be immensely important to the end of the war. -
Articles of Confederation
Following the Treaty of Paris which officially ended the Revolutionary War, the Articles of Confederation, or the first laws, were written. These laws reflected national fears and traumas from the British. This pretty much entailed a government with the bare minimum power and no change of laws without 100% agreement among colonies. This proved to be unsuccessful in the first few years of the country being independent. -
Shay's Rebellion Begins
Many colonists, mostly from the working class, were unhappy with the living situation of the country. They were especially angry about farm foreclosures and debt prisons. Led by Daniel Shay, they decided to start a mob/militia in order to protest the unjust economic problems. This rebellion exposed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. It tested them and they had failed. This led to a push for change in the way the government was ran. -
Constitution is Ratified
When making the Constitution, there were two sides that needed to be pleased. The first was the wealthy federalists, who wanted a new form of federalism with a strong central government. Next, were the working-class anti-federalists who wanted the power to be in the state governments. To please both sides, deals like the Connecticut Compromise, determining Senate and House of Representative voters, and the Bill of Rights, guaranteeing the protection of all people, had to be made. -
Hamilton's Financial Plan
Hamilton, on the opposing side of Jefferson, believed in a strong federal government. As Secretary of Treasury, his financial plan included paying off war debt to gain the trust of other nations, raising federal revenue through taxes and tariffs, and creating a national bank. This plan was controversial at first, with strict constructionists like Jefferson and Madison against it. Even with debates, Hamilton's plan is what ended up occurring, due to him having the support of Washington. -
Pinckney's Treaty
Pickney's treaty was made between the United States and Spain. It allowed Americans to freely travel the Mississippi River and use the New Orleans Port. Although a big advancement for trade, Jefferson was not happy with this deal only lasting for twenty years. He viewed it as worthless because Spain could take back the privilege after the twenty years were over. -
XYZ affair
During the French Revolution, the United States did not side with them to remain neutral, even though they had a treaty with France following the Revolutionary War. This left the French government pretty angry, so Adams sent diplomats to negotiate a new treaty. Still angry, the French demanded a sizable gift of money before they would negotiate. Many Americans were outraged about this and demanded war, but Adams negotiated peace with Napoleon. This left him unpopular but helped avoid conflict. -
Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
Following the Alien and Sedition Acts, some states were infuriated. They began to review the acts and decided to nullify the laws. Henry Clay, a senator from Kentucky was a major creator of these resolutions. He stated that the constitution was a "pact" between the federal and state governments and that the states could decide to not follow some laws. Although the acts were bad, only the Supreme Court should have this power, or states would nullify anything the other party passed. -
Naturalization, Alien and Sedition Acts
With Congress being majority federalist, making laws was not hard for Adams. These included the Naturalization Act increasing the amount of time that immigrants had to live in the US to become citizens, the Alien Act allowing the president to deport any immigrant, and the Sedition Act making it illegal for newspapers to print anything critical of the president/congress. This made people realize that the government could take their rights away at any point and caused them to vote for Jefferson. -
Election of 1800
This election was also called the Revolution of 1800, and was considered the first important election. It began the Jeffersonian Era and changed political ideology. Many thought that this switch of power between parties would not be peaceful, but it was. Before leaving office, Adams tried to fill every position that he could with loyal federalists to keep them in power. This election was another test of the constitution, but it proved successful. -
Marbury v. Madison
The Marbury v. Madison case established judicial review, which allowed the Supreme Court to shut down laws that they found violated the Constitution. They had to decide if an action done by Congress, or what was written in the Constitution should be followed. It also created the Supreme Court's ability to check the power of the other branches of government. This case affects the way that the government has been run ever since. -
Louisiana Purchase
Jefferson, worried about losing control of New Orleans and access to the Mississippi River, sent James Monroe to negotiate the purchase of New Orleans. Napoleon isn't interested in just selling the city, so he offers the Louisiana Territory for $15 million. Jefferson unsure, puts aside his personal strict views of government power to do what he believes is best for the country. He gets attacked for being a hypocrite, but doubles the country and sends Lewis and Clark to explore the new land. -
Embargo Act of 1807
Due to good trading relationships being established, Jefferson wanted to remain neutral when France and Britain were at war. He does this by imposing an embargo on all foreign trade. This weakens the economy and taints his reputation, but does promote the manufacturing of American goods. Unintentionally, Jefferson ended up following Hamilton's plan better than he did, with manufacturing having quick growth while he was in office. -
War of 1812 Begins
