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15,000 BCE
Bering Land Bridge
During the ice age, sea levels worldwide dropped and a land bridge emerged from the sea and connected North American and Asia which was called the Bering Land Bridge also known as central part of Beringia. The first humans to arrive in America came from Asia across the land bridge. It was roughly 1,000 miles long but as the climate warmed up, glaciers began melting, and sea levels around the world began rising and shortly after the ice age the bridge submerged. -
Period: 1 CE to
Beginnings to Exploration
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Jul 29, 750
Catholics in the Dark Ages
The Dark Ages was a backward time for Europe due to a weak economy and poor education, but also a period of religious struggle. Orthodox Christians and Catholics has opposing perspectives of this era. Orthodox Christians regarded this time as a period of Catholic corruption, while Catholics didn't view it as "dark". Catholics viewed this period as a harmonious, religious era. -
Nov 2, 1159
The Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims over control of the Holy Land. The Crusades started in 1095 when Pope Claremont preached the First Crusade at the Council of Claremont. The preaching led to thousands immediately affixing the cross to their garments. The crusades were relatively unsuccessful but it left a legacy: Muslims learned new military tactics and Christians learned about new advances in medicine, science, mathematics, and the arts. -
Jan 14, 1349
The Black Death
In the early 1330's China had an outbreak of the bubonic plague. Since china was a huge trading nation it was a matter of time before the plague would spread to Europe. The Black Death was a pandemic that ravaged Europe between the years 1348 and 1350, taking a greater toll of life than any other known epidemic or war before that time. It took approximately 40-50% of European society and left Europe with no workers. -
Jan 1, 1492
Columbian Exchange
The Columbian Exchange was the widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World in the 15th and 16th centuries. It happened after Christopher Columbus arrival in the Caribbean in the year of 1492. The exchange affected many people's lives because it circulated a wide variety of new crops but also circulated diseases that depopulated many cultures. It may be the most important event in the modern history of the world. -
Aug 3, 1492
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy. He was a talented navigator and explorer. On August 3rd, 1492, he set sail on his 1st voyage from Southern Spain. Two months later, October 12, 1492, he landed on an island in the Bahamas that he named San Salvador. He had four voyages in total and discovered Cuba, Hispaniola, and parts of South America. He died thinking he reached Asia and died rich despite all the myths. -
Jun 7, 1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
The Treaty of Tordesillas was an agreement between Spain and Portugal because It divided the “New World” of the Americas into land, resources, and people between the two powerful countries. Portugal and Spain divided the New World by drawing an imaginary line in the Atlantic Ocean. Everything east of the imaginary line was controlled by Portugal which was only Brazil and everything west was controlled by Spain. -
Period: to
English Colonial Societies
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Headright System
The Headright System referred to a grant of land of 50 acres given to settlers in the 13 colonies. The headright system was originally created in 1618 in Jamestown, Virginia. It was used as a way to attract new settlers to the region with the emergence of tobacco farming. The new settlers received 50 acres of land, but most workers who arrived in Virginia were indentured servants. Colonists already residing in Virginia were granted two headrights, which is 100 acres of land. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document to establish self-government of Plymouth Colony. The Mayflower Compact created laws for the pilgrims and non-pilgrims for the good of their new colony. Some of the laws included the colonists would remain loyal subjects to King James, live in accordance with the Christian faith, and also create one society and work together to further it. It remained active until the colony became apart of Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691. -
Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts were a series of acts passed in the English Parliament in 1651,1660 & 1663 that were designed to tighten how the government has control over trade between England, its colonies, and the rest of the world. It regulated trade of the empire and enabled the mother country to derive a profit from colonies which has been panted overseas. Some of the acts hurt colonial trade, but it presented benefits also. It lasted for about 200 years and became a form of protectionism. -
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, which is also called the Revolution of 1688 and Bloodless Revolution, was the overthrown of King James II by a union of the English Parliamentarians and William of Orange. It brought a permanent realignment of power within the English constitution and set path to a constitutional monarchy. It’s called the Glorious Revolution because the overthrown of a king was achieved without a war. William and Mary ruled in place of James because of James lack of skills. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights is an act that was passed by Parliament of England and signed by William and Mary. The English Bill of Rights is a statement that guaranteed certain rights of the citizens of England from the power of the crown. Some of the most important articles of the 1689 English Bill of Rights are no excessive bail, no cruel or unusual punishment, and arms suitable for defense and regulated by Parliament. The US Bill of rights was actually modeled after the English Bill of Rights. -
