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Battle Of Lexington and Concord
The first battles of the American Revolutionary War, a large group of untrained militia defeated 700 British soldiers. This victory boosted morale for the war ahead and was an excellent start for the Colonies. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence formally declares the sovereignty of the 13 Colonies, unites them under a single banner against Great Britain, and creates a legacy that even other countries adopt later on. This document is important because it created the US as we know it. Additionally, the influenced many other countries in both direct and indirect ways, including Great Britain, France, and every country that interacts with the states after the signing of the document. -
Battles of Saratoga
The Colonies' victory at Saratoga is widely considered the turning point in the war, garnering the attention of France and other foreign countries who decided that it would be in their best interest to send the colonies aid. The date for this event is the first battle at Saratoga, although a second one was fought 18 days later. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first government document created for the Colonies, the soon-to-be United States. Although it had its issues and tended to take power away from the federal government, it established the Northwest Ordinance, which is a precedent under which all new entering states abides by. Despite being written and used in 1777 DURING the revolutionary war it had not yet won, the independent Articles government document was actually ratified in 1781. -
Battle of Yorktown
Perhaps the most important battle of any war, besides the one that started it is the one that ended it. Thus, the British defeat (and surrender) at Yorktown is very significant because it marks the end of the Revolutionary war and the beginning of the colonies' emergence as the United States.The date for this event is the end of the battle (and thus the end of the war). -
The Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance (Not to be confused with the Northwest Territory ceded by the French to the US in the Treaty of Paris) is the precedent upon which new territory is acquired/admitted into the US. It is important because it is the reason we have all the states that we do and they were admitted the way they are. Also indirectly responsible for the Civil War (which started because of the Slavery Debate, which was fueled by the addition of free and slave states through the Ordinance process) -
The United States Constitution
The United States Constitution is a government document that is a legal step-up from its predecessor the Articles of Confederation. It gives the Federal government much more power to properly run the country. The Constitution is also much more flexible, allowing for an easier method to create amendments as the country changes. -
Bill Of Rights
The Bill of Rights was originally a compromise to allow for more states to feel comfortable signing the Constitution. The Bill of Rights guarantees the "Certain unalienable rights" that many believed they were entitled to, granting most a sense of security in case the government should become corrupt. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition acts were passed in an attempt to censor a specific political party against another, as well as to prevent foreigners from enjoying the full rights that others have. However, these acts were considered unconstitutional, and eventually repealed under Judicial Review. The Alien and Sedition acts have no definitive date for they are a collection of four laws that were all passed on different dates. The date of this event instead represents the general year they have in common -
Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions
The Resolutions were the driving force behind the unconstitutional ruling and eventual repeal of the Alien and Sedition acts. These rulings were written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, and were written in 1798/1799. These are important because it allowed us to experience freedom of speech as it was intended as well as include basic rights to foreigners. -
Marbury v. Madison Case
The Marbury v. Madison case was started because of a dispute about the admittance of certain Supreme Court Judges. Although the court eventually ruled in Madison's favor, the most important effect was the introduction of Judicial Review and the heightened powers of the Judicial system. The date of this event reflects the date that the court first declared an act of Congress unconstitutional. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was bought from the French so that Napoleon may get enough money for his war and the US gain more land to settle on and all the geographical and economic assets that came with it. It is important because it doubled the size of the US at the time and provided many many benefits, and is a major part of the US as we know it today. There are many dates involved in the purchasing process but the one for this event is for when the negotiations for the land were established. -
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was caused by a confrontation between Britain and the US, where Britain had been restricting trade and the US desired to expand. During the war, the US invaded Canada, was unsuccessful, and the British took Washington D.C and burned the White House. -
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans, fought in 1815, helped Andrew Jackson become a war hero and it was such a decisive victory that many thought it had won the war (because there were rumors of a peace treaty immediately following the victory). Additionally, the Union had captured New Orleans and all its resources therein. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was created in an effort to maintain the ratio of free to slave states in the US. The Missouri Compromise states that it will admit Missouri into the US as a slave state as long as Maine is admitted as a free state too. This is important because it kept the balance of power at the time, even though it was eventually effectively repealed by the Kansas-Nebraska Act. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine, as ineffective as it was, was a major statement to the rest of the world that the US meant business. The Doctrine stated that no foreign European country shall settle, recolonize or otherwise influence any country on the western hemisphere. It is important because it let the world know that the US meant business, even if the US couldn't particularly enforce it. -
