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Battle of Lexington and Concord- April 19, 1775
The first military engagements of the revolutionary war. The battles were fought in multiple places. There were around 122 killed, 133 wounded, and 58 people were missing. This was important to history because these battles were the first shots fired in the revolutionary war. -
Battle of Saratoga- (September 19, 1777- October 7, 1777)
The Battles of Saratoga marked the climax of the Saratoga campaign. The Americans had a victory over the British in the battle of Saratoga. This battle also gave the patriots a major morale boost and persuaded the French, Spanish, and Dutch to join their cause against their mutual rival. These battles were important to history because they marked the turning point of the revolutionary war. -
Battle of Yorktown- (Sept 28, 1781 - Oct 19, 1781)
The Franco-American land and sea campaign that entrapped a major British army on a peninsula at Yorktown, Virginia. This battle was a victory for the colonies because they forced the British to surrender. This siege is what pretty much ended the military operations in the American Revolution. This was significant to history because General George Washington forced General Cornwallis to surrender because they were trapped. -
Northwest Ordinance- July 13, 1787
Northwest Ordinance was a bunch of land added to the United States. Around five states including Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Guaranteed rights listed in a bill for this territory. Established government for the Northwest territory. This was important to history because it provided a new method for admitting new states to the Union. -
Louisiana Purchase- April 30, 1803
Acquisition of land of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from France in 1803. This land was bought for fifteen million dollars. The Louisiana territory was around 828,000 square miles. This was important to history because it doubled the size of the United States at the time. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri compromise was a deal to admit Maine as a free state and Missouri as a slave state. This was done to preserve the balance of power in the union between slave and free states. The Missouri compromise was although repealed by the Kansas-Nebraska act. This was important to history because the U.S. tried to decrease sectionalism and the U.S. added two new states. -
Monroe Doctrine- December 2, 1823
This was a policy based on the western hemisphere. James Monroe passed this to warn European nations that the United States would no longer tolerate colonization or puppet monarchs. This declared that the New World and Old World had different systems that should remain distinct to their areas. This was important because it basically told European nations to leave the United States alone and allowed the U.S to complete manifest destiny without worrying about other nations. -
Nullification Crisis- 1832-33
This was a brief period of confrontation between South Carolina and the federal government. The confrontation was over the former/s attempt to null and void within the state the federal tariffs of 1828 and 1832. This ended with a compromise Henry Clay helped to broken which lowered the tariffs slowly over the next decade. This was important because it set the stage for the battle between Unionism and state's rights which eventually led to the civil war. -
Texas Annexation- December 29, 1845
This was an annexation or addition of Texas into the United States. Texas was the 28th state to the Union. The Republic of Texas declared independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836. This was important to history because this was the 28th state added to the Union and it was one of the largest ones. -
Oregon Treaty- June 15, 1846
This was a treaty between Great Britain and the United States. This is the treated that established the 49th parallel as the border between two countries. This is also what ended the joint occupancy of the Pacific Northeast. This was important to history because finally there was no joint occupancy in the U.S. -
Mexican Cession- February 2, 1848
This occurred right after the Mexican-American war. More than doubled the size of the United States. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is what gave us all of the lands. This land included states like California. This was important to history because it doubled the size of the U.S at the time. -
Compromise of 1850
The compromise of 1850 is a deal composed of a couple of laws. For instance, the fugitive slave law was passed. Moreover, it dealt with the issue of slavery and territorial expansion. The compromise was important to history because it dealt with territorial expansion and slavery. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
This was an act that was passed in 1854. This act allowed the people in Kansas and Nebraska to decide whether they would be slave or free states. This act served to repeal the compromise of 1820 which prohibited slavery north of latitude 36'30. This was important to history because it allowed Kansas and Nebraska to chose whether or not they would be slave or free states further impacting sectionalism. -
Bleeding Kansas
This was a series of very violent confrontations in Kansas. The conflict was caused because of a political and ideological debate about slavery and its legality. The result of bleeding Kansas was Kansas was admitted to the union as a free state. This was important to history because Kansas got admitted as a free state. -
