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The Sugar Act
At the time, molasses was already being taxed, however, colonists discovered that it was cheaper to smuggle the product and pay that fine than it was to pay the tax on molasses. In an attempt to stop the smuggling, George Grenville (British Prime Minister) brings in the Sugar Act. The Sugar Act brought the tax down to the price it was to smuggle molasses. Rather than stopping smuggling, the act increased it. Colonists viewed paying the tax as paying for oppression. -
The Quartering Act
As Britain sought to increase their influence in the colonies, the number of British soldiers also increased. However, there were no barracks for the soldiers, instead, there was the Quartering Act which forced colonists to provide room and board for them. This act effectively censored many American households and prevented talk of hate towards Britain. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act required a tax stamp on all printed items, ranging from land titles to playing cards. The price of the stamp depended on the type of document, it cost a penny for newspapers but £10 for a lawyer's license. This heavily affected the rich who quickly spoke out against the Act. Resistance towards the act became widespread as angry letters and pamphlets began to circulate, preventing it from taking full effect. The Act was repealed in 1766, but the damage had been done. -
The Boston Massacre
Between 1-2 thousand troops had been stationed in Boston, 10% of the local population. The incident began with local boys taunting British sentries stationed outside the Old State House Balcony, a custom house that distributed stamps (Stamp Act). The situation escalated as others joined the boys and a large crowd gathered. After a rock snowball was thrown at a sentry, the 9 troops opened fire on the crowd, killing 5 people. It was labeled a Massacre to rally sentiment against imperial power. -
The Shot Heard Round the World
Adams and Handcock had just fled Lexington when the British arrived, 70 colonist militia men stood to confront the army of 700 on the town green. After several orders to stand down and many death threats, the colonists stepped down and began to disperse. A shot is fired. No one knows who did it, or even what side it came from, but the British opened fire. The shot fired was pointed to as the first shot of the revolution, a revolution against Britain that they would lose. -
The Boston Tea Party
East India Company ships were arriving in Boston to deliver tea, and the Royal Governor Hutchinson was ready to collect the tax. After meeting in the Green Dragon Tavern, Samuel Adams and a group of the Sons of Liberty set out to prevent the governor from collecting the tax. Disguised as Indians, they boarded the three ships and dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor ($1.5 million today). This event was the last straw the Coercive Acts were passed and the Boston Harbor was closed. -
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American Revolutionary War
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Olive branch petition
Adopted by the Second Continental Congress as the final attempt at peace between the colonists and the British the Olive Branch Petition was sent to King George III, stating that the colonists would return to being good subjects IF they got proper representation. King George was enraged and refused the proposal claiming that the colonies "must decide whether they are to be subject to this country or independent." Thus started Thomas Jeffersons work on the Declaration of Independence. -
Common Sense
Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense to appeal to the average citizen, through ditching formal writing styles, the pamphlet was accessible to everyone. In Common Sense, Paine assaulted the traditional monarchical order, argued for American independence, and called for independence and a republican form of government. Paine's words rallied Americans everywhere toward the revolution and drew soldiers into Patriot armies. -
Declaration of Indepedence
After King George's rejection of the Olive Branch Petition, Thomas Jefferson began working on the first draft of the Declaration of Independence. The document was essentially a long list of grievances and complaints of British rule. Despite that, the document held extreme power, whoever signed it essentially signed their death certificate if the revolution failed. But they didn't fail. Jefferson's words changed governments everywhere and was turned to during other countries revolutions. (FRANCE) -
The American Crisis
Paine joined the army and fought under Washington, he watched as morale once again plummeted among Patriot ranks. Doing what he did best, Paine wrote a message to America called the American Crisis. The American Crisis explained that death was necessary for the revolution to be successful, and not to fear dying for the cause. Washington ordered for it to be read aloud to troops and again, Paine's words inspired Americans, drew them to the war effort, and brought down the number of deserters. -
The Crossing of the Delaware
The Colonists have been handed defeat after defeat since the war began, morale was low, winter was coming, and with the freezing temperatures came a pause in the fighting. However, Washington had a different idea. On the night of Christmas Eve, Washington leads his troops across the Delaware River to attack a British Fort. The following battle was quick as the unsuspecting British crumpled under the sudden attack. The Battle of Trenton helped boost morale throughout the colonies. -