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem witch trials began in the spring of 1692 when a group of girls in Massachusetts claimed the devil was possessing them and accused many women of witchcraft. The girls also accused Tituba, a slave, and two other women of bewitching them. When Tituba was arrested, she confused she was a witch and there were other witches in Salem. The Salem witch trials were a series of hearing and persecutions of mostly woman who were accused. 20 people were executed and 5 others died in jail -
Act of Union (1707)
Th Act of Union was passed by United England & Scotland and it led to the creation of the Untied Kingdom of Great Britain. It was a peace treaty after several attempts. There had been three attempts in 1606, 1667, and 1689 to unite the two countries, but it was not until the 18th century that both political establishments came to support the idea. Scotland kept its independence with respect to religious and legal system, but trade, taxation, parliament and flag became one. -
Period: to
Colonial America to 1763
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Triangular Trade
The famous triangular trade is the transatlantic slave trade that operated from the 16th to the 19th century carrying slaves, manufactured goods, and cash crops between Africa, Europe, and Americas. The first stage involved taking manufactured goods from Europe to Africa in exchange of slaves, then the slaves are shipped to the 13 colonies, and the final stage involved cotton, sugar, tobacco to Europe. This was an important part of colonial economy because it was the way colonies earned money. -
The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was a period of religious awakening and reform that swept the Atlantic region and led by evangelical Protestant ministers. It left an everlasting impact on the American religious. In July 1741, Jonathan Edwards accepted an invitation to preach at a town in Connecticut and it was the height of the great awakening. George Whitefield and Samuel Davies were also preachers who preached a series of revivals. Davies actually helped led the Southern phase of the religious revival. -
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment also the Age of Reason was a philosophical movement during the late 17th and 18th century in North American and Europe. It was known as the Age of Reason because it was interested in using human resources to understand society and to improve it. It made colonies more advanced in constitutional, tolerance, liberty, fraternity, and separation of church and state. Benjamin Franklin was a symbol of American Enlightenment and a man of many talents. -
Middle passage
The middle passage refers to the part of the triangular trade where Africans were densely packed onto ships and were transported across the Atlantic to the New World. At least 2 million Africans died during the Middle Passage across the Atlantic. Another 15 to 30 percent died during the march to the coast. For about every 100 slaves who reached the New World, 40 had died during the Middle Passage or in African afterwards. -
Seven-Years War / French and Indian War
The French and Indian War between France and Great Britain, also called the 7 years war because it was from 1756 to 1763, began because of a dispute over North American land claims in the region around Pittsburgh and was the last major conflict before the French Revolution to involve all the powers of Europe. The war changed political, governmental, and social relations between Britain, France, and Spain. France and Britain both suffered financially with significant long-term consequences. -
Militias
Militias is a force of armed civilians pledged to defend their community during the American Revolution. They were primary defense and acted as a police force which they will later be used against the redcoats. During the course of the war, colonial militia representing the body of troops in the field, tended to be more effective in the "petit guerre" of partisan warfare against small units of the enemy and Tories, as well as performing support. -
Period: to
The Revolutionary War 1763-1783
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Treaty of Paris 1763
The Treaty of Paris of 1763 ended the French and Indian War /
Seven Years’ War between Great Britain and France. The treaty gave Britain control of all of Canada, land from the Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi River expect from New Orleans, and Florida became apart of Britain since it was once Spain's territory. France gave up all its territories in mainland North America effectively ending any foreign military threat to the British colonies there. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston massacre, known as the Incident on King Street by the British, occurred on March 5th, 1770 when British Soldiers let loose a valley of shots to the Colonists. There were three people who were killed immediately and two who died later due to their wounds. The British officer in charge was arrested for manslaughter along with eight other men. Before the Boston Massacre the British had instituted a number of new taxes on the American colonies including taxes on tea, paper, and lead. -
Boston Tea Party
On December 16th, Massachusetts colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded the three ships and dump 342 chests, 90,000 pounds, of tea into the harbor. This is known as the Boston Tea Party and it was in protest of the British Parliament’s Tea Act of 1773. Tea was a favorite drink among the British and the colonies and a major source of income to the East India Trading company so the colonists were very upset on the high taxed held on tea. -
Dunmore's Proclamation
Dunmore's Proclamation, also known as Emancipation Proclamation, is a historical document that declared martial law and promised freedom for slaves of American revolutionaries who left their owners and joined the royal forces. On November 14, its publication prompted a flood of slaves to run away and enlist with Dunmore during the course of the war around 90,000 slaves escaped from the plantations. It raised a commotion among Virginia's slave-owning because a slave rebellion was a major fear. -
Common Sense
