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27,000 BCE
Bering Land Bridge
The Bering Land Bridge migration consisted of three waves. The first wave was ~27,000 years ago and they came either by land or boat. They are famous for their clovis points and spears made of obsidian. The second wave was ~8,000 years ago. During this time animals started dying and these people are the ancestors of modern SW natives. The third wave are the ancestors of Eskemo that came ~5,000 years ago. They are also the ancestors of the Arctic Natives. -
2000 BCE
Maya
The Mayans were a people that lived in Central America. Some of the things they did consisted of blood letting which was a ritual sacrifice to their gods. Their sacrifices will advance through the years. They also played a ball game that was intense and usually someone would end up dead in it. They also had their own calendar. They also had their own hieroglyphics and a caste system which went from top to bottom: rulers, nobles, priests; businessmen, merchants and soldiers; farmers and slaves. -
Period: 1 BCE to
Beginnings to Exploration
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476
The Fall of the Roman Empire
Romulus, the last of the Roman emperors int he west, was overthrown by the Germanic leader Odoacer, who became the first Barbarian to rule in Rome. The order that the Roman Empire had brought to western Europe for 1,000 years was no more. -
Oct 1, 1347
The Black Death
The Black Death arrived in Europe by sea when 12 Genoese trading ships docked at the Sicilian port of Messina after a long journey through the Black Sea. The Black Death was terrifyingly, indiscriminately contagious. It traveled through air and through the bite of infected fleas and rats. The disease was also terrifyingly efficient. -
Oct 12, 1492
Columbus reaches the New World
After two months of sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus reaches a Bahamian island he believes to be part of East Asia. He establishes a small colony with 39 of his men. -
Jun 7, 1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
Spain and Portugal had been arguing over newly discovered lands and trade. The treaty is established as an agreement between the two countries. They agree to divide up all the land in the Americas between the two of them. Spain won control of the lands discovered west of the line, while Portugal gained rights to new lands to the east. -
Roanoke Colony deserted
John white, the governor of Roanoke Island, returns from a supply-trip from England to find the settlement deserted. White and his men found no trace of the 100 colonists he left behind, and there was no sign of violence. The only clue to their mysterious disappearance was the word "Croatoan" carved into the palisade that had been built around the settlement. -
Period: to
English Colonial Societies
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Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact is illustrated as it was the first democratic government to be established in the colonies. The colonists agreed to choose their leaders and make their own laws which they agreed to follow. They did this because they knew that life without laws could prove catastrophic, so the Compact ensured that a functioning social structure would prevail. A few laws that it established were: loyalty to King James, Christianity, one society, and create laws for the good of the colony. -
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded by John Winthrop. It was settled in 1630 by a group of about 1,000 Puritan refugees from England. The colony was greatly centered around family as their towns were built close together. The settlers that Winthrop selected to live there were all married. -
Maryland
The colony Maryland was founded in 1632 by Cecil Calvert. He was the second Lord of Baltimore and founded the colony after his father George Calvert received a royal charter for the land from King Charles I. He named the colony after the Queen Henrietta Maria. -
Carolinas
Georgia was the Buffer Colony used to protect the colonies and Carolinas from Spanish Florida. It was also used as a storage colony for weapons and money. Later in 1712 proprietors decided to divide the Carolinas in 2 creating North and South Carolina. -
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution consisted of parliament asking the daughter of Charles I, Mary and her husband William of Orange to invade England in order to remove James II from the crown. The invasion was bloodless and successful, and an English Bill was executed that will have a huge impact on colonial government and future problems as well. It was a demonstration of the right of people to change their form of government if they believed that government no longer protected their rights. -
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials began when 9-year-old Elizabeth Parris and 11-year-old Abigail Williams, daughter and niece of the minister, began having fits and were diagnosed with bewitchment by the local doctor William Griggs. After the diagnostics, many other girls throughout the community began to exhibit similar symptoms. The girls accused three women of bewitching them: Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborn. -
The Enlightenment
European politics, philosophy, science and communications were radically reoriented during the course of Colonial America to 1763. The Enlightenment produced numerous books, essays, inventions, scientific discoveries, laws, wars and revolutions. The American revolutions were directly inspired by Enlightenment ideals and respectively marked the peak of its influence and the beginning of its decline. It also led to the creation of the American Republic. -
Act of Union
Act of Union 1707. The Acts of Union, passed by the English and Scottish Parliaments in 1707, led to the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain on 1 May of that year. The UK Parliament met for the first time in October 1707. Suspicion and mistrust between the two countries had prevented the union throughout the 17th century. The Scotts had feared that they would simply become another region of England. -
