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Salutary Neglect
Salutary Neglect was the system with which Britain governed it colonies from 1607 to 1763, by leaving them to their own devices and taking a hands-off approach. -
Mayflower Compact
The passengers of the mayflower wrote this document upon arriving in America, and established the first instance of self-government in the new world. -
Great Puritan Migration
Puritan's wishing to leave the Church of England migrated to the new world in order to establish communities that adhered to their religious beliefs. -
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first democratic form of government established in America. -
Navigation Acts
England passed the Navigation Acts in 1651 which tightened parliament's control over the colonies and restricted who they could trade with. -
King Philip's War
King Philip's War lasted around a year between the colonists and Native Americans, and resulted in massage damage to both parties with the natives receiving the worst end of it. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Nathaniel Bacon led a rebellion against of poor white and black people against the governor. This led to upper-class whites becoming more wary of such revolts. -
French Indian War
The French and Indian War lasted for 7 years and was between the French and British colonies over the acquisition of land, with each side reinforced by natives. -
Albany Plan
The Albany Plan was a plan introduced by Benjamin Franklin to unite the 13 colonies under a unified government, which wound up being unsuccessful. -
Proclamation Line
After the victory in the French Indian War, Great Britain issued an order that colonists were restricted from expanding any further west. This angered the colonists, as they had just fought a war for said land. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a piece of legislation passed by Britain which placed a tax on all printed goods in the colonies. This angered colonists as they believed they shouldn't be taxed when they have no say in said government. -
Boston Massacre
British soldiers opened fire on a crowd of protesters in Boston, killing 5 people. This helped spark the colonists' desire for revolution. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a protest organized by the Son's of Liberty against the Tea Act, in which they dressed up as Native Americans and raided a wharf in Boston and dumped massive amounts of tea into the harbor. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act granted a complete monopoly of the sale of tea to the East India Trading Company. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were laws passed by Britain in response to the Boston Tea Party, meant to punish the colonists with Massachusettes in particular. -
Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War was fought between the 13 colonies and Great Britain over the colonies' independence, and resulted in victory and independence for the colonies. -
Common Sense
Common Sense was an extremely popular pamphlet, published by Thomas Paine, which advocated for Independence from Britain. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were the original constitution of the United States, however it was riddled with problems and therefore replaced with the US Constitution in 1789. -
Treaty of Paris
The end of the Revolutionary War and the independence of the colonies was officially recognized with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion was an uprising against the imprisonment of debt-ridden citizens. The rebellion made it clear that there was change needed for the Articles of Confederation. -
Three-Fifths Compromise
The Three-Fifths Compromise was a compromise reached in regard to the representation of black people. Each black person would be equal to 3/5 of a white person in the representation of population. -
US Constitution
In 1788 the US Constitution was ratified, replacing the Articles of Confederation as the supreme law of the land. -
First President Elected
In 1789, George Washington was elected as the first president of the United States under the Constitution. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights constitutes the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, and is made up of what is believed to be every human's natural rights. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts were new legislation that allowed the US government to deport immigrants as well as restrict their rights. -
Gabriel Prosser's Rebellion
Gabriel Prosser was a slave who planned an uprising, however he and his allies were discovered and hanged. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
In 1803, Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark on an expedition to explore the western frontier of America. -
Louisiana Purchase
Thomas Jefferson purchased over 800,000 square miles of land from France at an incredibly cheap price. -
Marbury v. Madison
Marbury v. Madison was the first case in which judicial review was utilized, declaring a law unconstitutional, which gave much more power to the judicial branch. -
War of 1812
The US entered a war with Great Britain over Britain's mistreatment of US maritime rights. -
Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Ghent ended the War of 1812 as well as established the boundaries between the US and Canada. -
Era of Good Feelings
The Era of Good Feelings was a time period after the war of 1812 in which US society had a sense of national pride and unity. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was a piece of legislation that admitted Missouri to the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state. This maintained the balance of power between free and slave states. -
Adams-Onis Treaty
The Adams-Onis Treaty was between the US and Spain and ceded Florida to the United States. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was a declaration that claimed the US was a national power that had no obligation to any other nation. -
Gibbons v. Ogden
In Gibbons v. Ogden the court ruled that Congress had the power to interfere with commercial business with the power to regulate interstate trade. -
Tariff of Abominations
A tariff that raised the price of imported goods in order to protect the United States' industries. -
Trancendentalism
Transcendentalism is a form of belief that places emphasis on self-reliance and the divinity of nature. -
Trail of Tears
Andrew Jackson forcefully relocated thousands of Native Americans from their homeland, many of which perished during the event. -
Bank War
President Andrew Jackson fiercely battled to abolish the Second Bank of the United States. -
Nullification Crisis
South Carolina declared the tariff of abominations null and void, pitting the will of state government against the federal. -
Panic of 1837
An economic crisis that was caused due to over-expansion, Jackson's policies, and decline in value overseas. -
