-
3114 BCE
Maya
The Maya were an indigenous group of people from Mexico and Central America. This group of people were noted for its hieroglyphic script, which was the only fully developed writing system of the pre-Columbian Americas. They were also known for their art, architecture, mathematics, calendar, and astronomical system. Their religion involved aspects of nature, astronomy and rituals. The Mayan people never fully disappeared, they went from big cities to abandoned ruins over roughly a hundred years. -
Period: 2000 BCE to
Beginnings to Exploration
-
1200 BCE
Olmecs
The olmecs were the earliest major civilization known in Mexico. Olmecs lived in tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico which is now states Veracruz and Tabasco. The Olmec culture thrived along Mexico's gulf coast from roughly 1200 to 400 B.C. The Olmecs were an important civilization in early Mesoamerica. It had much influence on later cultures such as the Aztecs and the Mayas. Many people thought the Olmec were from West Africa but evidence now shows they were from the Xia dynasty of China. -
Jan 1, 1095
The Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars called by popes with the promise of gratification for those who fought in them in defense of the Church or Christian people. Pope Urban II ordered the first Crusade. The pope rallied Christian men to take back the Holy land from the Muslims. The word crusade comes from the Latin word crux meaning cross, which the Christian soldiers called Crusaders, wore as a symbol of their religions. The Crusades took place from 1095 to 1291. -
Jan 1, 1300
The Renaissance
The Renaissance was a period in European history between the 1400 and 1600. Historians say it may have started and ended earlier or later depending on the country. The Renaissance was mostly associated with Italy, beginning in the 14th century. Although some countries such as Germany England, and France went through many of the same cultural changes. The word "renaissance" comes from the French word for "rebirth". During the Renaissance people interpreted their culture by creating unique art. -
Jan 1, 1346
The Black Death
It is believed that the result of the plague was the Black Death. It was caused by infection with the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Most scientist believe the bacteria was passed from infected rodents to humans through flea bites. Symptoms of the disease included fever, weakness, abdominal pain, chills, and shock. People that were infected needed immediate treatment and should have been given antibiotics within 24 hours of the first symptoms. -
Period: Jan 1, 1492 to
Colonial America
-
Jun 7, 1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
The Treaty of Tordesillas was an agreement between Spain and Portugal in which was aimed for settling conflicts over lands newly discovered and explored. The treaty was signed because Spain had been granted a much larger portion of land than Portugal. Portugal was only granted possession of over Brazil. The land was seperated by the line of Demarcation. This line was between the Spanish and Portuguese territory, which was first defined by Pope Alexander VI and later revised by the Treaty. -
Jan 1, 1502
Atlantic Slave Trade
The Atlantic Slave trade was responsible for forced migration of 12 to 15 million people from the middle of the 15th century to the end of the 19th century. This slave trade carried slaves, cash crops, and manufactured goods between West Africa, Caribbean or American colonies and the European colonial powers. People used African slaves for growing colonial cash crops that they exported to Europe. In return, European goods were used to purchase slaves that were brought in the Middle Passage. -
Aug 13, 1521
Aztecs
The Aztecs were an ethnic groups of central Mexico. They dominated large parts of Mesoamerica from the 14th to the 16th century. Aztecs referred to themselves as the Mehika/Meshika/Mexica from the name of Mexico. Aztecs were known for their agriculture, cultivating land, intro. irrigation, draining swamps, and creating artificial islands in the lakes. Invaders led the Conquistador, overthrew the Aztecs by force and captured Tenochtitlan in 1525, bringing an end to the last native civilization. -
Period: to
English Colonial Societies
-
Nathaniel Bacon
Nathaniel Bacon was a colonist of the Virginia Colony, famous as the leader of Bacon's Rebellion of 1676, against Virginia Governor William Berkeley which collapsed when Bacon himself died from dysentery. He was born in England, and educated at Cambridge and moved to Jamestown in 1673. In the end Bacon supposedly apologized on bended knee for his rebellion. He returns to Jamestown with 500 men and demands governer to commission him as general. -
Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts were a series of laws passed in the English Parliament in 1651,1660 & 1663. The colonies represented a good source of wealth and trade. The Navigation Acts were designed to regulate colonial trade and enable England to collect taxes in the Colonies.The acts were first enacted in 1651 until 1663, and were repealed in 1849. It prohibited the colonies to trade with the Netherlands, Spain, France, and other colonies. The acts also restricted employment of non English sailors. -
Rebellion of Indentured Servants
The rebellion of indentured servants was an armed rebellion in 1676 by Virginia settlers that were led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor William Berkeley. It was the first rebellion in the American colonies in which discontented frontiersmen took part. The alliance between indentured servants and Africans united by their bond-servitude, disturbed the ruling class. They responded by hardening the racial caste of slavery in an attempt to divide the two races. -
