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Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was a document signed on November 11, 1620. It was the first governing document of the Plymouth Colony. It was significant because it was illustrated as the first democratic government in the colonies, in which the colonists could choose their own leaders and make their own laws. -
John Winthrop
John Winthrop was an English lawyer who lived from 1587/88 to 1649. He was a leader in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and was a Puritan. He also wrote the "City Upon a Hill" speech, in which he urged his people to live as an example for others, as all eyes were upon them. -
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials were a series of prosecutions and executions between 1692 and 1693. These events occurred in Salem, where the trials were seen as an attempt to restore "order" in the colony. Hundreds of innocent people were accused of witchcraft and around 20 were executed by hanging. -
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years' War, began in 1754 and lasted until 1763. This was a conflict between the French and British began when England wanted to establish colonies in the Ohio River Valley and start trading with the nearby Indians. However, the French built forts to protect their trade with the Natives and the two sides began to fight. Although Britain won, they were left with a massive debt, which led them to start taxing the colonists. -
British Taxes
The British levied various taxes upon the colonists to help pay for the debt caused by the French and Indian War. Two examples of how they taxed the colonies were the Stamp and Sugar Acts. Taxes were placed on foreign molasses in the colonies in the Sugar Act, while taxes were placed on all paper products in the Stamp Act. -
Pontiac's Rebellion
In 1763, an Indian chief named Pontiac with about 10 other tribes surprised and attacked many British forts in the Ohio River Valley and along the Great Lakes. This rebellion was caused by an influx of setters pouring into the American Indian lands and angering the Natives. Wanting to save money and men, the British empire stated that no settlers should go west of the Appalachian Mountains. However, this plan failed as there were more colonists than British officers enforcing the law. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was an incident that occured on March 5, 1770, that led to the deaths of five Bostonians. While being under presure and attack from angry colonists, British soldiers shot their rifles. An etching of this event was created by Paul Revere to serve as propaganda that would later lead it to become the most famouse depiction of the occurence. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political/"violent" protest of the Patriots. It began when a group of men from the Sons of Liberty disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded British ships and dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor. The British closed the harbor and forced the colonists to reimburse the them. -
The First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a series of meetings and discussions between delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies (excluding Georgia) from September 1774 to October 1774. This group would later make decisions such as boycotting all British goods (hence avoiding their taxes). -
The Cotton Gin
The cotton gin was a machine invented by Eli Whitney in 1794 that revolutionized separating the valuable cotton seeds from their fibers. This new invention would lead to a boom in the cotton industry in the south, and would lead to a major increase in the use of slaves, commonly serving as field hands. -
XYZ Affair
The XYZ Affair was an event in America's history in which angry French officials (X, Y, and Z) seized American ships and demanded humiliating costs and bribes for the sailors back (ransom). America was outraged by this and wanted to go to war with France over this matter (a small navy was formed by unpopular taxes). As an effect, Adams sent more negotiators to France over going to war, and saved the country money (but lost support from his own party). -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts were a set of laws passed in 1798 giving permission to the president to deport immigrants who spoke negatively about the government and made it a crime for U.S. citizens to discredit the government publically. They would be held on trial usually in the "guilty until proven innocent matter". -
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions were documents written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison condemning the Sedition Acts as unconstitutional. This resolution also foreshadowed the states' ability to declare federal laws in the future as unconstitutional. However, these documents threatened to dissolve the union as Virginia and Kentucky could have split off from the U.S. because of their different views and opinions. -
The First Barbary War
The First Barbary War was a time period in America's history in which conflicts arose off the coast of Tripoli as American ships were being raided and the sailors sold into slavery. The presidents before Jefferson had paid a protection fee (tribute) for safe travel through the area, but the fee had been increased greatly. As an effect, Jefferson blockaded the port until they gave in and let America pass for free safely. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark expedition lasted from 1804 to 1806 in which Meriwether Lewis and William Clark (selected by Jefferson) explored, charted, and mapped out the area just purchased in the Louisiana Purchase. The men and their crew, along with Clark's slave York and the Indian woman Sacagawea, traveled all the way to the Pacific and came into contact with over 50 Native American tribes. Only one man died during the expedition, a feat at the time. Lewis and Clark are still known as heroes today. -
The Embargo of 1807
The Embargo of 1807 was a general embargo placed on foreign nations enacted by the U.S. Congress. This was a big deal as the U.S. had stopped trading with France and Britain, because too many American sailors and merchants were being impressed into the British navy by pirates. Hoping to injure the British empire, America's embargo had only backfired as Britain found ports to trade with in South America and led to the bankrupty of many farmers and merchants who depended on such foreign trade. -
Tariff of 1816
The Tariff of 1816 was a nationalistic policy of the U.S. issued by Congress in the year 1816. This tariff on foreign goods encouraged those living in the states to "Buy American" and support the growing nation. However, other citizens like farmers and merchants were angered and even lost their jobs because their livelihoods depended on foreign trade. -
The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was a solution formulated by Henry Clay proposing that Missouri be added as a slave state yet have Maine be added as a free state to the union, keeping the border of slavery under the parallel 36°30'. This compromise was created to balance the slave to anti-slave states within the U.S, yet it would only work temporarily. The southern states started to get angry over how they felt they were oppressed by the government, and threatened seceding, triggering the Civil War. -
The Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was proposed in one of President James Monroe's State of the Union addresses during the year 1823. This declaration stated that European countries could no longer colonize the Americas, especially Latin America. However, existing colonies could stay. Theoretically, America either proposed this law to keep their neighboring friendlies safe or to keep their enemies further away, and overseas as well. -
Transcontinental Railroad
The Transcontinental Railroad was constructed during the years 1863 and 1869. It spanned from the existing U.S. railroad networks in the east (from Omaha, NE) to San Francisco California. Upon completion of the railroad, golden spikes were hammered in to connect the two existing railroads, and the nation was starting to become more united.