Common Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in January but wasn't published until February challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. He wanted people to think about what was happening so he explained that the people must fight against the unfair and ways of King George III and the British Parliament.The plain language that Paine used spoke to the common people of America and was the first work to openly ask for independence from Great Britain. -
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is a document that declared independence from Britain and the formed a new country that we today call the United States of America. The document was written by Thomas Jefferson in Philadelphia; shortly after the Second Continental Congress edited and adopted it. It was written because the world deserved an explanation for America's decision to declare independence and by stating these principles Jefferson hoped to gain support for the Revolution. -
Battle of Saratoga
The battle of Saratoga in northern New York state was the turning point of the Revolutionary War. Benedict Arnold was a leader of the American offensive, which forced the surrender of British troops under General John Burgoyne giving a crucial victory to the Americans. Not only did it renew the morale of the American public, but it convinced potential foreign partners that American could win the war, and that it might be in their best interests to send aid. -
Period: to
The Constitution
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Massachusetts Constitution
The Massachusetts Constitution was a less democratic state constitution which had a clear separation of powers among the different branches of government. The directly elected governor could veto acts of the legislature and judges served for life because of the constitution. The Massachusetts Constitution was not the first constitution to be ratified by one of the thirteen original states, it was actually the last one. It is the oldest written and ratified constitution that is still used today. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was adopted by congress on November 15, 1777, however, wasn't ratification of the Articles of Confederation by all thirteen states did not happen until March 1, 1781. The AOC was written after the US declared independence from Great Britain. The Articles soon failed because they did not give Congress and the national government enough power. The document was limited because states held most of the power and congress lacked the power to tax and regulate trade. -
Steam Power Engines
Thomas Newcomen built the first steam engine in the year 1712, but James Watt and Matthew Boulton improved on it in 1770s so steam could be adopted by more industries. The steam power engines provided energy to run factory machines and allowed new inventions to be created. Because of the new invention of power engines it allowed factories to be built anywhere, improved technology and productivity and transportation became easier and faster. -
Treaty of Paris 1783
The Treaty of Paris 1783 was between the representative of America, who include Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay, and Great Britain. The treaty was for the U.S to gain independence from Britain and become its own country and also to have its own self government. The treaty had also said that any loyalist who had land had to be taken away and returned to the U.S. Because of the treaty land grew for for the United States: from Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion is a number of rebellions among farmers in Massachusetts that began in 1786 against state and local enforcement of tax collections. It was caused by the major debt from the Revolutionary War. The rebellion was most serious in Massachusetts where bad harvests, economic depression, and high taxes threatened farmers. The rebellion is important because it is seen as one of the major factors that led to the writing of the new Constitution. -
Virginia Plan
James Madison drafted a plan for a new government called the Virginia Plan. The Virginia Plan is a plan that proposed a strong national government. It only acts on the states not the people directly. A legislative branch would make the laws, an executive branch would carry out, or execute, the laws, and a judicial branch, or system of courts, would apply and interpret the laws. The plan was for large states only like Virginia. -
New Jersey Plan
New Jersey Plan also known as the Small State Plan is an proposal to how the United States would be governed by William Paterson at the Constitutional Convention on June 15th.William was a lawyer and the Governor of Virginia who defended the Plan. The Plan detailed a legislature of only one house and an equal representation in which each state had the same number of representatives. The goal was for smaller states to have the same level of power in the legislature as the large states. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance officially "An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States North West of the River Ohio" was adopted on July 13th by Confederation Congress. The ordinance created the Northwest Territory the first organized territory of the United States. It provided a method for admitting new states to the Union from the territory and also listed a bill of rights guaranteed in the territory. In addition the ordinance encouraged education and forbade slavery. -
Great Compromise (Connecticut Plan)
The Great Compromise was an agreement between the large and small states during the Constitutional Convention .The Great Compromise was authored by Connecticut delegate Roger Sherman. The Compromise called for proportional representation in the House and one representative per state in the Senate which was later changed to two representatives. It paved the way for the Constitution to be formed and set an important precedent of compromise in American political culture. -
Period: to
The New Republic