Period: to
Colonial America
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The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was a Protestant religious revival that swept Protestant Europe and British America in the 1730s and 1740s. It was a series of religious revivals that swept over the American colonies that were led by evangelical Protestant ministers. The Great Awakening was sparked by the tour of an English evangelical minister called George Whitefield. An evangelical and revitalization movement, it left a permanent impact on American Protestantism. -
Slavery
Slavery during colonial america consisted of the Middle Passage, the Atlantic Slave Trade, and slave rebellions. The Middle Passage was the state of the triangular trade in which millions of Africans were shipped to the New World as part of the Atlantic slave trade. Slavery was originally introduced by Europeans which devastated African life and society. Some forms of slave rebellions that occurred were sabotaging their master's equipment and also faking an illness. -
Triangular Trade
The Triangular Trade was a way for the colonies and England to expand commerce. It was also a new source of labor for the Europeans and started to increase in the last 1600s. By the 1700s Britain was the largest slave trading nation. -
Virtual Representation
Virtual Representation was the British response to the First Continental Congress in the American colonies. It was the idea that the British parliament members virtually represented British colonists by speaking for all instead of just the district they were from. -
Period: to
The Revolutionary War
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Seven-Years War
The Seven Years’ War essentially comprised two struggles. One centered on the maritime and colonial conflict between Britain and its Bourbon enemies, France and Spain; the second, on the conflict between Frederick II (the Great) of Prussia and his opponents: Austria, France, Russia, and Sweden. It ended with the signing of the treaties of Hubertusburg and Paris in Febuary 1763. France lost all claims to Canada and gave Louisiana to Spain. Britain received Florida, Canada, and french holdings. -
Britain after French and Indian War
The British victory in the French and Indian War had a great impact on the British Empire. Firstly, it meant a great expansion of British territorial claims in the New World. But the cost of the war had greatly enlarged Britain's debt. Many English leaders came to resent the colonists. Some English leaders were also persuaded that the colonies needed a major reorganization and that the central authority should be in London. Britain faced bankruptcy and led to its taxing American colonists. -
Acts of Parliament
The Acts of Parliament during this era included the Revenue Act, Stamp Act, Declaratory Act, Townshend Act, Coercive Acts, Prohibitory Acts, and the Non importation Movement was also included. The Stamp Act, for example, required the colonists to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. The Coercive Acts though, were harsh laws that were meant to punish the American colonists for the Boston Tea party and other protests. These acts pushed the colonists towards war with Great Britain. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a street fight that occurred between a "patriot" mob, throwing snowballs, stones, and sticks, and a squad of British soldiers. Several colonists were killed and this led to a campaign by speech-writers to rouse the ire of the citizenry. This event united the colonists against Britain, which would eventually lead them to the Revolutionary war, which was the war that won America its independence from Britain. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party served as a protest against taxation. Seeking to boost the troubled East India Company, British Parliament adjusted important duties with the passage of the Tea Act in 1773. Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty, disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded the ships in the Boston harbor and threw the tea overboard. This resulted in the passage of the punitive Coercive Acts in 1774 and pushed the two sides closer to war. This confirmed Massachusetts' role as the core of resistance. -
1st Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from twelve of the thirteen Colonies who met from September 5 to October 26 at the Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania early in the American Revolution. They met to organize colonial resistance to Parliament's Coercive Acts. Rather than calling for independence, the First Continental Congress passed and signed the Continental Association in its Declaration and Resolves, which called for a boycott of British goods. -
Common Sense
On January 9, 1776, Thomas Paine published his pamphlet "Common Sense" which set forth his arguments in favor of American independence. It advocated independence for the American colonies from Britain and is considered one of the most influential pamphlets in American history. It is also credited with uniting average citizens and political leaders behind the idea of independence and transforming a colonial squabble into the American Revolution. -
Colonial Economies
Most immigrants came from England and Wales. During this time indentured servants became popular since many of the people that immigrated here were poor. In New England the economy was based on fish and ship building. In the Mid Atlantic it was fur. In the upper south the economy was based on tobacco. In the lower south the economy was based on rice and a large number of slaves. And lastly in the back country the economy was based on farming. -
Enlightenment Ideals on America in the late 18th Century
