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Massacre at Mystic
Once the puritans began to travel into Connecticut, there became conflict with the Pequot tribe. 13 puritans were killed by the spring of 1673 at the hands of the Pequot. John Endecott, governor of Massachusetts Bay, organized a military group of colonists to punish the tribe. On May 26, 1637, the colonists began their march into Mystic and began slaughtering the Pequot tribe. -
The Scalp Act
Scalping is the act of removing the scalp along with the hair. This was originally an indigenous practice an an award of winning in battle. This eventually became financially motivating as people could get paid for each scalp that was retrieved. The Scalp Act began in the early 1700's and it was a bounty created by the Dutch for scalps with money increments for each scalp. -
The 3/5ths Compromise
During the 1787 Constitutional Convention, the representatives determined that when counting population of the states, three out of five slaves would be counted. They did this to help give a better representation of the states' population because before this was determined the slaves were not counted. -
Slave Trade Ends in the United States
A federal law, making it illegal to import African American people to the United States. This law was passed on January 1, 1808. This law marks the end of the slave trade in the United States. -
Battle of Tippecanoe
The Treaty of Fort Wayne stated that Indiana tribes were required to give 3 million acres of land to the government. This angered the Native American tribes of Indiana and they formed a group that was in charge of combatting off the Americans that were taking over the land. The Battle of Tippecanoe was a battle fought between Native American warriors and American soldiers near a river bank in the middle of Indiana on November 7, 1811. -
The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was a law that was signed by President James Monroe. This law stated that Missouri was a state that allowed slavery and Maine was a free state. President James Monroe signed this law on March 2, 1820. -
Indian Removal Act
President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act into law on May 28, 1830. This allowed presidents to give Indians land out west while taking the land they have that is U.S. territory. This meant the Indian tribes had to be removed and relocated. -
Trail of Tears
The Indian Removal Act granted Indian tribes land in the west in exchange for their land in U.S. territory. Some tribes went peacefully, however many did not. The federal government expelled the Choctaw tribe first. The tribe made the journey on foot, without help from the government and some were bound in chains. Thousands of people died and a Choctaw leader described the move as a “trail of tears and death.” -
Nat Turner Rebellion
Nat Turner was a slave born on a plantation in Virginia that was owned by Benjamin Turner. Nat became a preacher and lead the enslaved Africans that were also on Benjamin Turner's plantation and the neighborhood. He claimed that he was chosen by God to lead the slaves out of their enslavement. On August 21, 1831, Nat Turner lead a rebellion of slaves that killed 200 African Americans. His rebellion began a new wave of oppressive legislation. -
The Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act was a set of laws that legalized the capture and return of slaves that had runaway. This began as a local law but became a nationwide law which led to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. This law was more strict and came with more punishments for accomplices and slaves. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slave whom resided in a free state when his owner moved. Dred and his wife, Harriet, filed for their freedom stating that since they now lived in a free state that they were free. The case was brought all the way to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court Chief Justice, Roger Taney, denied Dred's appeal for freedom in a 7-2 decision. -
Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. The Emancipation Proclamation declared that slaves in states that were engaging in rebellion against the Union “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment 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.” This amendment abolished slavery in the United States. The 13th Amendment was ratified in 1865 on December 6, after the Civil War. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment states, "“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.” This amendment granted African American men the right to vote. The 15th amendment was ratified on February 3, 1870. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment provided citizenship to all people, including former slaves, that were born or naturalized in the United States. This amendment also granted citizens "“equal protection of the laws.” The 14th amendment was ratified on July 9, 1868. -
Battle of the Little Bighorn
The Battle of the Little Bighorn was fought on June 25, 1876, near the Little Bighorn River in Montana. This battle was against federal troops against Native American tribes due to tension over gold being found on Native American land. There were 600 men fighting for the federal troops and 3,000 Native Americans. Within an hour of the battle, all of the men fighting for the federal troops were defeated. -
Battle of Wounded Knee
The Battle of Wounded Knee, also known as the Wounded Knee Massacre, was fought in South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The Sioux tribe and federal troops had two conflicts. On December 29, 1890, the federal troops surrounded the area and demanded that the Natives surrender. This conflict escalated and left 150 Native Americans dead. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
On June 7, 1892, Homer Plessy bought a train ticket and took an empty seat in a "white" train car. Once the train began moving, Plessy announced that he was of African descent. Plessy was asked to leave and was arrested once he refused. Homer Plessy took his case to the Supreme Court. On May 18, 1896, the Supreme Court had reached their decision and declared seperate-but-equal facilites constitutional.