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Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments of the Constitution. The Bill of Rights were created on 9/25/1789 but wasn't ratified until 12/15/1791. They were written by James Madison in response to calls from several states for greater constitutional protection for individual liberties and list specific prohibitions on governmental power. The Bill of Rights did not strongly impact Americans lives until the 14th Amendment because it only limited actions taken by the federal government. -
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion was triggered by a tax imposed on distilled liquors in 1791 as a way to help pay back debts that the American government had accumulated during the Revolutionary War. It was one of the first serious challenges to Washington's authority as President. The Whiskey Rebellion resulted in a strengthening of the United States because the federal government demonstrated its ability to keep the union together. Washington proved the power the government had to enforce. -
Cotton Gin
The cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney in the year 1793. The cotton gin was used to quickly separate the seeds from the cotton ball. It did the work of several men in short periodic time. The Cotton Gin revolutionized the South by now producing more cotton and a higher demand for laborers in the field. Because of the high demand for cotton, the plantations needed more laborers in the fields and this caused an illegal slave trade to develop because slave trade was outlawed in the US in 1808. -
Jay's Treaty
On November 19, 1794 Great Britain and representatives of the United States signed Jay's Treaty, that was made up by John Jay, that settled ongoing problems between the two countries that had been left unresolved since American independence. It's the treaty where the British agreed to get rid of their forts in the Northwest. The treaty didn't stop British impressment on American sailors instead it provoke Jeffersonian outrage and ultimately lead to another treaty with Spain. -
Election of 1796
The presidential election of 1796 was the first contested american election and the only one in which a president and vice president were elected from opposing tickets. Washington doesn't seek a 3rd term. The election of 1796 was John Adams, a federalist, vs Thomas Jefferson, a republican. John Adams will win by a vote 71 to 68 and Jefferson will become the vice president. There was no running mates so the 2nd place gets Vice President. -
Period: to
The Age of Jefferson
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Election of 1800
The election of 1800 was a long, bitter re-match of the 1796 election between the pro-French and pro-decentralization Democratic-Republicans under Jefferson and Aaron Burr. Jefferson won the election with 73 votes while Adams's only received 65, but the other presidential candidate Aaron Burr received 73 votes making the presidency election a tie. The tie was broken by the House of Representatives. This election was significant because political power was shifted peacefully between parties. -
Marbury vs Madison
The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice John Marshal, decides a case Marbury v. Madison is landmark by the United States Supreme Court that applied the principle of judicial review and the power of federal courts to void acts of Congress that were in conflict with the Constitution. The case helped define the boundary between the constitutionally separate executive and judicial branches of the American form of government. -
Louisiana Purchase
In 1803, the United States doubled in size from being Louisiana from France. It was approximately 827,000 square miles of land for 15 million dollars. Jefferson thought the purchase was smart because the land was 3 cents per acre and he wanted a nation of farmers. The Louisiana purchase was so important because it gave the U.S. control of the Mississippi River and the port city of New Orleans. They both were used by farmers so they could ship their crops and get paid. -
12th Amendment
This idea was brought about by the Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tie. The 12th amendment stated that presidential and vice-presidential nominees would run on the same party ticket and would be elected separately. The amendment was proposed by the Congress on December 9, 1803 and was ratified by the on June 15, 1804. Before that election, all of the candidates would run against each other with the second-place becoming vice-president and winner becoming president. -
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a conflict between the United States and Great Britain. The war started because the British had violated American sovereignty by refusing to give up the western forts as promised in the Treaty of Paris, issued a series of trade restrictions to disrupt American trade with France, and provided support to Native Americans who were attacking American settlers. The war was a draw, diplomatic issues were still happening, and it was like the 2nd war for Independence from Britain. -
Lowell MIlls
Named after Francis Lowell, the Lowell Mills were a complex of textile mills built by the Boston Company in 1823 in Lowell, Massachusetts. The Lowell Mills was staffed by more than 8,000 single young women. They offered supervision for the women at all times and housing so that the girls they could stay near their work. By 1840, for economic reasons, the women were replaced by immigrant workers. The Lowell mills were the first hint of the industrial revolution coming to the United States. -
Period: to
Early America Industrial Revolution
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Adams-Onis Treaty
The Adams-Onis Treaty, also known as the Florida Treaty, was an agreement between the US and Spain that gave Florida to the Untied States and set out a boundary between the United States and New Spain which is now Mexico. The Treaty is named after the men who negotiated the agreement: John Quincy Adams and Don Luis de Onís. This treaty settled a border dispute between the US and Spain and was considered a triumph of American diplomacy. -
McCulloch vs Maryland