During this age of Enlightenment religion started to become less important and there was more of a separation of church and state. Plus ordinary citizens will have a lot more to say. All of this was due to the fact that enlightenment came from Europe. It was a time of religious and anti-religious innovation, as Christians sought to re position their faith along rational lines and deists and materialists argued that the universe seemed to determine its own course without God's intervention. -
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The Constitution
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Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were the first written constitution of the United States. Its progress was slowed by fears of central authority and extensive land claims by states before it was ratified on March 1, 1781. Under these articles, the states remained sovereign and independent, with Congress serving as the last resort on appeal of disputes. Congress was also given the authority to make treaties and alliances, maintain armed forces and coin money. Few issues led to the Const. Convention. -
Treaty of Paris - 1783
After many years of war between both the U.S. and Britain the Treaty of Paris was signed by U.S. and British Representatives, ending the War of the American Revolution. Based on a 1782 preliminary treaty, the agreement recognized U.S. independence and granted the U.S. significant western territory. With this treaty the colonial empire of Great Britain was destroyed in North America. France was interested in replacing Britain as the European power on which America depended. -
Problems with the British
After the war had ended and the treaty had been signed there were still a few problems occurring the the U.S that included Britain. The British (loyalists) were still in the Ohio Valley and many of them did not live up to the terms in the treaty of Paris -1783. They were behaving this way because they still wanted payment from the debts owned and so they will keep the forts. The Americans and Natives still fight since they're not represented in the treat. And the Spanish refuse trade with the US -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion lasted from 1786 to 1787 and it also acted as a post-war recession and is bad for everyone especially since there are farms that are seized. Shay's Rebellion was a rebellion among farmers in Massachusetts that began in 1786. The rebellion is seen as one of the major factors that led to the writing of the new Constitution because it showed the weaknesses of the Articles. When the United States first became independent, its constitution was called the Articles of Confederation. -
American Virtue
The American virtue during the late 18th century consisted of a lot of new things such as style. Before this change the colonies used a lot of British style but they have now changed to a more Greek and Roman style. The colonists during this time celebrated the ideals of republicanism which will start to spread and also came from the Greeks and the Romans. The Civic Duty involved everyday citizens that owned land. At one point their was serious consideration of making Greek the national language -
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention took place from May 14-September 17, 1787 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. The point of the event was to decide how America was going to be governed. Although the Convention had been officially called to revise the existing Articles of Confederation, many delegates had much bigger plans. There were two plans for the reform. The Virginia Plan which had a stronger central government and was made for large populated states. Second was the New Jersey plan for small states. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was an act of the Congress of the Confederation of the United States. It provided a method for admitting new states to the Union from the territory, and listed a bill of rights guaranteed in the territory. Since slavery was forbidden in the Northwest territory this made the Ohio River a natural dividing between the free and slave states of the country. Unanimous consent from the states was required for the Northwest Ordinance to be passed. -
Election of 1788
No official federal political parties existed at the time of the 1788–89 presidential election. Candidates might be Federalists, meaning they supported the ratification of the Constitution, or Anti-Federalists, meaning they opposed ratification. The peculiarities of early American voting procedure meant that although Washington won unanimous election, he still had a runner-up, John Adams, who served as vice president during both of Washington's terms. -
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The New Republic
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Two Competing Forms of government
The two most popular competing governments withing the United States would be those of the Federalists vs the Democrat-Republicans. This could also be remembered as Hamilton vs Jefferson. Hamilton was the federalist that believed in catering to the rich and in the national bank. He also believed in a strong central government and class division. Jefferson was the democrat-republican that believed in a future nation of farmers. He believed in a decentralized government. -
Bank of the United States
The Bank of the United States will be the first national bank. This bank was Hamilton's idea and would be used as a depository for government funds. He believed it would stabilize currency and the economy. The bank had a lot of investors and it sets off constitutionality issues (whether or not it was constitutional/does it give the government too much authority). There is a big debate over this national bank, but Washington ends up siding with Hamilton and the bank is chartered. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights—the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States—ranks alongside the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence as one of the nation's most treasured documents. The Bill of Rights has served as the cornerstone of basic American freedoms. The First Amendment protects five of the most basic liberties. They are freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition the government to right wrongs. -