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a philosophical movement that took place in Europe and later moved on to North America. The three main ideas of the enlightenment movement emphasized reason, individualism, and skepticism. Enlightenment philosophers John Locke, Charles Montesquieu, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau all developed theories of government, in which some or all people would govern. The thoughts of the enlightenment reflected in the U.S. Declaration of Independence. The enlightenment ended in 1815. -
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious revolution, also called the "bloodless revolution", began in 1688. They call it the bloodless revolution because the battle involved no blood loss.The revolution was the removal of King James II of England by William of Orange and his allies of English Parliamentarians. The Glorious revolution led to the English Bill of Rights in 1689. It demonstrated the right of people being able to change their form of government if they believed that government no longer protected their rights. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights is an act that the Parliament of England passed on December 16, 1689. The Bill creates separation of powers, limits the powers of the king and queen, enhances the democratic election, and bolsters freedom of speech. It declared the rights and liberties of the people and settled the succession in William III and Mary II following the Glorious Revolution of 1688. The English Bill of Rights was enacted by the English Parliament and singed by King William III in 1689. -
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials were a series of rumors and prosecutions of people who were accused of witch craft in Massachusetts between February of 1692 and May of 1693. The trials began after a group of young girls claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several women of witchcraft. Victims were taken to the Gallows Hill to die by hanging, in some countries witches were stoned. Eventually it was admitted that the trials were a mistake and compensated families of those who were convicted. -
Act of Union (1707)
The Act of Union was passed by the English and Scottish Parliaments in 1707. It led to the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain on May the 1st that year, They put into effect the terms of the Treaty of Union that had been agreed on July 22, 1706. The two countries had shared a monarch since the Union of the Crowns in 1603. The Acts took effect on 1 May 1707. On this date, the Scottish Parliament and the English Parliament united to form the Parliament of Great Britain. -
The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was a religious revival that changed religious beliefs, practices, and relationships in the American colonies. The revival was a movement among Christian Protestants who were reacting to a number of religious conditions in the colonies. The movement left a series of emotional religious revivals that spread across American colonies in the late 1730's and 1740's. It affected the colonies because it changed many peoples views and attitudes towards religion. -
Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry was a Fort at the southern end of Lake George. The fort was best known as the site of notorious atrocities committed by the Huron tribes against the British who surrendered. On September of 1755 during the French and Indian War, Sir William Johnson ordered the forts construction to be done as a staging ground for attacks against the French. The Fort was named both after Prince William, the younger son of King George II, and Prince William Henry, grandson of King George II. -
Seven-Years War
The Seven Years war began in 1756. It was a fight between French and colonists that merged into a European conflict. It involved France, Austria, and Russia against Prussia and Britain. The British suffered a series of defeats against the French and their Native American alliances. The war ended with the Treaty of Paris of 1763. The results of the war were changes in economic, political, governmental, and social relations between France, Britain, and Spain, and they also suffered financially. -
Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne was established by the French in 1754 at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monogahela rivers. The English and Americans later took over it developing it as Pittsburgh in the states of Pennsylvania. The fort was destroyed by the French on the North American front. In 1758 it was replaced by Fort Pitt. Duquesne was considered strategically important for controlling the Ohio Country which was used both for settlemen, and trade. -
Period: to
industrial revolution
-
Treaty of Paris - 1763
The Treaty of Paris was signed on February 10th, 1763 by Great Britain, France and Spain. The Treaty ended the French and Indian War between Great Britain and France. Under the Treaty, France gave up all of its territories in mainland North America. The treaty also ended foreign military threats to the British colonies. Britain restored to France the West Indian islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Marie-Galante, and Desirade, etc. Britain also gave Saint Lucia back to France. -
Revenue Act/ Sugar Act
On April 5, 1764 the parliament parliament of Great Britain passed a more modified version of the Sugar Act titled the Revenue Act that was designed to raise revenue from american colonists in the 13 colonies. The act revised tariffs on sugar, tea, coffee and wine. It also expanded jurisdiction for some courts.The Sugar Act was introduced by a British Prime Minister named George Grenville. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. The tax was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. The cost of the Stamp Act was rather small. "No taxation without representation" was the colonists slogan used for petitions and protests. The money collected by the Stamp Act was used to help pay the costs of defending and protecting the American frontier near the Appalachian Mountains. -
Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act was a British parliament declaration that accompanied the repeal of the Stamp act. The act stated that the British Parliaments taxing authority, was the same in America as in Great Britain. Parliament had directly taxed the colonies for incomes in the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act. Parliament passed the Declaratory Acts, proclaiming that the British government had free and total legislative power over the colonies. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend Acts were a series of of British laws passed beginning in 1767 that related to the British American colonies in North America. The Townshend Acts started because the British didn't have enough money to supply their own people from the other war that had recently occurred. The Townshend acts imposed tariffs on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea imported into the colonies. As a result of protests in the american colonies, Parliaments began to partially cancel the Townshend taxes. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was an incident in which 342 chests of tea that weighed over 92,000 pounds which belonged to the British East India Company were thrown out from 3 British ships into the Boston Harbor by American patriots disguised as Mohawk Indians. The tea party took place because of colonist not wanting to pay taxes on tea and because they were against the monopoly granted to the East India Company and was led by Samuel Adams. -
Coercive Acts
The Coercive laws were laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774. These laws were proposed to the american colonists to punish them for protests made, such as the Boston Tea Party. Acts such as the stamp act, the intolerable acts, the Townshend acts all caused the colonists into war with Great Britain. The Coercive acts included the following: The Boston Port Act, The Massachusetts Government act, The administration of Justice act, The Quartering act, and the Quebec act. -
Period: to
The Revolutionary War
-
Prohibitory Act
The Prohibitory Act was a law passed by the British Parliament in December of 1775. The act cut off all trade between the England and the colonists and also left the colonies without protection from Great Britain. It declared and provided for a naval blockade against American ports. The act said that any ships found trading would be penalized by Georgii III Regis. In response to the act, the Continental Congress gave American privateers the ability to arm their ships for protection Navy acting. -
Period: to
The Constitution
-
Massachusetts constitution
The Constitution of Massachusetts was drafted by John Adams in 1780. It is to this day the worlds oldest functioning written constitution. The constitution served as a model for the one written for the United States. Just like Massachusetts, The U.S. constitution has also served as a model for other countries to use. The constitution (Massachusetts) contains four parts to it. A preamble, declaration of rights, description of the framework of government in six chapters, and articles of amendment. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. It was the the first constitution of the United States. The constitution established the functions of the national government of the United States after declaring it from Great Britain. The Articles of Confederation was not ratified by all thirteen states until March 1, 1781. The Articles also ended up failing because they did not give the Congress and the national government enough power. -
Period: to
New Republic
-
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion was a series of protests from 1786 to 1787 by American farmers against state and local enforcement of tax collections and judgments for debt. Shays rebellion showed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. Poor farmers from western Massachusetts were fighting against high taxes opposed on them following Daniel Shay. The American Revolution and massive War debts were big results that came out of this Shay's Rebellion. -
The Great Debate
The transition from the Articles of Confederation to the United States Constitution required a series of debates during and after the convention. There were two sides in the Great Debate which were the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. The Federalists wanted to ratify the Constitution, while the Anti-Federalists opposed of this. One of the major issues they were concerned about was the Bill of rights. The federalist thought it was an extra addition while the anti-federalist didn't. -
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia between May 27, 1878 through September 17, 1787. At the Annapolis Convention, delegates from five states called for a Constitutional Convention to discuss improvements of the Articles of Confederation. The purpose of the convention was to address the problems of the weak central government existing under the Articles of Confederation. A constitutional convention provides two methods for proposing amendments. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was adopted by the Confederation Congress on July 13, 1787. The Ordinance was a law passed to regulate the settlement of the Northwest Territory, which eventually was divided into several states of the Middle West. It is considered one of the most important legislative acts of the Confederation Congress. The Northwest Ordinance also protected civil liberties, outlawed slavery in the new territories, and admitted new states to the Union from the territory. -
Steamboats