Nullification Crisis
The Nullification Crisis of 1832-1833 was a confrontation between the US federal government and South Carolina. SC attempted to nullify and ignore a tariff it did not like, declaring it would leave the Union if the Federal government tried to take it by force. The government threatened SC saying that was treason and they would be punished severely, and offered a compromise tariff instead. SC withdrew its threat, but the South was reminded that the North and federal government were still supreme. -
The Texas Annexation
Although Texas was originally a territory of Mexico, it declared Independence, won it, and applied to the US for statehood. Being a very large state, Congress couldn't admit it out of fear of disrupting the Slave Debate balance, and due to border disputes with Mexico, admitting Texas would only cause war as well. Thus, Texas had to wait until Dec. 29, 1845. It is significant because it is a massive chunk of the US today and started the Mexican American war. -
The Oregon Treaty
The Oregon Treaty of 1846 granted the US a significant portion of the northeast corner of the North American continent which the US did not previously own. This treaty is important because it settled a boundary dispute between Britain and the States, thus granting the US all of the disputed land south of the 49th parallel. -
The Mexican Cession
The Mexican Cession granted the US additional territory along the border of Texas as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. This helped settle the Mexican American war, provided the US with land, and got rid of any border dispute between Texas and Mexico. It is important because, like all the other land acquisitions, contributed directly to our geography and economy today. -
Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions
During the US' first women's rights convention at Seneca Falls, the Declaration of Sentiments was written by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and was signed by 100 people, a third of the citizens at the meeting. It advocated for women's rights and was a majorly influential and meaningful document. The date for this event reflects not the date of the writing of the book, but of the convention at Seneca Falls of which it made such an impact. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a document that had a number of effects. First off, California was to enter the US as a free state, strengthened the Fugitive Slave Law, gave Utah and New Mexico the choice of popular soverignty when it came to slavery, prohibited the slave trade in Washington D.C., and let the federal government assume Texas' debt. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was a very influential classic that majorly raised awareness about slavery and the injustice of it, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Possibly one of the most-read and influential books of the 1800's, -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska Act allowed the citizens of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether they want their state to allow slavery or not. Effectively, it cancelled out the Missouri Compromise because it allowed slavery past the 36'30 latitude line. -
Bleeding Kansas Period
The Bleeding Kansas Period was a period of violence after the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed. Pro and Anti Slave settlers flooded into the state to try and use its newfound Popular Sovereignty to influence the state into allowing or prohibiting slavery, For chronological purposes, the date for this event is the same as the Kansas-Nebraska Act. -
John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry
This event was an effort on John Brown's part to arm slaves and incite a revolt. However, Brown and his slaves were defeated by U.S. Marines. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
the Battle of Fort Sumter was the event in which the Confederate army attacked the Union at Fort Sumter. This was the first battle to start the Civil War, and the fight itself resulted in a Union defeat by surrender. -
Battle of Bull Run
Considered one of the first "major" battles of the Civil War, this fight resulted in a decisive Confederate victory. Fought in Virginia less than 30 miles from Washington D.C, this war was important because it was a defeat for the Union. It is also significant because the Union was outnumbered, suffered more casualties than the Confederacy, and lost - all three of those circumstances were not common with the Union, increasing Confederate morale. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam, fought in September 17, 1862, was significant for two reasons; It resulted in a tactical draw (although it could have been considered a tactical victory for the Union), and it was the single bloodiest day in American history, with more than 22,000 casualties in one day, which, for example, is 25 times the total deaths of both sides of the battle at Bull Run, and all of it occurred in a single day. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation is an executed order passed from Abraham Lincoln during his presidency. The Proclamation declares that all slaves specifically in the rebel Confederacy states are no longer slaves, but free citizens. Although in reality it didn't really have an effect on the Confederacy, it is significant because it reminded everyone the war is about slavery and the Proclamation was a measure against Confederate views. -
Presidential Reconstruction
The period of Presidential Reconstruction was Lincoln and Johnson's effort to quickly and peacefully bring the Confederacy back into the Union. His strategy was to be forgiving and quick about it to prevent hard feelings from causing further tensions. Presidential Reconstruction included the 10% Plan and other strategies. The period lasted for four years, technically starting at the end of the Civil War which is reflected in the date for this event. -
Period: to
Presidential Reconstruction
This time period is when Lincoln and the government made attempts to bring the Confederacy states peacefully into the Union. -
Battle of Vicksburg
The Battle of Vicksburg resulted in a major Union victory which had two effects:
-The Confederacy was split into two halves, thus cutting off support to each other.