The Battle of Saratoga
British forces, split into three groups approach the small village of Saratoga led by John Burgoyne. General Horatio Gates waits for his arrival with 8,500 men. American forces trapped Burgoyne by cutting down trees and raiding British supply lines, Burgoyne could do nothing but wait for help that would never come. Patriot forces swarmed the British, forcing Burgoyne to surrender, more than 5,000 British troops were captured. The victory won the US a military alliance with France. -
Treaty of Paris
In the Treaty of Paris, Great Britain formally recognized American independence and relinquished its claims to lands south of the Great Lakes and east of the Mississippi River. The Treaty also guaranteed freedom of navigation on the Mississippi to American citizens. In return, the American government allowed British merchants to pursue legal claims for prewar debts and encouraged the state legislatures to return confiscated property to loyalists and grant them citizenship. -
Shay's rebellion
After the Revolution ended, the debt accumulated became clear, because the Articles of Confederation prevented the government from taxing, and the responsibility to pay off the debt fell to the states. Massachusetts raised taxes, heavily affecting farmers who relied on barter and credit to obtain goods and services. Feeling betrayed, farmers began to rise in protest, led by Daniel Shays. The government couldn't prevent it and the rich were forced to form small armies. The Articles had failed. -
Northwest ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance provided a method for admitting new states into the Union. If the territory had a population of 60,000, a congressionally appointed governor, secretary, and three judges, plus an elected assembly and one non-voting delegate elected to Congress the territory could become a state. The Ordinance also had a bill of rights protecting religious freedom, the benefit of trial by jury, and other individual rights. Furthermore, it encouraged education and even outlawed slavery. -
Connecticut Compromise
During the Constitutional Convention in 1787, delegates disagreed over how to handle legislative voting. Virginia thought it should be population-based, New Jersey thought it should be equal, etc. Eventually, Roger Sherman proposed the Connecticut Compromise, a plan that provided a bicameral legislature. There would be representation in the House of Representatives based on population, and the Senate would be equal for each state. Sherman was able to save the crumbling convention. -
Signing of the Constitution
The Constitution separated the government into 3 branches, created a checks and balances system, formed a new system of legislature, made it so that the president would be elected by the Electoral College, prevented states from enacting tariffs against one another, and more. On September 17, 1787, 39 of the 55 delegates signed the document, those who refused to sign objected to the lack of a bill of rights. The Constitution would prove to be effected during Washingtons Presidency. -
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Washington Presidency
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Federal Judiciary act of 1789
The act established a 3-tiered system, it created federal district courts in each state and 3 circuit courts above them to which the decisions of the district courts could be appealed. The Supreme Court would then serve as the appellate court of last resort in the federal system. The Act also specified that cases arising in state courts that involved federal laws could be appealed to the Supreme Court. This provision ensured that federal judges would determine the meaning of the Constitution. -
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Second Great Awakening
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The Whiskey Rebellion
An excise tax is placed on whisky as part of Hamilton's Financial Plan. Whisky was a large part of the farmer's economy, and when they had to pay to turn excess grain into a drink, they had to pay. Pennsylvanian farmer's solution was to revolt and form a small militia, then a mob, then an army. Washington goes to face the mob, the first test of the constitution and has cannons open fire but avoids hitting anyone. The rebellion disperses, and the Constitution has passed the test. -
Cotton Gin
Invented by Eli Whitney, the Cotton Gin was designed to remove the seeds from cotton fiber with speed and efficiency. The machine allowed one person to process several pounds of cotton within a day, whereas before, it took multiple people to process one pound in a day. The cotton gin made cotton a cash crop and caused the South to create their cotton empire. Sadly, this empire was built off the backs of slaves and slavery had a huge boost right when it was about to disappear. -
Pinckney's Treaty
With America expanding, the desire and need to control the Mississippi River increased. The River connected the West to the international port, New Orleans. Jefferson sends Pickney to Spain to negotiate believing that the river is the economic lifeblood of the West. Spain allowed the U.S. to use the river for 25 years and called it the Pickneys Treaty. However, Jefferson worried about how strong the treaty was after America broke its treaty with France a few years prior. -
XYZ affair