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion lasts from 1791 to 1794 and is the first major test of constitution. In this rebellion Pennsylvania and Kentucky farmers are upset about the tax on whiskey (whiskey is economically important and earns a large profit). The farmers revolt because of the tax and 6,000 will threaten to attack Pittsburgh. Washington then takes this into his own hands and leads an army to put the revolt under control. This revolt will also show the strength of the new constitution. -
Kentucky Resolutions
In a long term view point the Kentucky Resolutions are seen as indirectly responsible for the civil war. The Kentucky Resolutions were the idea of Thomas Jefferson and gave states the power to nullify unconstitutional laws. The Kentucky Resolutions were political statements that took the position that the federal alien and sedition acts were unconstitutional. These resolutions are seen as a foundation for states' rights. Later on slavery and the civil war will be fought on this. -
Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was a Protestant religious revival during the early 19th century in the United States. The movement began around 1790, gained momentum by 1800 and, after 1820, membership rose rapidly among Baptist and Methodist congregations whose preachers led the movement. It led to the establishment of reform movements to address injustices and alleviate suffering such as the Temperance Movement, Women's suffrage, and the abolitionist movement. -
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The Age of Jefferson
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Election of 1800
During the Election of 1800 the U.S comes to the end of a naval war and they negotiate a treaty with Napoleon. There is division among federalists and Adams is seen as weak. The election is Adams vs Jefferson for the second time. Jefferson ties with Aaron Burr and so Hamilton will strike a deal with the House of Representatives to vote for Jefferson because he despises Burr very much. Jefferson though has to promise that he will not undo the Federalist policies. The 12th amendment also appears. -
Hamilton vs Burr
Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr have had a feud that never really crossed any lines, but when Hamilton convinced the House of Representatives to vote for Jefferson instead, that was the last straw for Burr. He decided to duel Hamilton in New Jersey and Hamilton agreed to the duel. Hamilton's plan all along was to destroy Burr's status/reputation. Burr fired at Hamilton and fatally wounded him. Since Hamilton was popular, when the news spread Burr's reputation was ruined. -
War of 1812
The United States took on Great Britain. Causes of the war include British attempts to restrict U.S. trade, the Royal Navy’s impressment of American seamen and America’s desire to expand its territory. The United States suffered many defeats at the hands of British, Canadian and Native American troops over the course of the War of 1812. American troops were able to repulse British invasions in New York, Baltimore and New Orleans. The ratification of the Treaty of Ghent on February 17, 1815. -
Changes in Agriculture
The American society underwent an economic revolution. The three major agriculture changes were the Iron Plow, the Crank Churns, and the Cotton Gin. The iron plow allowed the colonists to go west and plant. It was also used to turn up and break up soil, bury cop residues and help control weeds; it was invented by John Deere. The Cotton Gin was a machine that separated the cotton seeds from the bud and was invented by Eli Whitney. The Crank Churn, invented by Alfred Clark, made butter. -
Period: to
The American Industrial Revolution
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Battle of New Orleans
In the Battle of New Orleans future president Andrew Jackson and fellow militia fighters, frontiersmen, slaves, and Indians weathered a frontal assault by a superior British force. The victory vaulted Jackson to national stardom and helped foil plans for a British invasion of the American frontier. The Battle of New Orleans happened on January 8, 1815 and was the last major battle of the War of 1812 and was preceded by smaller skirmishes. -
McCulloch v. Maryland
In 1816, Congress chartered the Second Bank of the United States. In 1818, the state of Maryland passed legislation to impose taxes on the bank. James W. McCulloch, the cashier of the Baltimore branch of the bank, refused to pay the tax. This case was a landmark supreme court case and gave the federal government implied powers. It also stated that states cannot take the place of the federal government. It led south to more radical views of states rights. -
Panic of 1819
The Panic of 1819 was an economic boom after the war of 1812. It marked the end of the economic expansion that had followed the War of 1812. The second bank of the United States collapsed. Agriculture prices collapsed and banks failed. The economy went into a tailspin. It featured widespread foreclosures, bank failures, unemployment, and also a slump in manufacturing. It is seen as one of the worst depressions in the U.S history. -
Changes in Communication
Along with new technology came new ways to communicate. Such as the telegraph invented by Samuel Morse which used morse code (electric pulses) to send messages. The Printing Press also made the printing of books cheaper than it was before and allowed colonists to share large amounts of information quickly and in huge numbers. The newest one was invented by Friedrich Koenig. These inventions both led to quicker news and modern mass advertising. -
Labor Changes