McCulloch vs Maryland was one of the first and most important Supreme court cases on federal power. In this case the supreme court ruled congress had gave power of the constitution to create the second bank of the US and that the state of Maryland lacked the power to tax the bank. That violated article I, section 8 or the 10th amendment that says any power that is not given to the federal government is given to the people or the states. This led the south to more radical views of states right. -
Panic of 1819
In 1819 was the first major financial crisis in the Unites States. The impressive post-war of 1812 economic expansion ended so banks throughout the country failed and mortgages were foreclosed forcing multiple people out off their farms and out of their homes. Falling prices impaired manufacturing and agriculture triggering unemployment worldwide. It is still seen as one of the worst depressions in history. The nation suffered a depression for the next two years -
Period: to
Cultural Changes
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Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was an effort by Congress to defuse the sectional and political rivalries by the request of Missouri for admission as a state in which slavery would be permitted, basically set up a balance between free and slave states. It was an imaginary line at 36 30 latitude. States above the imaginary line would be free and states below the line would be slave states. It was only a temporary solution that guaranteed future conflict. Slavery would have to be dealt with eventually. -
Temperance Movement
Following the American Revolution many Americans drank to excess which was due to economic and social problems that occurred so the temperance movement started.The temperance movement was a social movement against the consumption of alcohol. People thought the abuse of alcohol lead to family violence, crime, bad morals, and poverty. The American Temperance Society and the American Union Society helped spread the word to stop drinking in the early 19th century with petitions and posters. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine is a foreign policy statement that created separate spheres of European and American influence. It was written by James Monroe and John Quincy Adams. James Monroe delivered it to Congress in his seventh annual congressional speech on December 2, 1823. It stated that the United States would remain neutral in European affairs and not interfere with current European colonies in the Western Hemisphere. Also, no European nation could establish a colony in the Western Hemisphere. -
Period: to
Jacksonian America
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Presidency of John Q. Adams.
John Quincy Adams was the sixth president of United States from 1825 to 1829. Adams was the first minority president. His presidency was not successful in fact he was a much better Secretary of State. During his presidency he changed the Tariff, established a new national bank, was given a gag rule, and spoke up against slavery. -
Immigration
Industrialization leads to urbanization by creating economic growth and job opportunities that draw people to cities. The urbanization process typically begins when a factory or multiple factories are established within a region, thus creating a high demand for factory labor. The immigrants came from Italy, Greece, and other Eastern European countries. The immigrants actually played a key role in the increase of factories and the economic wellbeing of America because of their labor -
Election of 1828
The election of 1828 was the 11th presidential election. The Election of 1828 was unique because the nominations were no longer made by Congressional caucuses, but made by conventions and the state legislatures. It was the first election elected by the common man. It was a re-match between President John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. Jackson, a democrat, wins overwhelmly with a outstanding 178 votes to Adams 83 votes. The Democratic Party drew support from the existing supporters of Jackson. -
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States. Jackson created the age of the Common Man and the Spoils System. Before being elected for president, Andrew gained fame as a general in the United States Army and served in both houses of Congress. He was a lawyer and also a landowner, he became a hero after defeating the British during the War of 1812. When a new political party system developed, he became the leader of the new Democratic Party. Jackson also appears on the $20 bill. -
First Police Forces
The first police forces were throughout England. They became known as the "bobbies." The London police force was created in 1829 by an act introduced in Parliament by the Sir Robert Peel. He was known as the father of modern policing. He wanted an organized police force service in London so he created it. His passion for political reform and innovation eventually led him to become the British Prime Minister. -
Joseph Smith (Mormons)
Joseph Smith, an American religious leader, founded the Latter Day Saint movement, which gave rise to Mormon theology. Joseph Smith founded a church of Mormonism in 1830 with headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religious movement. Smith was killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois, on June 27, 1844. Joseph was then shot several times while trying to escape from a second-story window, and fell from the window as he died. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
In February of 1831, Turner saw a solar eclipse and believed that it was signal that the time to rise has come; it was a sign from God to save his people. In August the rebellion started killing 70 slaves & 55 whites. After 2 months Turner was caught and executed while hundreds of slaves were punished. The rebellion frightened the South, tightened slave codes, and restricted freedom for all blacks in South. Nat Turner's Rebellion became the deadliest slave uprising in the US History. -
Trial of Tears
