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Plymouth Colony
In 1620 Pilgrims from England sailed over to North America to start a new life. They wanted to escape persecution from the King and have religious freedom. The Pilgrims settled in Massachusetts and wrote the Mayflower Compact which established majority rule. This was also the first self government brought to the new world. -
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Our History
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Boston Tea Party
On December 16th of 1773 the Sons of Liberty dumped gallons of tea into the harbor. They did this to protest the Tea Act of 1773. The Tea Act forced colonists to buy only British tea which everyone hated. So the Sons of Liberty stepped up and showed everyone that actions do speak louder than words by dumping hundreds of dollars worth of tea. -
Invention of the Cotton Gin
The cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney in 1793. This simple machine would separate the seeds from the cotton fluff. Normally, slaves would hand pick them,but it made the work longer and gave them blisters. This invention revolutionized America by speeding up cotton production rates, having more slavery and increase westward movement. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was a giant piece of land in the middle of North America. Thomas Jefferson bought this piece of land from France for $15 million. This was a great bargain because it made each acre only value 3 cents! The U.S. was now double the size it was before thanks to the work of Jefferson. -
War of 1812
In 1812, the U.S. and Britain were in a war together. It started because Britain was seizing America's cargo and impressing their soldiers. The U.S. became very angry and went to war. After a few battles they both agreed in a tie because the war wasn't going anywhere. After that, the U.S. had more patriotism and a higher manufacturing rate from the interferance of trade. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a document written by Henry Clay that settled the conflict of California becoming a free state. The issue was that California wanted to be a free state ,but if that happened the balance between free and slave would be off. Henry Clay decide to let California in and let the Southerns get to vote about slavery for the Mexican Cession. Also, slave trade was ended in Washington D.C and the Fugitive Slave Act was more enforced. -
Dred Scott Decision
The Dred Scott Decision was a Supreme Court case in 1857. Dred Scott was a slave that wanted to sue for his freedom as an American citizen. In court, Judge Taney ruled that 1. Slaves are property 2. Slaves are not citizens and 3. The Missouri Compromise was to be repealed. The North was completely shocked and was very angry while the South cheered for Taney's rulings. -
Civil War
The Civil War was multiple years of battle between the Northern and Southern states. They both had different views on slavery. About 4 years of war went on til the Confederate states surrendered. This war was one of the worst ones in America. There were many casualties and alot of damage in the Southern states. -
Emancipation Proclamation
In the middle of the Civil War, President Lincoln issued an order. This order stated that all slaves in Confederate states were free. This was not a law, but Lincoln felt obligated to step up and become a leader. Allthough slaves were free, their fight did not end here. -
Reconstruction
After the Civil War, there was a lot to clean up. Not only were there many casualties, but people were still fighting about slavery. The 13th,14th and 15th Amendments were set which abolished slavery,gave citizenship to African Americans and suffrage to all men. We rebuilt the South with a lenient gesture.