The Industrial Revolution led to mass production and an increase in urbanization which led to a shift from farms to factories and offices. Artisans were valued less and women, mostly in the North, will start working. They will make items in their homes for factories. By 1840 the factories in Lowell employed ~8000 textile workers known as mill girls. The Waltham System will come from centralized factories and women will earn more and learn their trade, but they had long hours and bad conditions. -
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Cultural Changes
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Missouri Crisis
The Missouri Crisis was where there was an offset balance between slave and free states and the compromise was an effort by Congress to defuse the sectional and political rivalries triggered by the request of Missouri. Missouri applies for admission as a slave state and it's north against south. There was an imaginary line drawn at the 36-30 latitude. This set up balance between slave and free states and was seen as a temporary solution. This crisis guaranteed future conflict (civil war). -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was a United States policy of opposing European colonialism in the Americas beginning in 1823. President James Monroe first stated the doctrine during his seventh annual state of the Union address to Congress. This doctrine was passed because the spanish empire was crumbling and the U.S wanted the influence over these lands, so they told Europe that they couldn't interfere with it. -
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The Age of Jackson
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Election of 1824
In the United States presidential election of 1824, John Quincy Adams was elected President on February 9, 1825, after the election was decided by the House of Representatives. In this election, the Democratic-Republican Party splintered as four separate candidates sought the presidency. It was one of the most hotly contested and most important in American history. Of the four major candidates, none received the requisite majority in the Electoral College. -
Changes in Transportation
The American Industrial Revolution also brought forth changes in transportation because its growth depended on the ability to transport raw materials and finished goods over long distances. This type of transportation included modern roads, the steamboat, canals, and railroads. Transportation via water was the cheapest way to move heavy products which is where canals come in. Steamboats were also used to carry raw materials across the Atlantic by mid 1800s. -
Tariffs
The "Tariff of Abominations" was a protective tariff passed by the Congress of the United States on May 19, 1828, designed to protect industry in the northern United States. The 1828 Tariff of Abomination was opposed by the Southern states that contended that the tariff was unconstitutional. The protective tariffs taxed all manufacturers from cheap British goods. It was the third protective tariff implemented by the government. South Carolina was the only state to invoke nullification. -
Election of 1828
In the Election of 1828 Jackson and the Democratic party accused John Quincy Adams of engaging in disgraceful politics in order to ensure his victory in the election of 1824. President Adams responded with a campaign that focused on Andrew Jackson's military career and personal life. To the surprise of many, the House elected John Quincy Adams over rival Andrew Jackson. It was widely believed that Clay, the Speaker of the House convinced Congress to elect Adams who made him Secretary of State. -
Nature
During the change of culture era new ideas starting rising up and a need for connection to nature also rose up. One of the ideas that came with this would be the creation of parks. They were a newer idea that were meant to act as a gateway from a fast-paced life that the majority of the citizens in mostly urban cities lived in. Another new idea was how cemeteries were designed. Cemeteries will also follow the design and the intimacy with nature that the idea of parks made. -
Architecture
Architecture during the Cultural Change era (1820 - 1850) consisted of a sort of Greek Revival which included the furniture and the towns. The Greek Revival was a product of Hellenism, and may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture. A few cities that the architecture might've come over from would be Syracuse, Ithaca, and Troy which are also cities in the U.S today. -
immigration
There were a lot of immigrants that started coming to the United States especially form Ireland. This was due to the potato famine that they were having so many of them migrated to the U.S. Germans came because of political turmoil and the Scandinavians and British came for economic opportunity. The Germans and Scandinavians settled in the midwest and north. And the Irish settled in the inner city slums. -
Tariff Act of 1832
The Tariff act of 1832 was a protectionist tariff in the United States. It reduced the existing tariffs to remedy the conflict created by the tariff of 1828, but it was still deemed unsatisfactory by some in the South, especially in South Carolina. It benefited the textile industries in the North by forcing people to buy more domestic products. At the same time, it hindered southern cotton farmers, because the English textile industry couldn't buy as much cotton. -
Temeperance Movement
The Temperance Movement was the country's first serious anti-alcohol movement that grew out of a fervor for reform that swept the nation in the 1830s and 1840s. Many people became involved in reform movements during the early 1800s and the Temperance movement encouraged fellow Americans to reduce the amount of alcohol that they consumed. Temperance associations were established in New York and Massachusetts. Some 6,000 local temperance groups in many states were up and running by the 1830s. -
Battle of San Jacinto