Prigg v. Pennsylvannia
Prigg v. Pennsylvania was a case in which the federal Fugitive Slave Law superseded Pennsylvania's anti-slavery laws. -
Mexican American War
The Mexican American War was a conflict between the US and Mexico over the United States' westward expansion. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The treaty ended the Mexican American War and ceded Texas to the US as well as established a boundary between the two nations. -
Fugitive Slave Law
As part of the compromise of 1850 the Fugitive Slave Law required that slaves be returned to their owners. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was an anti-slavery novel that, when published, garnered a great deal of support to said cause. -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was a series of conflicts in the state of Kansas over whether it would become a free or slave state. -
South Carolina Succession
In 1860 South Carolina was the first of many other Southern states to succeed from the Union. -
Civil War
The north and south of the United States went to war with one another over a variety of issues, with the most prevalent of which being slavery. -
Homestead Acts
A series of laws by which certain citizens could acquire government land. -
Lincoln Assassination
The president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, is shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth. -
13th Amendment
The 13th amendment to the US Constitution is ratified, abolishing the practice of slavery. -
Reconstruction
After the Union victory in the Civil War, major reforms were made to Southern states as they rejoined the Union. -
Boss Tweed
William Tweed was a politician who was convicted of leading a political machine and corruption. -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment granted equal rights of citizenship to all US citizens, including previous slaves. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment gave all races the right to vote. -
Enforcement Acts
The Enforcement Acts were laws passed that protected African Americans' recently acquired rights. -
Chautauqua Movement
The Chautauqua Movement was a movement that sought to bring education and culture to communities. -
Compromise of 1877
This compromise was made to settle the presidential election of the year before and resulted in the North withdrawing its troops from the South, ending reconstruction -
Gilded Age
The gilded age was a period of great economic growth and rampant corruption. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
This law prevented the immigration of Chinese laborers. -
Pendleton Act
The act set requirements for government jobs and awarded positions based on merit. -
Dawes Act
An act which attempted to assimilate Native Americans into the United States culture and society. -
Interstate Commerce Act
A law that attempted to regulate the railroad industry and allay some of its monopolistic practices. -
Jim Crow Laws
A series of laws reinforcing racial segregation in the South. -
Populist Party
A left-wing party that supported the working middle and lower class. -
Coxey's Army
A march of protesters in response to unemployment brought on by an economic depression. -
Atlanta Compromise
Booker Washington stated that racial segregation was alright in exchange for education and economic security. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
A case in which the constitutionality of racial segregation in public facilities was upheld. -
Teller Amendment
Stated that the US would only help stabilize Cuba and would not retain any control over the nation. -
Spanish American War
The US joined Cuba in conflict against Spain over Cuba's independence. -
Boxer Rebellion
A Chinese uprising that aimed to drive all the foreigners from China. -
Open Door Policy
A US policy that stated America and several other countries would have open access to Chinese trade. -
Progressive Movement
A movement aimed at addressing issues caused by industrialization and corruption. -
Panama Canal
Construction of the Panama Canal, a pathway between the Atlantic and Pacific ocean, was taken over by the US. -
Russo-Japanese War
A war between Russia and Japan over the acquisition of land. -
Big Stick Policy
This policy means that America has a great deal of military power but will only use it when necessary. -
The Jungle
A book that highlighted the harsh conditions of the meat industry. -
Food and Drug Act
A law passed, largely due to The Jungle, which protected consumers against unsafe consumables. -
Federal Reserve Act
A piece of legislation that established the National Reserve as a central banking system. -
World War 1
An international war that originated in Europe over the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. -
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
The assassination of the Archduke by a terrorist group would rope in much larger powers into the conflict and eventually lead to WWI. -
Triple Entente
An alliance between Britain, France, and Russia during WWI. -
Triple Alliance
An alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy during WWI. -
Child Labor Act
A law that tried to prohibit the sale of goods produced in factories with children employed, but was declared unconstitutional. -
Zimmerman Note
A communication between Mexico and Germany proposing an alliance. This was a large reason for the US joining WWI. -
18th Amendment
The 18th amendment prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages. -
Treaty of Versailles
The treaty that ended WW1 and held Germany responsible for starting the war. This treaty would be a large reason for why Germany would once again provoke another world war just a few decades later. -
League of Nations
An international government aimed at maintaining world peace. -
Spanish Flu
A worldwide influenza pandemic that killed an estimated 50 milllion people. -
Harlem Renaissance
An African American cultural revolution centered in Harlem. -
Stock Market Crash
A major stock market crash that was one of the leading reasons for the ensuing Great Depression. -
Great Depression
A worldwide economic depression that lasted just over a decade. -
Bank Holiday
FDR ordered a mandatory closing of banks in order to provide more careful regulation for banks. -
New Deal
A series of legislation passed by FDR aimed at recovering from the Great Depression. -
National Labor Relations Act
Protects the right to form labor unions and collectively bargain and protest. -
Neutrality Acts
A series of legislation passed in an attempt to keep the United States out of WWII. -
Fair Labor Standards Act
Created the required minimum wage, overtime pay, and child labor laws. -
World War 2
European powers entered conflict, beginning what would be another worldwide war. -
Adolf Hitler Commits Suicide
Around a week after Germany's surrender in WWII, Hitler takes his own life. -
NATO
A military alliance between North American and European countries, replacing the League of Nations.