In 1838 and 1839, Andrew Jackson's had a Indian removal policy and the Cherokee nation was forced to give up its lands and migrate to the present day Oklahoma. The Cherokee people called this journey the "Trail of Tears," because of its devastating effects. The migrants faced hunger, disease, and exhaustion on the forced march. Over 4,000 of these Indians died. This event is significant because it signified a new found life for the migrants and an end to their civilization. -
Election of 1832
The Election of 1832 was between Andrew Jackson, a Democrat, Henry Clay, a whig, and the Anti-Masonic Party candidate William Wirt. This was Andrew Jackson second time re-electing for president. This was the first election when state delegates voted to select the party's nominee: national nominating convention. Jackson won overwhelmingly with 219 votes to Clay's 49 and Wirt's one vote. The main issue with Jackson was he had determination to kill the national bank. -
Nullification Crisis
The Nullification Crisis was a United States sectional political crisis, during Andrew Jackson president, involving a confrontation between South Carolina and the federal government created by South Carolina's 1832 Ordinance of Nullification. Because of this crisis southerners started to question whether President Jackson and the democrats really represented what was in the southern best interests. South Carolina became very united within itself, but isolated from the rest of the country. -
American Anti-Slavery Society (AASS)
William Lloyd Garrison and Arthur Tappan were the founders of the American Anti-Slavery Society. The American Anti-Slavery Society (AASS) wanted the African Americans to be free and have racial equality. Basically the immediate abolition of slavery in the United State and the abuse of slaves living in the United States mostly the South. The people in the north didn't like the AASS and didnt think that African American deserved equal treatment. -
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism is a 19th century movement in the Romantic tradition, that every individual can reach ultimate truths through spiritual intuition, which transcends sensory experience. Each person has direct communication with God and Nature, and there is no need for organized churches. Ralph Waldo Emmerson was a leading transcendentalist writer and the real founder of the movement. Henry David Thoreau was an American transcendentalist who was against a government that supported slavery. -
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto was fought on April 21, 1836 in Harris County, Texas, It was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. The battle lasted but eighteen minutes and killed 630 Mexicans and 730 were taken to prison. Only nine of the 910 Texans were killed or mortally wounded and 30 were wounded less seriously. Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican army. -
Iron Plow
John Deere was an American blacksmith and manufacturer who founded Deere & Company, one of the largest and leading agricultural and construction equipment manufacturers in the world. He was first born in Rutland, Vermont then Deere moved to Illinois and invented the first commercially successful steel plow in 1837. It caused farming in the mid-west to become easier as it broke up the tough ground for crops and made plowing faster. It made the soil richer and it greatly changed the West. -
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Westward Expansion
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Second Great Awakening
Arising in the 1800s, the second great awakening was one of the most significant occurrences in the history of American religion. Many people were converted and many churches were changing. It did not only affecting religion, the movement influenced other aspects such as the women's rights movement, reform in education, abolishment of slavery and the advancements in literature. Women's roles in the church were greatly affected and they started setting up many organizations and charities. -
Oregon Trial
The Oregon Trail was a major route that people took when migrating to the western part of the United States that was approximately 2,000 miles long. Between 1841 and 1869, hundreds of thousands of people traveled westward on the trail in large wagon train to carry their belongings. It took longer than 6 months to cover the entire trail. The trial was dangerous because swollen rivers could tip over and drown both people and oxen and such accidents could cause the loss of valuable supplies. -
Election of 1840
The election of 1840 was between Martin Van Buren and William Henry Harrison. Harrison won with 234 votes to Buren 60 votes.Thirty days after being elected, Harrison died of pneumonia and the Vice President John Tyler became President. Tyler used to be apart of the Democrat party but since he disliked Jackson he joined the Whig Party. While his presidency was short lived, Harrison was the first member of the Whig Party to become president. -
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny is the belief shared by many Americans in the 1800's that the United States was destined to stretch across the continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Economic problems and urban crowding caused the appeal to westward expansion. Some view Manifest Destiny as an excuse to be selfish because they believe that it was an excuse Americans used to allow them to push their culture and beliefs on everyone in North America. -
Mexican American War
The Mexican American War was a war fought after the US annexed Texas and US troops crossed the Nueces River into what Mexico claimed was their territory. The United States won and added 500,000 square miles to the US because Mexico was forced to give up the present-day states of Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and California. The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ended the war and one of the oldest treaty still in force between the United States and Mexico. -
Battle of Vera Cruz
The Battle of Veracruz was a 20-day siege of the key Mexican beachhead seaport of Veracruz during the Mexican-American War. It began with the first large-scale amphibious assault conducted by United States military forces, and ended with the surrender and occupation of the city. After twelve days the American artillery doing great damage from firing the Mexicans, they agreed to surrender witch resulted with America winning. -