During the Texan War for Independence, the Texas militia under Sam Houston launches a surprise attack against the forces of Mexican General Santa Anna along the San Jacinto River. The Mexicans were thoroughly routed, and hundreds were taken prisoner, including General Santa Anna himself. After gaining independence from Spain in the 1820s, Mexico welcomed foreign settlers to sparsely populated Texas, and a large group of Americans led by Stepehen F. Austin settled along the Brazos River. -
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism is an American literary, political, and philosophical movement of the early nineteenth century, centered around Ralph Waldo Emerson. Other important transcendentalists were Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Amos Bronson Alcott, Frederic Henry Hedge, and Theodore Parker. It called on people to view the objects in the world as small versions of the whole universe and to trust their individual intuitions. -
Election of 1836
The presidential election was won by Martin Van Buren who was the personal choice of Andrew Jackson and faced no opposition for the Democratic nomination. The Whigs, however, were badly split and decided to field a number of regional candidates in the hope of having the issue decided by the House of Representatives. In the end Van Buren destroyed the Whig strategy by polling well in all sections of the country. The Whigs, however, were able to make significant gains in Congress. -
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was influenced by the economic policies of President Jackson. During his term, Jackson created the Specie Circular by executive order and refused to renew the charter of Second Bank of the United States, leading government funds to be withdrawn from the bank. The Panic of 1837 was a crisis in financial and economic conditions in the nation following changes in the banking system initiated by President Jackson. Van Buren inherited Jackson's financial policies. -
American Anti-Slavery Society
The American Anti-Slavery Society was an abolitionist society founded by William Lloyd Garrison, and Arthur Tappan. Frederick Douglass was a key leader of this society who often spoke at its meetings. In 1840, the American Anti-Slavery Society split. Garrison and his supporters called for the creation of a new government that prohibited slavery from the very beginning. He contended that the United States Constitution was an illegal document because it denied African Americans their freedom. -
Free-Black Communities
Free black communities were largest in the north and midwest. There was still segregation active in the North. A lot of the free blacks dealt with a lot of discrimination and prejudice. They competed for jobs with immigrants and the hostilities would rise along with additional prejudices. -
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Westward Expansion
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Election of 1840
The United States presidential election of 1840 saw President Martin Van Buren fight for re-election against an economic depression and a Whig Party unified for the first time behind war hero William Henry Harrison. Rallying under the slogan “Tippecanoe and Tyler, too,” the Whigs easily defeated Van Buren. Harrison was the first member of the Whig Party to become president. In 1840, the American political landscape saw a fundamental change. Harrison though only made it a month before his death. -
Election of 1844
The United States presidential election of 1844 saw Democrat James Knox Polk defeat Whig Henry Clay in a close contest that turned on foreign policy, with Polk favoring the annexation of Texas and Clay opposed. Polk ran on a platform that embraced American territorial expansionism, an idea soon to be called Manifest Destiny. The Democrats appealed to both Northern and Southern expansionist.This was the last presidential election to be held on different days in different states. -
Annexation of Texas
The Texas annexation was the 1845 incorporation of the Republic of Texas into the United States of America, which was admitted to the Union as the 28th state on December 29, 1845. The Republic of Texas declared independence from the Republic of Mexico on March 2, 1836. The annexation led quickly to war with Mexico in 1846. The victorious United States came away with control of the American Southwest and California through the Treaty of Guadalupe in 1848. -
Mormon Migration
Mormons had been considering moving west since before Joseph Smith's 1844 murder, but his assassination made it clear that the period of relative calm the Mormon faithful had enjoyed in Nauvoo, Illinois, was coming to end. In 1845 mob violence against the Mormon community increased, and the Illinois legislature revoked the city's charter. Over the next two decades more than 60,000 Mormons would journey to the Utah Territory; thousands came by wagon and others by handcarts across the terrain. -
Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American War marked the first U.S. armed conflict fought on foreign soil. It pitted a politically divided and militarily unprepared Mexico against the expansionist-minded administration of U.S. President Polk, who believed the United States had a “manifest destiny” to spread across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. A border skirmish along the Rio Grande started off the fighting and was followed by a series of U.S. victories. Mexico had lost about one-third of its territory. -
Bear Flag Revolt
During the Bear Flag Revolt a small group of American settlers, emboldened by Fermont's encouragement, in California rebelled against the Mexican government and proclaimed California an independent republic. The republic was short-lived because soon after the Bear Flag was raised, the U.S. military began occupying California, which went on to join the union in 1859. The Bear Flag became the official state flag in 1911. -
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Sectionalism