After Washington declared neutrality, denying the French help during their revolution, France started to attack American ships. The newly elected president, Adams, sends a trio of unknown diplomats, nicknamed XYZ. The trio gets treated by low-level diplomats and told that they have to give France a gift (bribe) of $250,000. Americans are furious and want to fight, Adams begins secretly negotiating with Napoleon and comes to an agreement, losing his respect among the American people. -
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Adams Presidency
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The Revolution of 1800
In the 1796 elections, Jackson lost to Adams, 4 years later it was time for a rematch. This election was the first seriously contested vote in America and with it being between two different groups, everyone expected failure. In 1800, the first peaceful transition of power between parties occurred when Adams accepted defeat and walked away. This was the end of the Federalist Era and the start of the Jeffersonian Era. America made history with the world watching. -
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Jefferson Presidency
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Louisiana Purchase
Jefferson worried about loosing control of New Orleans and the Mississipi river so he seeks to purchase trading hub from Mexico. At the time Mexico was ruled by Napoleons brother, so Jefferson sends James Monroe straight to Napoleon to begin negotiations to by the city for $3 million. A counteroffer is given, the whole Louisiana territory for $15 million. Jefferson questions the constitutionality of the purchase but he ultimately puts aside his views for the Nation and takes it, doubling the US. -
The Embargo of 1807
The Napoleonic Wars have been going on for 4 years and both the French and British are upset with America for maintaining trade connections with the other. Rather than picking one or the other, Jefferson imposes an embargo, ending foreign trade for the US. The embargo destroyed the economy, however, it also spurred the growth of domestic manufacturing in a way never before seen. -
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Madison Presidency
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War of 1812
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The Battle of the Thames
After their loss in the Battle of Lake Erie, the British and their Native Allies fled into Canada, American commander William H. Harrison in hot pursuit. After British withdrawl, Native American leader Tecumseh and his warriors stood alone to face the threat. During the fighting, Tecumseh was killed, and his Native American fighters fled once word of his death Spread. With his death, his Confederacy, made up of several Native tribes collapsed. -
The Burning of Washington D.C.
Two years into the War of 1812, the British navy traveled up the Chesapeake Bay and made their way towards DC. Upon hearing of the army, Dolly Madison takes the paintings of the 3 presidents and important documents as she flees the White House. The British conducted a raid on the building and then set it ablaze. A brief fight did occur with a British victory. This event spurred the writing of the Star SPangle Banner and rallied Americans to the war effort. -
The Battle of New Orleans
No one in America is aware that the Treaty of Ghent has been signed and the war is over and as the British plan an attack, Andrew Jackson starts preparing. Predicting where the British will land, Jackson has a perimeter ditch dug 10ft deep with the dirt forming a hill between New Orleans and the ditch. As the British advanced, they faced heavy fire from atop the hill and suffered mass casualties. This battle showed the world just how capable America was. -
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Monroe Presidency
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Missouri Compromise
With the end of the slave trade and the failure of colonization in Africa, tensions over slavery began to rise. When Missouri applied for statehood, the northern majority in the House refused their admission unless they supported emancipation. The Southern Majority responded by preventing Maine from becoming a state. Henry Clay devised the Missouri Compromise to bring some relief, the compromise allowed both states to join and incorporated the 36-30 line as the line between slavery and freedom. -
The Election of 1824
John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, William Crawford, and Andrew Jackson sought to become the 6th president. While Andrew Jackson did receive the most electoral and popular votes, no candidate received a majority and the decision went to the House of Representatives. As speaker of the House, Henry Clay backed out of the race. Clay and Adams had a meeting that resulted in Adams being elected, many saw this as a corrupt move and refused to accept him as president. -
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John Q. Adams Presidency
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The Election of 1828
Jacksonians, now called Democrats, fought for equality, a popular theme in Jackson's campaign. The Democrat's celebration of popular rule carried Jackson into office as he got 178 electoral votes out of 261. This was the 1st modern election as politics became local through mass meetings, parades, and picnics. Publicly displaying your support through newspapers, speeches, and buttons also became popular. It was also the first election where proper mudslinging occurred on both sides. -
