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The Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was a 2,170 mile long wagon route that connected the Missouri River to Oregon. The trail was a huge factor in the settling of the west because after gold was discovered in California, over 400,000 settlers used the trail to get to California. Later, The Oregon Trail majorly declined in use due to the transcontinental railroad.The Oregon Trail was important in the long run because without it there would not have been the influx of settlers in California. -
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The California Gold Rush
After James W. Marshall discovered gold in California,The effects of the gold rush were immeasurable. Entire indigenous societies that were already declining due to disease were being attacked and raided by people searching for gold. The gold rush started in 1848 and due to the major influx in people and resources, California became a state. Long term the gold rush affected the economy hugely due to the monetary value of the gold and the population of the western side. -
The Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address was a very impactful speech given by Abraham Lincoln. The speech reflected that he believed the civil war was a struggle for equality and freedom for all and not a fight to save the union.The address helped form the civil rights movement and helped put new amendments in effect. This impacts the US now because without the address the Civil Rights Movement may have never occurred and the US could still be segregated now. -
The Thirteenth Amendment
The thirteenth amendment was a very important event in reconstruction because it abolished slavery. The amendment still stands today and is essential to living freely in the US. It has impacted almost every aspect of the US today. Socially, colored and whites can live side by side normally. Economically there is no separation in race, and economically it built a new foundation for the American economy that originates from slavery. -
The Transcontinental Railroad
The first transcontinental railroad was a continuous railroad that connected the eastern rail network with the pacific rail network in San Francisco Bay.The railroad was majorly impactful because it was opened right as the “Last Spike” of the gold rush occurred. The railroads were used to take thousands of settlers to California without the use of the dangerous Oregon trail. This affected the US in the long run due to the lives saved because of the safeness of the trains. -
The 15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution was a major milestone in the history of American civil rights. Ratified in 1870, it declared that 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 marked a crucial step forward for the abolitionist movement and for the broader struggle for equality in the United States.