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Seneca Falls Convention
At the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, N.Y., a woman's rights convention-the first ever held in the United States-convenes with almost 200 women in attendance. The convention was organized by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Stanton wrote the document that would be debated, listing 18 grievances and 11 resolutions demanding the recognition of women as equal members of society. Stanton recognized the value of the aftermath that would cause women and men to start thinking. -
Election of 1848
The United States presidential election of 1848 was the 16th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 7, 1848. It was won by Zachary Taylor of the Whig Party, who ran against Lewis Cass of the Democratic Party and former President Martin Van Buren of the newly formed Free Soil Party. The Free-Soil party won 10% of the vote by utilizing it's antislavery platform. Although Van Buren didn't win , he had enough votes to cause Cass to lose. -
California Gold Rush
The discovery of gold nuggets in the Sacramento Valley in early 1848 sparked the Gold Rush, arguably one of the most significant events to shape American history during the first half of the 19th century. By the end of 1849, the non-native population of the California territory was some 100,000. A total of $2 billion worth of precious metal was extracted from the area during the Gold Rush, which peaked in 1852. The Gold rush sped up California's admission to the Union as the 31st state. -
Republican Party
The Republican party was based mostly in the North and is mostly the different of what it is today. It was more liberal in a sense because they were opposed to slavery and more likely to accept change in a good way. They had parties such as the Free-Soilers, Whigs, and the Anti-Slavery Democrats that all come together as one to unite under the Republican Party. -
Southern Society
Southern society consisted of planters, yeomen farmers, tenant farmers, and a mixed society. The majority of the planters didn't own slaves and the ones that did owned 1-9 slaves; very few people had more. They were seen as the ruling class. Out of the yeomen farmers 75% didn't own slaves and some relied on planters. They caught runaway slaves and guarded against slave rebellion.Tenant farmers made up 30-50% of the population and were more divide and conquer. They were the lowest class. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 as a series of laws passed by the U.S Congress in 1850. The compromise was created when new land was added to the United States after the Mexican War. The northern free states and the southern slave states argued over whether the new land would allow slavery or not. One of the legislative bills that were passed as part of the Compromise of 1850 was a new version of the Fugitive Slave Act. At first, Clay introduced an omnibus bill covering certain measures. -
Election of 1852
In the Election of 1852 Democrat Franklin Pierce won the election. He was a member of "Young America" which was an American political and cultural attitude in the mid-19th century. Inspired by European reform movements of the 1830s. Whigs member Winfield Scott, who was allied with antislavery whigs, lost. In this election the North opposed southern expansion due to slavery and the south opposed northern expansion due to potential outlawing of slavery. -
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of people, many African American, offering shelter and aid to escaped slaves. It operated anywhere from the late 18th century to the Civil War. It was formed as a convergence of various clandestine efforts at the time. Harriet Tubman was the most famous conductor for the Underground Railroad. She regularly took groups to Canada, distrusting the United States to treat them well. Frederick Douglass also helped and would also take escapees to Canada. -
Personal Liberty Laws
The personal liberty laws were laws passed by several U.S. states in the North to counter the Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850. Different laws did this in different ways, including allowing jury trials for escaped slaves and forbidding state authorities from cooperating in their capture and return. These laws were among the many assaults on states' rights cited as justification for secession by South Carolina in 1860. -
Election of 1860
United States presidential election of 1860, American presidential election held on Nov. 6, 1860, in which Republican Abraham Lincoln defeated opponents Breckinridge, Stephen A. Douglas, John Bell. The Republican Party, which fielded its first candidate in 1856, was opposed to the expansion of slavery. Abraham Lincoln, the party's nominee in 1860, was seen as a moderate on slavery, but Southerners feared that his election would lead to its demise, and vowed to leave the Union if he was elected. -
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The Civil War
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South
The south had fewer advantages than the North. Such being it's small 5.5 million population; only 18,000 factories; a $55 million industry; only 3% of weapons manufacturing; only 9,000 miles of railroad track. They also had no navy and a very small amount of supplies. But it's military leadership was at a much higher level with a great history of competent military leaders. They also compared themselves to the colonists since they wanted to secede from the Union just as the 13 colonies did. -
North
The North had many more advantages than disadvantages. Those include a 22 million population; 110,000 factories; a $1.5 billion industry; 97% weapons manufacturing; 94% clothing; 90% shoes/boots; and 22 miles of railroad track. They believed they were fighting to uphold the constitution/union. But it's problems were that they weren't unified in their military and were very disorganized. They had bad leaders that were picked based on fame instead of military background. -