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Jackson Presidency
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Martin Van Buren Presidency
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Morse Code
Samuel F. B. Morse had the idea of using electricity to communicate over distance during a conversation aboard a ship whilst returning from Europe in 1832. Morse spent years refining his technique, perfecting it in 1838. In 1843, Morse asked Congress for $30,000 to build a telegraph line from Washington to Baltimore, 40 miles away. Eventually, the project was approved and the first telegraph line was built. Telegraph lines soon extended westward, and even connected Europe with America. -
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Harrison Presidency
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Tyler Presidency
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Polk Presidency
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California Gold Rush
In January 1848, workers building a milldam in the Sierra Nevada foothills came across flakes of gold. They tried to hide the discovery, but by mid-1848 indigenous Californians, Mexican Californios, and Anglo-Americans poured into the foothills. White miners ruthlessly expelled Indians, Mexicans, and Chileans from the goldfields, and when Chinese miners arrived, they called for laws to expel them from the area. By the mid-1850s the gold was gone, and thousands were stuck in California. -
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
After the end of the US-Mexico War, Polk, Secretary of State Buchanan, and others called for the annexation of Mexican territory south of the Rio Grande. They favored the annexation of sparsely settled New Mexico and California for they feared the assimilation of any mixed-race people. In 1848, Polk signed, and the Senate ratified, the treaty, in which the US agreed to pay Mexico $15 million in return for more than 1/3 of its territory. Polk had succeeded in gaining California. -
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Taylor Presidency
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Fillmore Presidency
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Compromise of 1850
With California's application to statehood and the desire to be a free state, the Missouri Compromise no longer suited U.S. needs. Henry Clay proposed the Compromise of 1850 which abolished the slave trade in Washington D.C., let territories applying for statehood get governed by popular sovereignty, and enacted the Fugitive Slave Law. Popular sovereignty allowed for a territory applying for statehood to vote to be a free or slave state. -
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Pierce Presidency
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Bleeding Kansas
The Kansas Territory was to join the union, the concept of popular sovereignty was being put to the test, and thousands of settlers were rushing into Kansas Territory. Missouri residents were encouraged to cross temporarily into Kansas to cast illegal votes, the New England Emigrant Aid Society did the same. Both hoped to tip the voting to favor slavery or freedom but violence broke out between the two sides. Towns were burned and looted, nearly 200 died, and Kansas became a slave state. -
Dred Scott
Dred Scott, an enslaved African American, was taken into the free state of Illinois by his owner, an army surgeon. Scott argued that residence in a free state made him free, eventually, the case made its way to the Supreme Court. 7 of the 9 justices declared that Scott was still a slave. It was made clear that Congress couldn't prevent southerners from moving slave property into free territories, proposing the question of whether or not a free state even existed. -
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Buchanan Presidency
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U.S. Civil War
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Lincoln Presidency
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The Pacific Railway Act
The two coasts of the US were to be connected via rail, the Pacific Railway Act created the conditions and circumstances for it to happen. Lincoln contracted two companies, the Union Pacific Company in the East and the Central Pacific Railway in the West, and had the two meet in the middle. He also created incentives, for every mile of rail laid, money would be earned, and for every 10 miles, the company would get 10^2 mi of land adjacent to the track. The Railroad was completed by 1871. -
54th Massachusetts
After the Emancipation Proclamation, MA Governor John Andrew began forming the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, one of the first Black regiments to serve in the U.S. Civil War. Initially, the regiment was tasked with manual labor details and the ransacking of Darien Georgia, Shaw pushed the 54th very hard, when they had their first fight on July 16, 1863, they won. That fight gained the 54th praise and admiration that would lead to them leading the assault of Battery Wagner. -
Proclamation of Emancipation
5 days after the deadliest 1-day battle in American military history, the Antietam Battle, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation declared that states that returned peacefully to the Union could keep their slaves, it also allowed black men to join the Union Army. The 5-page speech added moral force to the Union cause and strengthened the Union both militarily and politically. The Emancipation Proclamation was a large milestone on the road to the destruction of slavery. -