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Sectional Crisis
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California Gold Rush
In 1848, James Marshall discovered gold on John Sutter's land. Many people heard about the gold discovery by mouth, newspapers, and letters. 300,00 people rushed to California in search of gold and wealth. The sudden influx of immigration and gold into the money supply reinvigorated the American economy and California became one of the few American states to go directly to statehood without first being a territory in the Compromise of 1850. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the US/Mexican War and was signed on 2 February 1848. It was written by Major General Winfield Scott a General in chief in the United States Army. Its one of the oldest treaty still in force between the United States and Mexico. Because of the treaty, the United States acquired more than 500,000 square miles of valuable territory and emerged as a world power. The treaty helped precipitate civil war in both Mexico and the US. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention was the first women's convention organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott that was held in Seneca Falls, New York and it was a two day convention. Multiple people paid great attention to this and soon after other woman's rights convention were happening. Three-hundred women and forty men went to discuss the rights of women. They wrote the Declaration of Sentiments that tried to get women the right to vote. -
Election of 1848
The American presidential election was held on November 7, 1848 in which the Whig candidate Zachary Taylor defeated the Democratic nominee Lewis Cass and the free soil candidate Martin Van Buren with 163 votes. Zachary Taylor was popular because he was the hero of Mexican War. Zachary Taylor became president but died in office making his vice president Millard Fillmore became president. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a call for the admission of California to be a free state, the abolition of the slave trade in DC, the strengthening of the Fugitive Slave Law; popular sovereignty in Utah and New Mexico concerning the question of slavery, and the federal assumption of Texas's debt. Due to the compromise of 1850 Texas lost territory but was compensated with 10,000,000 dollars to pay for its debt. Also, slave trade was prohibited in Washington DC, but slavery was not. -
Election of 1852
The election of 1852 was the seventeenth presidential election. It had many similarities to the election in the year 1844. The nominatee was between Franklin pierce, a democrat candidate, and Winfield Scott, a whig. While the Southern Whigs enthusiastically supported their candidate, the Northern Whigs were reluctant supporters. The Democrats, in contrast, were united; with many of those who had deserted the party in 1848 having returned. Franklin pierce won the election of 1852 with 254 votes. -
Industrialization vs. Agriculture
The north is based on Industrialization while the south depends on agriculture. Steam engines and railroads are a huge factor to industrialization in the north. The east-west Railroads will allow the Northeast and Midwest to connect to allow farmers to get food to markets faster. In the south cotton is king while tobacco, sugar, and rice. Southerns are jealous of the north's progress and try to industrialize like them but they just can't keep up. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska Act allowed people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not they wanted to allow slavery within their borders. The Act was put in place to repeal the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which prohibited slavery north of latitude 36°30. Kansas with slavery because of the Missouri compromise would violate the agreement which had kept the Union from falling apart for the last thirty-four years. -
The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was formed in the early 19th century and was a secret network organized by people who helped men, women, and children escape from slavery to freedom. The railroad operated before the Civil War ended slavery in the United States. Around 100,000 slaves between escaped and majority of the slaves came from the upper south states that bordered free states such as Kentucky, Virginia and Maryland, but very few escaped from the Deep South because it was difficult to escape. -
Election of 1860
This was the nineteenth election between John C Breckinridge, Stephen A. Douglas, John Bell and Abraham Lincoln that was held November 6th, 1860. Abraham Lincoln, who is apart of the republican party, would win with 180 Electoral votes. Abraham Lincoln was seen as a moderate on slavery, but Southerners feared that if he was president it would lead to its demise, and vowed to leave the Union if he was elected. -
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The American Civil War
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North in the civil war
The population in the north is 22 million people. They have 110,000 factories with 97% of weapon manufacturing, 94% of clothing, 90% of shoes and boots. The north also has 22,080 miles of railroad tracks. Lincoln calls for 75 K recruits and orders naval blockade of the south. The north is very industrialization and uses that to its advantage. -
South in the civil war
In the south, there is 5.5 million people with more than half, 3.5 million, of them are slaves. The south is also industrialized like the north but not as much with 18,000 factories. 3% of those factories are of weapons manufacturing. There's also railroads but there's only 9,000 miles of track compared to the north's 22,000 miles. The south has great history of component military leaders. The south also organized their militias into armies with 100,000 volunteers. -
1st Bull Run (1st Manassas)