Women At Work
Due to the majority of the men in both the Southern and Northern parts of the U.S the women of the country were pushed to accept the roles that a man would normally do. This would include teaching, becoming nurses, etc. One woman who made an impact was Clara Barton who will start the American Red Cross to help wounded soldiers on both sides. They also take on managing plantations and stores. Some women also decide to go into the war, but since it's illegal they take on the role of a man. -
Neutral States
The Border States during the Civil War were the slave states that didn't leave the Union. These states included Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri. West Virginia, which separated from Virginia during the war, was also considered a border state. They remained with the Union, although they all contributed volunteers to the Confederacy. President Lincoln actively worked to maintain the best relationship with these areas to ensure he never lost resources such as livestock and grain from them -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was made by President Abraham Lincoln. It was a way for him to do two things. 1 being pressuring the South into wanting to end the war and 2: to stop Britain from entering the war on the South's side. The proclamation will declare slaves free unless the rebellion ends by January 1, 1863. The Border states, however, are allowed to keep their slaves and are exempt from this proclamation. -
20 Negro Law
The Second Conscription Act exempts from the Confederate draft one white male for every 20 slaves held on a plantation. The purpose of this provision is to ensure that enough white males remain behind to prevent violent slave revolts, particularly after President Lincoln announces his Emancipation Proclamation, which may encourage slaves to rebel. The law is resisted by poorer white Southerners who own fewer than 20 slaves or none at all. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg is seen as the most important and bloodiest battle of the war and is the turning point that favors the Union. In this battle Robert E. Lee heads North to invade the Union. On Day one he marches his Army into Pennsylvania in late June 1863. The battle lasted three days. Day two was the back and forth battle between the two sides. And on day three the Union charged up the center of confederates. The Confederate retreats back to the South losing 1/3 of its force. -
Lincoln's 10% Plan
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Lincoln's blueprint for Reconstruction included the Ten-Percent Plan, which specified that a southern state could be readmitted into the Union once 10 percent of its voters (from the voter rolls for the election of 1860) swore an oath of allegiance to the Union. This plan was Lincoln's way towards forgiveness and he hoped that the proclamation would rally northern support for the war and persuade weary Confederate soldiers to surrender. -
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Reconstruction
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The Freedmen's Bureau
The Freedmen's Bureau was established by Congress on March 3, 1865, two months before Confederate General Robert Lee surrended to the Union. It was created to help former black slaves and poor whites in the South in the aftermath of the U.S. Civil War. 4mil slaves gained their freedom as a result of Union Victory, which left many communities in ruins and destroyed the South's plantation-based economy. It provided food, housing, medical aid, established schools and offered legal assistance. -
The Election of 1866
Although not a presidential election, the off-year congressional election of 1866 was in fact a referendum election for President Andrew Johnson. By the summer of 1866, Johnson had lost support within the Republican Party for his Reconstruction policies. They were a decisive event in the early Reconstruction era, in which President Andrew Johnson faced off against the Radical Republicans in a bitter dispute over whether Reconstruction should be lenient or harsh toward the vanquished south. -
Freedom Amendments
These concluded of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. The 13th amendment to the constitution declared that "Neither slavery not involuntary servitude shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." it was passed 1/31/1865. The 14th amendment states that all persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens of the United States and no state may change this. The 15th amendment granted African American men the right to vote and was ratified 2/3/1870. -
The Election of 1868
The United States presidential election of 1868 was the first presidential election to take place during Reconstruction. Texas, Mississippi, and Virginia were not yet restored to the Union and therefore could not vote in the election, incumbent President Andrew Johnson didn't receive the Democratic presidential nomination due to his alienating so many people and small political base. Democrats instead nominated Horatio Seymour. And republicans nominated Civil War hero General Ulysses S. Grant. -
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 was a financial crisis that triggered a depression in Europe and North America that lasted from 1873 until 1879, and even longer in some countries (France and Britain). It began a regular pattern of boom and bust cycles that distinguish our current economic system and which continue to this day. Because money "adjustments" were unknown and the ability of nation authorities to control money was immature the panic led to the longest recorded economic downturn in modern history. -
The Compromise of 1877
The compromise of 1877 was a purported informal, unwritten deal that settled the intensely disputed 1876 U.S presidential election. It resulted in the United States federal government pulling the last troops out of the South, and formally ended the Reconstruction Era.