In 1787, John Fitch demonstrated the first steamboat, which had twelve paddles and was propelled by a steam engine. In 1787, James Rumsey created the world's first boat moved by jet propulsion. In 1804, John Stevens built a steamboat with a new high-pressure steam engine. By the 1830's, steamboats were the convention. They were used as methods of transportation in canals and other navigable waterways and were used for trade. -
Greek Revival
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. The term was first used by Charles Robert Cockerell in a lecture he gave as Professor of Architecture to the Royal Academy of Arts, London in 1842. More than one 150 years ago reformers and educators began to claim that the schoolhouse. In the three decades before the Civil War, Americans looked to Ancient Greece as their inspiration. -
Second Great Awakening
The second great awakening was a religious protestant revival during the 19th century. The movement began around 1790, gained power by 1800, and after 1820, it rose rapidly among Baptist and Methodist congregations whose preachers led the movement. It was led by Charles Gradison Finney. The Second Great Awakening led to the establishment of reform movements to address injustices and alleviate suffering. It started in upstate New York, but spread to New England and the Midwest. -
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion was a brief 1794 uprising of farmers in Western Pennsylvania in protest of a whiskey tax enacted by the federal government. The Whiskey Rebellion was a tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 during the presidency of George Washington. The tax was imposed by treasury secretary Alexander Hamilton to fund the national debt and centralize the country's financial problems. -
invention of the cotton gin
In 1794,the cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney. This machine changed the production of cotton by speeding up the process of removing seeds from the cotton fiber. The invention caused the slave population to increase. While the cotton production increased, the amount of slaves increased. As Whitney's invention of cotton gin made cotton profitable, many southern farmers grew cotton instead of crops -
Jay's Treaty
On November 19, 1794 representatives of the United States and Great Britain signed Jay's Treaty. The treaty was proved unpopular but accomplished the goal of keeping peace between the two nations and preserving U.S. neutrality. Under Jays Treaty, the British agreed to remove royal troops from the western frontiers of the United States and establish a commission to examine the debts owed to the United States. -
Pinckney's Treaty
Pinckney's Treaty was signed in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, in Madrid, Spain, on October 27, 1795 and established intentions of friendship between the United States and Spain. Pickneys treaty resolved territorial disputes between the two countries and granted American ships the right to free navigation of the Mississippi River. It was also a duty-free transport through the port of New Orleans, then under Spanish control. -
Washington's Farewell Address
In early 1796, President George Washington decided not to seek reelection for a third term in the election of 1796 and wrote the farewell address to Americans. The address went through numerous drafts, mostly due to suggestions made by Alexander Hamilton. In his farewell Presidential address, George Washington advised American citizens to view themselves as a cohesive unit and avoid political parties. Washington also issued a warning to be wary of attachments and involvements with other nations. -
XYZ affair
The XYZ Affair was a diplomatic incident between the French and United States diplomats in the late 18th century that resulted in an undeclared war at sea known as the Quasi-War. The United States and French negotiators then restored peace with the Convention of 1800, also known as the Treaty of Mortefontaine. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts consisted of four laws passed by the Federalist-controlled Congress as America prepared for war with France. These acts increased the residency requirement for American citizenship from five to fourteen years, authorized the president to imprison or deport aliens and restricted speech critical of the government. The laws were designed to silence and weaken the Democratic-Republican Party. -
Fur Traders
Fur trading was one of the most important and earliest industries in North America. For more than 300 years, the fur trading industry played a major role in the development of the United States. Fur trade began in the 1500's as an exchange between Indians and Europeans. Indians traded furs for certain goods, tools, and weapons. Fur trade continued until the mid-1800's. The earliest fur traders in North America were French explorers and fishermen who arrived in Eastern Canada. . -
Millennialism
Millennialism, also called Chiliam, is a specific form of millenarianism. Millennialism is a Christian denominations belief that "a Golden Age or Paradise will occur on Earth in which Christ will reign for 1000 years prior to the final judgment and future eternal state". This belief is expressed in the book of Revelation to John, the last book of the new testament. Millennialist movements are found in many religions. It is an expectation of a time of supernatural peace and abundance on earth. -
Period: to
The age of Jefferson
-
Period: to
Westward Expansion
-
Judiciary Act of 1801
The Judiciary Act of 1801 was a partisan political attempt by Federalists in Congress and the John Adams administration to pack the federal courts with Federalists. The Judiciary Act of 1801 reduced the size of the Supreme Court from six justices to five and eliminated the justices' circuit duties. To replace the justices on circuit, the act created sixteen judgeship for six judicial circuits. -
invention of railroads