The First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the Battle of First Manassas, was fought in Prince William County, Virginia, on July 21, 1861. It was the first major battle of the American Civil War n which untrained Northern troops and civilian picnickers fled back to Washington. This battle helped boost Southern morale and made the North realize that this would be a long war. 30,000 union troops marched south. It was a humiliating defeat for the Union so they will flee to DC. -
Peninsular Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign was the Union's grand plan against the Confederate capital of Richmond to earn victory early on in the war. George McClellan was in charge of the whole campaign, but he had a delay in the beginning because he got typhoid Fever, he overestimates the size of Confederate forces, and the disagreements with Lincoln and Edwin M. Stanton. The basis of this plan was to capture Richmond so as to stop the war as early as possible. -
Emancipation Proclamation
In September of 1862, Lincoln issued a preliminary warning that he would order an emancipation to all of the slaves in any state that did not end its rebellion against the Union by January of the next year. On January 1st, 1863 issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which changed the legal status of more than 3 million people in the South from slave to free. Because of that it changed the meaning and purpose of the Civil War and led the way to total abolition of slavery. -
Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address is a well-known speech by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. The speech lasted just over two minutes and was one of the greatest and most influential statements of national purpose. During the speech he thanked all of the soldiers who fought the battle for freedom and for god to protect them at all times. The Gettysburg Address is now recognized as one of Lincoln’s greatest speeches and as one of the most famous speeches in U.S. history. -
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Reconstruction
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Abraham Lincoln Assassination
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was assassinated by John WIlkes Booth, a well known stage actor, on April 14, 1865. Lincoln was attending Our American Cousin play at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C when Booth used a single-shot derringer attempting to kill him. Lincoln did not die until the next day around 7 am. Due to Lincoln's death the 13th Amendment had passed, banning slavery happened and Andrew Johnson became president. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment was passed by Congress January 31, 1865 and ratified on December 6, 1865. The amendment stated that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. The president at the time knew that the Emancipation Proclamation would be viewed as temporary and slavery wouldn't be outlawed so he came up with a amendement. -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment to the Constitution was ratified On July 28, 1868. The amendment grants citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States" which included former slaves who had just been freed after the Civil War. Because this amendment was passed no person could be denied "equal protection of the laws" and no person was allowed to be deprived of life, liberty, or happiness without "due process of law". -
Election of 1868
The United States election of 1868 was the 21st presidential election and the first presidential election to take place after the American Civil War, during the period referred to as Reconstruction. The Republicans nominated General Grant for the presidency in 1868. The Republican Party supported the continuous of the Reconstruction of the South, while Grant stood on the platform of "just having peace." The Democrats nominated Horatio Seymour. General Grant won the election of 1868. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment to the Constitution granted African American men the right to vote by declaring that the "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. The Amendment was passed by Congress on February 26, 1869 and ratified on February 3, 1870 by the states. The purpose was to ensure that states or communities weren't denying people the right based on their race. -
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 was a financial crisis that started a depression in Europe and North America that lasted from 6 years and even longer in some countries like France and Britain. The panic was caused by too many railroads and factories being formed than the markets could handle.Then the over-loaning by banks to those projects and too much credit caused the depression also. Smaller banks closed, the stock markets collapsed, and there was high unemployment due to the panic of 1873. -
Charles Grandison Finney
Charles Grandison Finney born on August 29, 1792 then later died on August 16, 1875. He was a leader to the second great awakening and also known as the "father of modern revivalism". He believed that conversions were human creations instead of the divine works of God. His "Social Gospel" offered salvation to all. He was a Christian and with views, they lead him to promote reforms as abolition of slavery and education for women and slaves. -
Election of 1876
The election of 1876 was between Tilden and Hayes. It was clear that Samuel J Tilden had won with 184 electoral votes to Rutherford B. Hayes's 165, with 20 votes unresolved. his was the first presidential election in 20 years in which the Democratic candidate won a majority of the popular vote. Also, a candidate for president received more than 50% of the popular vote but was not elected president by the Electoral College. -
Compromise of 1877
The compromise of 1877 was an unwritten informal deal between the republican, Rutherford Hayes, and democrats, Samuel Tilden, of congress to recognize this republican president if following action took place. This settled the election of 1876 while troops were removed from Louisiana and South Carolina and concessions for building a southern transcontinental railroad made. They made the compromise of 1877 to avoid a war. Also, the compromise ended the reconstruction era.