John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry
This was a raid on the Harpers Ferry led by John Brown. John Brown was an abolitionist who used violence to get his message across. This was his attempt to initiate a slave revolt in the south by taking over the United States' arsenal. This was important to history because it was a showing of abolition and it was shut down very quickly. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
This battle held the first shots of the civil war. This was a battle waged at Fort Sumter near Charleston South Carolina. This battle was a confederate victory because the union army surrendered. This battle was important to history because this battle held the first shots of the civil war. -
Battle of Bull Run
This was a battle fought in the civil war. This battle was the first major battle in the civil war. The generals involved were Stonewall Jackson and Irvin McDowell to list a few. This battle was important to history because it was the first major battle fought in the civil war. -
Battle of Antietam
This was a battle fought between the union and confederacy during the civil war. This battle was fought in Sharpsburg, MD. The generals involved in this battle were Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan. This battle was important to history because this battle ended the confederate invasion of Maryland. -
Emancipation Proclamation
A very important document issued by Abraham Lincoln. This was made so African Americans can serve in the union army. Not only that this freed all slaves in the "rebellious states". This was important to history for freeing slaves and allowing them to serve in the army. -
Battle of Vicksburg
This was a siege on the town of Vicksburg. This battle was also the final battle in the Vicksburg campaign. The generals who fought in this battle were Ulysses S. Grant and John C. Pemberton. This battle was important to history because it was the last battle in the Vicksburg campaign. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The battle of Gettysburg was a bloody battle fought on July 1, 1863-July 3, 1863. In fact, this battle was the bloodiest single battle in the whole war. The generals who were involved in this battle were George Meade and Robert E. Lee. This was important to history for it is the highest amount of casualties in a single battle in the whole war. -
Gettysburg Adress
The Gettysburg Address was a speech delivered by President Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln delivered this speech to the U.S. army to raise morale. The speech was about the civil war and whether the union would emerge victoriously or not. This was important to history because it raised the morale of the U.S. soldiers. -
Sherman's March To The Sea- (Nov 15, 1864-Dec 21, 1864)
This was a March led by General William T. Sherman. Sherman led 60,000 soldiers on a 285-mile march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. The whole purpose of his march was to frighten Georgia's civilian population. He wanted to frighten them into leaving the confederate cause. This was important to history because it showed the effect of total war and a good bit of the confederate cause supporters abandoned the confederacy. -
13th Amendment Passed
This amendment was passed on the date of January 31, 1865. It outlawed slavery or involuntary servitude. But it did allow slavery or involuntary servitude as punishment. This was important because it ended slavery. -
Presidential Reconstruction- (April, 1865)
This was a period of rebuilding after the war. President Andrew Jackson is the person who began this reconstruction period. Andrew Jackson returned land confiscated by the Union back to their prewar owners. This was significant because this was the period where the country reunited and got rebuilt. -
Congressional Reconstruction- (1867-1874)
The time period after the civil war. Included many important new concepts and laws. This was also an attempt to enforce equal suffrage on the ex-Confederate states. This was important to history because this was when the confederate states were going to get readmitted to the union. -
14th Amendment Passed
This was the 14th amendment of the U.S. and it was passed on July 9, 1868. This amendment granted to citizens to all people born in America. It also granted equal protection of the laws. This was important to history because it granted even African Americans citizenship as long as they were born in America. -
15th Amendment Passed
The 15th amendment of the U.S. was passed on February 26, 1869. This amendment had a very large impact on the lives of many African Americans. This amendment allowed African Americans to have voting rights. This was important to history because after all of the struggles African Americans got everything they were fighting for. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was an important case and decision made by the U.S supreme court. This decision upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation. It was okay to segregate as long as the segregated area was equal in quality. This decision took place between the dates of Apr 13, 1896- May 18, 1896. This decision was important to history because it upholds the constitutionality of racial segregation.