Railroads without engines were used in European coal mines as early as the mid-1500s. Later, they used iron tracks and steam powered engines introduced in the late 1700s. In Wales, 1804, Richard Trevithick developed the first successful railroad steam locomotive. -
Hamilton vs. Burr
The Hamilton vs. Burr duel was fought between Aaron Burr, vice president, and Alexander Hamilton, former Secretary of the Treasury. It took place at Weehawken, New Jersey on July 11, 1804. The duel was a result of a long and bitter rivalry between the two. Hamilton aimed his pistol to the sky, Burr shot and wounded Hamilton and died the next day. -
Embargo Act
The Embargo Act of 1807 was a law passed by the United States Congress which was signed by President Thomas Jefferson on December 22, 1807. It was designed to punish France and Britain as well as to protect American shipping from any further acts of aggression by either nation during the Napoleonic Wars. The act forbade American ships and goods from leaving American ports. -
invention of the telegraph
The first electrical telegraph was invented by Samuel Soemmerring in 1809 using 35 gold wires in water sending messages around two thousand feet away that could be read by determining how much gas was released. The simple forms of optical telegraphy were mostly smoke and light beacons. Although it was very crude, it was a vast improvement on earlier methods of telegraphy. -
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought between the United States and the United Kingdom. The United States declared war against Great Britain due to three reasons. The reasons were because of the British economic blockade of France, the induction of thousands of neutral American seamen into the British Royal Navy against their will, and the British support of hostile Indian tribes along the Great Lakes frontier. -
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet born August 1st, 1779 from Frederick, Maryland and later Georgetown, D.C. He wrote the lyrics for the National Anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner". The anthem was first called "The Defence of Fort McHenry". When it was set to an old English gentlemen's society tune, it became the United States national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner". Key passed on January 11, 1843 after falling ill with pleurisy in Baltimore, Maryland. -
Period: to
Age of Jackson
-
Adams-Onis Treaty
The Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819 was a treaty agreed to between the United States and Spain in 1819. It was negotiated by secretary, John Quincy Adams and Spanish minister Luis de Onís. Spain gave up its land of the Mississippi River and claimed to the Oregon Territory, the US assumed debts of $5 million and gave up claims to Texas. -
Panic of 1819
The Panic of 1819 was the first major financial crisis in the United States. After the post-War of 1812 economic expansion ended, banks throughout the country failed, mortgages were foreclosed, forcing people out of their homes and off their farms, falling prices impaired agriculture and manufacturing triggering widespread unemployment. This Panic marked the end of the economic expansion that had followed the War of 1812. -
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism was a nineteenth century philosophical movement. Transcendentalists believed that true reality transcends, or exists beyond, the physical world. They also emphasized the presence of God in nature and divine potential in man. The called the young to overthrow the custom and live new lives. Some people say transcendentalism has some of the intensity of Calvinism except the assumption that man is good. -
Period: to
Sectionalism
-
Period: to
Cultural Changes
-
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was an effort by Congress to disable the sectional and political rivalries triggered by the request of Missouri late in 1819 for admission as a state in which slavery would be permitted. At the time, the United States contained twenty-two states who were evenly divided between being free and slave states. The Missouri Compromise was then passed in 1820, admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. -
Election of 1828
The election of 1828 was the 11th quadrennial presidential election, held from October 31st to December 2nd of 1828. This was a re-match between President John Quincy Adams (republican), and Andrew Jackson (democrat), who won a plurality of the electoral college vote in the 1824 election. Andrew Jackson won a plurality of electoral votes in the election of 1824, but still lost to John Quincy Adams when the election was deferred to the House of Representatives -
Anti-Slavery Movement
The anti-slavery movement was an attempt to ending slavery in America were it was it was believed that "all men are created equal". Over time, abolitionist grew stronger on their demand and slave owners strongly responded and disagreed with their demand, which eventually led up to the Civil War. The abolitionist movement in America didn't gather momentum until 1831 when William Lloyd Garrison published the "The Liberator", and in 1833 the American Anti-Slave Society was formed. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner's Rebellion was a slave rebellion that took place in Southampton County, Virginia. Led by Nathanial Turner, a black American slave, rebel slaves killed from 55 to 65 people. The rebellion was put down within a few days, but Turner survived in hiding for more than two months after. Approximately 120 slaves and free African Americans were murdered by militias and mobs in the area. The rebellion was put to an end at Belmont Plantation on the morning of August 23, 1831. -
Tariff act of 1832