The War of 1812 was caused by the British Navy forcing American sailors into impressment and the British supporting Native American resistance against the US. To support this, they provided natives with weapons and training. As a new country, the US was viewed as weak, and they were starting to demand respect from the rest of the world. They also wanted to prove that the American Revolution victory was not just luck. The win of this war established a new sense of nationalism within Americans. -
Market Revolution
The Market Revolution was heavily impacted by Clay's American System consisting of a strong central bank, protective tariffs to spur manufacturing, and a stronger transportation system. This transitioned transportation from older boats and animal power, to new canals. This revolution provided an abundance of new inventions including Eli Whitney's cotton gin and Cyrus McCormick's reaper. Overall, this revolution grew the economy and promoted immigration to the US. -
Election of 1824
In this election, no candidate received a majority of electoral votes, so the vote went to the House of Representatives. Henry Clay, speaker of the house and very influential, dropped out of the race to avoid backlash but met with Adams with no one knowing what was discussed. Shortly after, Clay publicly supported Adams leading to his election, and then Adams appointed Clay as his Secretary of State. This meeting was conspiracized to be a "corrupt bargain." -
Indian Removal Act
Throughout the 1820s, white people living in the South and Midwest started to demand that Native Americans should be forced to resettle out west. The natives did not like this because it meant getting kicked off of the land that they had lived on for centuries. President Jackson passed the Indian Removal Act, forcing them to undergo a treacherous 1,200-mile journey on the Trail of Tears to get to reservations that they were now forced to live on. -
Nullification Crisis
Still angry about the Tariff of Abominations, the South threatened to nullify the law. Calhoun from South Carolina believed the tariff was unconstitutional because it favored the North. Because of this, he thought that the states should declare this law null and void. Jackson, in favor of preserving the union, fought nullification and recommended that Congress reduce the tariff. South Carolina threatened to secede, but they were violating federal law and committing treason, creating tension. -
The Alamo Ends
The Alamo was a well-known battle that occurred in the Texas Revolution. In it, the Mexican Army crushed the Texan Army at the Alamo mission. For the Texans, it was a huge loss with many folk heroes from the era, like Davy Crocket, losing their lives. The phrase "Remember the Alamo" became common, as well as the Texas Revolution as a whole becoming more mainstream. -
2nd Great Awakening
Like the 1st great awakening, the 2nd included church growth, new denominations, emotionally driven messages, and charity. It was led by people like Lyman Beecher and Charles Finney who shared the idea of church as a means of perfecting society. The views of free will and the role of women were also expanded during this time. The 1800s were full of major social movements, and the 2nd Great Awakening plus these movements intellectually changed the country. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was written by Henry Clay and was designed to try and hold the nation together for just a bit longer as tensions grew. The major conflict that needed to be compromised was the issue of slavery being a part of new states. In the end, the compromise let California enter as a free state, banned the slave trade in D.C., and heavily strengthened the Fugitive Slave Act. This was one of the attempts to keep tensions between the North and South at bay. -
Bleeding Kansas
When Kansas was becoming a state an election had to be held to decide if it would enter as a free or slave state. To try and benefit their sides, both the North and South tried to entice migration to sway the vote. On election day, a posse of pro-slavery "border ruffians" from Missouri crossed into Kansas to rig the votes in an abolitionist town. This led to a sea of violent skirmishes between the two factions which was called "bleeding Kansas." -
Dred Scott Case
The Dred Scott Case was a landmark Supreme Court Case that was eventually overturned by the 13th Amendment. Dred Scott, a slave, had claimed that he should no longer be a slave since his owner moved to a free state. He wanted himself and his family to be considered free. The court sided with the owner, meaning that the federal court had essentially no power over where slavery existed. Additionally, it declared that African Americans weren't citizens. -
Lincoln Elected
Before his presidency, Lincoln was a successful state politician and strategist for the Whig Party. He was recently defeated by Stephan Douglas for the US Senate, but it gave him the national prominence that he needed. The North rallied for him and gave him lots of support in the election, while the South worried about slavery, economics, and way of life under his presidency. -
Battle of Bull Run
The Battle of Bull Run set the war into action. Northerners thought that they were superior and would get an easy win, with some people even coming to watch the battle. Instead, they were blown away by the aggressiveness of the South. For the North, it was a wake-up call that the South was not coming to play. It made them realize that this was going to be a full war and that they wouldn't automatically win. -
Homestead Act
The Homestead Act was incredibly influential and forever changed the American West. It promised 160 acres of free land to whoever promised to occupy and develop the land. This was an especially good opportunity for lower-class immigrants who were trying to escape the South after the Civil War. Occupants received the deed to their land after 5 years of farming on it. -