Wade-Davis Bill
Many Republicans felt that Lincoln's 10% plan was too lenient and proposed their own called the Wade-Davis Bill. The bill required that 50% of state voters had to swear oaths of loyalty to the Union before the state could be readmitted. It also barred Confederate leaders from voting and holding political offices. However, when the Bill passed Lincoln's desk, he refused to sign it. After Lincoln was killed in 1865, republicans mourned, but also looked to Johnson to implement their plan. -
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Johnson Presidency
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Lee Surrenders
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The Civil Rights Act of 1866
After the 1866 elections, Congress was filled with Republicans, they gained the power to override Johnson's vetoes. To start Congressional Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Act of 1866 was passed. The Act gave citizenship to African Americans and offered some protection against the increasingly restricting Black Codes. When the Bill went to Johnson, he vetoed it, but with a large Republican majority in Congress, they overrode the veto, and the Civil Rights Act was enacted. -
The 14th Amendment
After the success of passing the Civil Rights Act of 1866, Republicans feared that when Democrats came back into the picture, they would overturn the act, thus a more permanent solution was found. On June 13, 1866, the 14th Amendment was ratified. The Amendment stated that All people born in the US were full citizens and naturalized people. All states were required to protect ALL citizens, if voting rights were denied, the state would lose congress representation. -
The Reconstruction Acts of 1867
Congress still felt that the Southern States were allowed back into the Union prematurely, they made the Reconstruction Acts of 1867 to humble the South. The act stripped southern states of political power and divided them into 5 military districts placed under Union Army watch. If a southern state wanted to rejoin the Union, it had to ratify the 14th Amendment and create a state constitution that guaranteed all men the right to vote. The South was being forced to follow reconstruction policies. -
Johnson's Impeachment
Johnson was growing frustrated with the amount of power that Congress held, and in a bold attempt to regain power, he replaced Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton with Ulysses S. Grant. The swap was unsuccessful and Johnson formally dismissed Stanton, 3 days later, impeachment was on the table. One vote short of the 2/3 majority required in the Senate, Johnson remained president, but the damage had been done. For the few months left of his term, Johnson was irrelevant. -
The 15th Amendment
With the 1868 election rapidly approaching Congress realized that African Americans' right to vote needed to be secured. The Amendment was passed in 1869, too late for the 1868 election, and was ratified in 1870. The amendment prohibited any state from denying any citizen the right to vote, regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude (except for women of course). While this was a huge step forward, Americans were tired, and the Amendment wasn't exactly popular. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1875
Republicans still had the majority, but in the election of 1868, they lost the supermajority. In a final attempt at reconstruction, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which President Grant signed. The act banned discrimination in public accommodations, getting rid of 'black' bathrooms and 'white' bathrooms and similar items. After Grant's presidency and the end of the military occupation in the South, the act was not enforced and quickly disappeared. -
The Election Crisis of 1876
Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel J. Tilden were on the ballot, the popular vote leaned heavily towards Tilden, but the Electoral vote gave the opposite. The North questioned the validity of the results and a recount was initiated in SC, LA, and FL. However, this time, a suspicious majority voted for Hayes. The election was then given to an election commission of 5 democrats, 5 republicans, and 5 Supreme Court justices. Hayes was elected president, but he wouldn't be accepted. -
The Dawes Act
On the surface, the Dawes Act appeared to benefit Native Americans, it offered 160 acres of land to them, much like the Homestead Act. However, the act had teeth. The 160 acres of land came from the reservations, and when claimed the reservation would shrink. However, if the natives didn't claim the land after so long, it was offered to Americans. They effectively weakened tribes by severing ties between tribes and families, and traditional rites and ceremonies started to disappear. -
Plessy V Ferguson
Homer Plessy, a New Orleans resident who was 1/8th black, bought a first-class ticket, but when he went to take a seat, problems arose. Plessy was ordered to leave first class and go to the "colored" car, when he refused, Plessy was arrested. The Supreme Court ruled that such segregation did not violate the 14th Amendment as long as blacks had access to accommodations that were "separate but equal" to those of whites. While accommodations were kept separate, they were never kept equal.