The Tariff Act of 1832 was another protective tariff that was passed to reduce the existing tariffs as a remedy for the conflict created by the Tariff of 1828 referred to as the Tariff of Abominations. The effects of the taxes of 1832 was a compromise, but it failed to bring peace to the Southerners leading to the Nullification Crisis. -
Whig Party
The Whig party was an American political party formed in the 1830'
s to oppose President Andrew Jackson and the Democrats. Whigs represented protective tariffs, national banking, and federal aid for internal improvements. It took place from 1833 to 1856. The Whigs supported the importance of Congress and modernization over the importance of the executive branch. -
Spoils System
The spoils system is a practice in which a political party gives government civil service jobs to its supporters, friends and relatives as a reward for working toward victory and as an incentive to keep working for the party. The spoils system was based on the policy of removing political opponents from federal offices and replacing them with party loyalists. It was advocated by Andrew Jackson and based on rotation in office and rewarding loyal supporters. -
invention of the steel plow
John Deere invented the steel plow in 1837 in Grand Detour, Illinois when the Middle-West was first being settled. The soil was different than the one found in the East, and wood plows kept breaking. The plow was used for farming in tough soil without getting soil stuck to it. The first steel plow was made out of an old blade saw and was then tested on different types of soil. Deer faced many problems while making the plow. Initially steel was hard to find and had to come from Great Britain. -
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was a crisis in financial and economic conditions in the nation following changes in the banking system initiated by President Andrew Jackson and his Specie Circular that effectively dried up credit. It lasted from 1837 – 1843. In 1842, the American economy was able to rebound and overcome the five-year depression, but the economy did not fully recover until 1843. -
Trail of Tears
In 1838, 16,000 Native Americans walked over 1,200 miles of rugged land. Over 4,000 of these Indians were killed from disease, famine, and warfare. This Indian tribe was called the Cherokee. This event was one of the most brutal and racist events to happen in America. It was urged on by President Andrew Jackson, who passed the Indian Removal Act. The Act gave the federal government the power to relocate any Native Americans in the east to the west of the Mississippi River. -
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 behind William Henry Harrison. Rallying under the slogan “Tippecanoe and Tyler, too,” the Whigs easily defeated Van Buren. The United States presidential election of 1840 was held from Friday, October 30, to Wednesday, December 2, 1840. -
The Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail migration is one of the most important events. The trail was a major route that people took when migrating to the western part of the United States. Mountain men fur trappers were the earliest to use the Oregon Trail. Between 1841 and 1869, thousands of people traveled westward on the trail. It was a 2,170 mile route from Missouri to Oregon and California. Many traveled in large wagon trains and used covered wagons to carry their belongings. -
Slums
As business began to boom and the national markets grew, more people began to move to the Northeast because they wanted jobs. Most people lived in slums. Five to nine people lived in a single room which was as big as an apartment. Not only was there not enough room, but more people got sick as well. Because everyone lived in terrible conditions and so close to one another, diseases spread rapidly and lack of medicine and medical care resulted in many deaths. -
Manifest Destiny
"Sea to shining sea". The Manifest Destiny was the belief that it was God's plan that the U.S. should extend territory between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. People believed that the Destiny of American settlers was to expand and move across the continent to spread their traditions while enlightening more primitive nations. Settlers considered Indians and Hispanics to be inferior deserving cultivation. Most Puritans believed it was their mission to impose their way of life on everybody else. -
Mormon Migration
The Mormon pioneers were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who migrated across the United States from the Midwest to the Salt Lake Valley. The migration was one step in the Mormons' quest for religious freedom and growth.The Mormon religion was found by Joseph Smith on April 6, 1830 in Fayette, New York. The migration was led by Brigham Young, who led about 148 Mormon pioneers to Utah's Valley of the Great Salt Lake. They moved west to escape religious discrimination. -
Mexican American War
The Mexican American war was fought between the United States and Mexico from April of 1846 to February 1848. The war was caused because of the United States annexation of Texas in 1845, and from an argument over where Texas ended. Mexico's claim was that Texas ended at the Nueces River, but the United States claimed that it ended the Rio Grande. The war resulted in the united states obtaining over 500,000 square miles of Mexico's territory extending from the Rio Grande to the Pacific Ocean -
Bear Flag Revolt