-The Union had control of the Mississippi.
Because of this war, the Confederacy's resources were seriously reduced and furthered the Union advantage for the eventual end of the Civil War. The date for this event is the start of the battle, which ended on July 4th, 1863. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg is the single bloodiest battle fought during the Civil War (but Antietam still holds the title for the most casualties in a single day, numbering half of Gettysburg's total casualties in one day). Considered a turning point in the war because of the Union's massive victory (of which the Confederacy never recovered), the battle of Gettysburg is a major battle in American history. The date for this event is the start date, although it ended on July 3rd, 1863. -
Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address was Lincoln's formal address to all the soldiers who fought and died at Gettysburg. Additionally, the speech' goal was to restate that the Civil War was not just a fight to keep the Union preserved, but to maintain equality for all the citizens therein (this part was directly in reference to the Slave Debate that started the Civil War). -
Sherman's March to the Sea
Union General William Sherman led soldiers on a march across Georgia in a military campaign to scare the population away from the Confederate cause. The march lasted over a month across a distance of over 280 miles. His army did not kill people left and right, but stole livestock, food, supplies, burned buildings and took Atlanta, Georgia's supply hub for the Confederacy. -
Freedmen's Bureau Established
The Freedman's Bureau, a government institution that fights and advocates for slaves after they have been freed, was established. This Bureau economically and legally supports freedmen and teach them how to sustain themselves out in the world. -
13th Amendment was Passed
The 13th Amendment is the culmination of the result of the Civil War, the infighting, and the fight for equal rights regardless of skin. This amendment is very significant to the history of the United States because it gave ALL black people the foundation and eventual gaining of their basic human rights to freedom. -
Congressional Reconstruction Period
The Congressional Reconstruction period (Also called Radical Reconstruction) was the polar opposite of Presidential Reconstruction. Geared towards punishment to prevent rebellion in the future, the Congressional Reconstruction period went on for nearly 10 years, making punishments and sanctions for the Confederate states to obey and forced them to ratify the 13th and 14th amendment before being allowed back into the Union. The start of this period is the date for this event. -
Period: to
Congressional Reconstruction Period
The time during which the harsher variant of Presidential Reconstruction was occurring. -
14th Amendment Passed
The 14th Amendment is an important addition to the Constitution. Not only does it help the 13th amendment guarantee rights for black people, but it subtly punishes the Confederacy by saying that, as far as the US is considered, all Confederacy debts are null and void, meaning that anyone who helped fund the rebellion is NOT gonna get paid back. It also validates the US's federal debt, which prevents the government from interfering with it somewhat. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment is short and sweet; granting all men (does not specify women) of all colors and races to vote, granting the Congress the power to enforce it by any means necessary, which probably implies Section 2 of the 14th amendment, stating that states who deny their citizens the right to vote will subsequently lose representation for themselves in the government, equal to the proportion of men who were held from voting to all men over 21 years of age in that state. -
Plessy v. Ferguson Case
The Plessy v. Ferguson case is an extremely influential court decision that influenced much of the treatment of blacks for a long time. The court ruled that racial segregation was NOT unconstitutional as long as the base rights were the same, also known as the phrase "separate but equal." It states that blacks may indeed be put in different bathrooms and other establishments separate from whites because they still have their regular rights so no laws are violated.