Pacific Railway Act
The Pacific Railway Act was one of the most important legislation signed. It was an act entailing the details of a new transcontinental railroad. To increase the speed of construction, Lincoln hired two companies to build the railroad. One was from the East, and one was from the West, making them work harder to compete for more money and land. This led to the project being finished two years early and resulted in cheaper and easier travel as well as an economic boom. -
Morrill Land Grant Act
President Lincoln was a big appreciator of college education but acknowledged that all of the schools were in the East, not giving much opportunity for students in the West. So, this act gave each state federal land for free that could only be used to make public universities. This act is incredibly influential because most big universities now were made from this act, meaning that it affected so many generations. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Following a slim win at the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln released the Emancipation Proclamation. In it, all slaves in Confederate states were freed, making the war now entirely about slavery. It made all who helped the Confederates look bad while helping the Union Army by giving them more people. Finally, it was also an incentive for Confederate states to come back to the Union because Union states' slave policies weren't affected due to their loyalty and allegiance. -
Battle of Vicksburg
The Battle of Vicksburg was a Union victory and was one of Grant's most brilliant campaigns of the war. With the loss of Pemberton's army at Vicksburg and the Union victory at Port Hudson five days later, the Union controlled the entire Mississippi River and the Confederacy was effectively split in half. This victory also boosted Grant's reputation leading to his appointment s General-in-Cheif of the Union armies. -
Lincoln's 10% Plan
Following the Civil War, Lincoln felt that the nation could only be unified again if there were no feelings of animosity. He made the plan called the Proclamation of Amnesty Reconstruction. This gave pardons to any Confederate leader who swore an oath to the Union and allowed states to be readmitted into the union if 10% of its voters gave loyalty oaths, and their new constitutions outlawed slavery. Many believed that Lincoln was being too easy on the rebels, making this plan controversial. -
13th Amendment
Following the Civil Rights Act of 1866, slavery was illegal, but the federal government wanted to take it a step further and amend the Constitution. The Amendment outlawed slavery but didn't guarantee equal rights for former slaves. Even with this, it was definitely better than before, and ended a dark chapter in our nation's history. -
Freedmen's Bureau
Following the freedom of all slaves, the Freedmen's Bureau was created. It helped newly freed blacks transition to a life of freedom. It did this by starting schools, negotiating labor contracts, securing loans, helping them find land, and providing them with legal aid. The Bureau was later dismantled by Congress, making life even harder for newly freed blacks. -
14th Amendment
Many people in the Republican-dominated Congress feared that Democrats would overturn the Civil Rights Act of 1866 if they regained power, so they desired a more permanent solution. So, the 14th Amendment was passed giving all people born in the US full citizenship regardless of their background. Anyone naturalized was also considered a full citizen, and all US states were required to protect US citizens through laws and legal processes. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment being ratified promised voting rights to all male citizens. This included all African-American men, who were no longer being denied a vote because of their race. People also could not be rejected due to their previous conditions of servitude, so those serving in or supporting the Confederate army also had the right to vote. -
Civil Rights Act of 1875
Congress passed and Grant signed the Civil Rights Act of 1875. This was important because it banned discrimination in public accommodations, meaning that segregation was not allowed. However, the act was not enforced by presidents after Grant. Segregation was almost ended at this point, but because of the presidents following, it did not actually end up being banned until 1964. Although Grant was judged for this, it shows how ahead of the times he was. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
In the 1880s, there was a lot of racism in America towards multiple groups of people. Many were especially afraid that immigrants, especially from China, would steal their jobs. This act banned all Chinese workers from entering the US for at least 10 years. The act kept getting lengthened and strengthened and only ended when the Magnuson Act went into effect in 1943. -
Dawes Act
This act, very similar to the Homestead Act, gave land to Native Americans in 160-acre plots. Even though this seems positive, it was actually incredibly harmful. Native reservations were broken up and it turned into a land grab through constant corruption, fraud, and mismanagement by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Horrifically, Native Americans ended up losing 66% of their land due to the law. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was a landmark Supreme Court case, and it ruled that segregation was legal, as long as it was "separate but equal." The case happened when Homer Plessy, a 7/8ths white man, who was classified as black under Louisiana law, sat in a White train car after the passage of the Separate Car Act. By the court siding with Ferguson, segregation, Jim Crow laws, and racism was normalized, and would stay that way for a long time.