Bear Flag Revolt, from June to July of 1846, short-lived independence rebellion precipitated by American settlers in California's Sacramento Valley against Mexican authorities. It was led by William B. Ide. The grizzly bear on the California state flag traces its origins to a revolt that unfolded in 1846 during the early days of the Mexican-American War. In 1846 approximately 500 Americans were living in California, compared with between 8,000 and 12,000 Mexicans. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican American War. It was signed on February 2nd of 1848. This is the oldest treaty still in force between the United States and Mexico. Because of its military victory the United States dictated the terms of settlement. By terms of the Treaty, Mexico gave up 55 percent of its territory. Some of the parts included were from present-day Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah, to the United States. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention was the first womens right convention. It was held in Seneca Falls, New York and lasted two days from July 19 to the 20th of 1848. About 300 people attended. The convention was organized by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. These were two abolitionist who met at the 1840 World Anti-slavery convention that was held in London. The convention was the first aimed to obtain equal rights for women. -
Fire Eaters
Fire eaters were a group of southerners who were extremely pro-slavery and wanted the Southern states to separate into a new nation, which later became the Confederate States of America. The head of this group was Robert Barnwell Rhett. They threatened the congress to choose between abolition an secession. Because of how much they urged secession in the South, the Fire-Eaters demonstrated the high level of sectionalism existing in the U.S. during the 1850s. -
Compromise of 1850
The compromise of 1850 was a series of laws passed by the United Stated Congress. It was created after the Mexican War, when new land was added to the United States. The northern free and southern slave states argued whether or not the land added would allow slavery. They used popular sovereignty to decide whether it was free or not. The north gained California, a free state. Texas lost territory but was in debt with 10 million dollars. In Washington, it was prohibited to trade slaves, not own. -
Seventh of March Adress
On March 7, 1850, Massachusetts Senator Daniel Webster gave one of his most famous speeches that was later called the Seventh of March speech. He characterized himself "not as a Massachusetts man, nor a Northern man, but as an American". Webster rose in the Senate chamber to support his career, his reputation, and perhaps the nation's future on the success of a speech that he hoped would unite moderates of all sections in support of Kentucky Senator Henry Clay's proposed "Compromise of 1850." -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Acts were a pair of federal laws that allowed for the capture and return of runaway slaves within territory of the United States. The first fugitive slave act was enacted by the congress in 1793. It authorized local governments to seize and return escaped slaves to their owners and imposed penalties on anyone who helped them escape. The fugitive slave acts were one of the most controversial laws in the early 19th century. Both laws were cancelled by an act of Congress in 1864. -
end of whig party
In 1852, the deaths of Henry Clay and Daniel Webster severely weakened the Whig party. The Compromise of 1850 had fractured the Whigs along pro- and anti-slavery lines, with the anti-slavery faction having enough power to deny Fillmore the party's nomination in 1852. Whigs joined the Democrats as one of the nation's two major parties. Two years later, by the fall of 1855, the Whig party was effectively extinct. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed by the U.S. Congress on May 30, 1854. The act allowed new territories to decide if they were free or slave states by popular sovereignty. It allowed people in territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery within their states. The Act was made to cancel out the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which had made the line of latitude to be the separation of free and slave states. -
Bleeding Kansas
During the years of 1853 to 1861, a very crucial event that led up to the Civil War, occurred which was called “Bleeding Kansas”. Bleeding Kansas was a series of violent political confrontations in the United States involving the anti-slavery which were the "Free-Staters" and the pro-slavery which were "Border Ruffian", or "southern" elements in Kansas.Bleeding Kansas was when "border ruffians" poured into Kansas and attempted to establish it as a slave state. -
Revivalism
Revivalism was an outburst of religious enthusiasm. It generally refers to a specific period of spiritual renewal in the life of the church. This is distinguished from the use of the term "revival" that refers to an evangelistic meeting or series of meetings. Revivals are seen as the restoration of the church itself to a vital and fervent relationship with god after a period of moral decline. In the 19th century, revivalism was more widespread in America than in Britain. -
Fort Sumter
The Battle of Fort Sumter was the first battle of the Civil War. Fort Sumter was an island defense wall located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina were the battle took place from 1861-65. The intense Confederate artillery bombardment of Major Robert Anderson's small Union garrison in the unfinished fort in the harbor at Charleston, South Carolina, had been preceded by months of siege-like conditions. After a 33-hour bombardment by Confederate cannons, Union forces surrender Fort Sumter in SC. -
Period: to
The Civil War
-
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam occurred September 22, 1862, at Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland where Generals Robert E. Lee and George McClellan faced off. This was the the first battle of the American Civil War to be fought on northern soil. This battle halted the Confederate advance on Maryland for the purpose of gaining military supplies. Antietam was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history with over 23,000 casualties in roughly 12 hours and resulted in a Union victory. -
Conscription Act
During the Civil War, the U.S. Congress passed a conscription act that produced the first wartime draft of U.S. citizens in American history. The act called for registration of all males between the ages of 20 to 45, including aliens with the intention of becoming citizens, by April 1 to be drafted into military service. The Confederacy was the first to enact compulsory military service. A draft was necessary due to the poor planning on the part of the Confederate government. -
Battle of Vicksburg
The Battle of Vicksburg, Mississippi, was the culmination of a long land and naval campaign by Union forces to capture a key strategic position during the American Civil War. On July 4, Vicksburg surrendered after prolonged siege operations. Vicksburg's loss was more important to the war. Union forces now had complete control of the Mississippi River and had in effect cut the Confederacy in two. Confederate forces in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas were now isolated from the rest of the South. -
Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address was a speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln in November 19, 1863, at the dedication of Soldier's National Cemetery. This was a cemetery for Union soldiers killed at the Battle Of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. It took place on the site of one of the bloodiest and most decisive battles of the Civil War. -
Battle of Chattanooga
During the American Civil War from November 23 to November 25 of 1863, Union forces routed Confederate troops in Tennessee at the battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, known collectively as the Battles for Chattanooga.The battle was an important Union victory in the The Civil War. The city was a vital rail hub that, once taken, it became the gateway for later campaigns in the Deep South. It included the capture of Atlanta and Sherman's March to the Sea. -
13th amendment
The thirteenth amendment in the U.S. constitution states "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 amendment made slavery unconstitutional and illegal, therefore it is the most important amendment. In congress, the amendment was passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, and by the house on January 31, 1865. -
Freemen's Movement
The Freemen's movement was described by law enforcement in the past as an extremist organization capable of domestic terrorism. Freemen were a group of individuals who believed that they were bound by written laws only if they consent to those laws. Freemen believe that statute laws are a contract, and that individuals can therefore opt out of statute law, choosing instead to live under what they call "common" and "natural" laws. Many of their beliefs were based on idiosyncratic interpretations. -
Black Codes
Black codes were laws passed by Democrat-controlled Southern states in 1865 and 1866, and ended in 1877 because of the Reconstruction after the Civil War. Black Codes were passed by Southern slave states, before and immediately after the American Civil War.In late 1865, Mississippi and South Carolina enacted the first black codes. They were designed to restrict the freed blacks activity and ensure their availability as a labor force, now that slavery had been abolished. -
Period: to
Reconstruction
-
Abraham Lincolns Assassination
On April 14, 1865, shortly after 10 p.m., actor John Wilkes Booth entered the presidential box at Ford's Theater in Washington D.C., and shot President Abraham Lincoln once in the back of the head. As Lincoln slumped forward in his seat, Booth jumped over onto the stage and escaped through the back door. A doctor in the audience rushed over to examine the president. Lincoln was paralyzed and then carried across the street to Petersen's Boarding House, where he died early the next morning. -
KKK
The Ku Klux Klan, extended into almost every southern state by 1870. Although black Americans have typically been the Klan's primary target, it also has attacked Jews, immigrants, gays and lesbians and, until recently, Catholics. The KKK used terrorism both physical assault and murder against groups or individuals whom they opposed.After a short and violent period, Klan disbanded after Jim Crow laws secured the domination of Southerns but the Klan later had a huge revival in the 1920s. -
14th amendment
"No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." The 14th amendment says that states cannot take away the rights of citizens without due process of the law. On July 28, 1868 the amendment was ratified -
15th amendment
"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any States on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." The 15th amendment allows all men to vote no matter their skin color. The 15th amendment was passed by the Congress on February 26, 1869 and ratified on February 3, 1870. This amendment is said to be the most important because it gave African Americans the right to vote and also to be elected into public office. -
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis that triggered a depression in Europe and North America that lasted from 1873 to 1879. After the civil war, the United States experienced a period of economic growth. This weakened the Republican Party and the Democrats regained the House of Representatives in 1874. It led to economic hardships, civil unrest, protests, demonstrations, and nationwide strikes. The Panic of 1873 and the economic depression helped bring The Reconstruction Era to an end. -
Three-Tier System
The federal court system has three main levels. The U.S. District Court, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Each level has a different function for both civil and the criminal cases. Apart from the three different courts, there are also several U.S. magistrate judges in each district.
