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Alamo
A turning point in the Texas revolution in which many Texans were convinced to join the revolution effort after a brutal attack by the Spanish. Revolting spirit was high at this section of history, with many successful and non-successful revolutions popping up assuming from the recent American success as an inspirational success story. -
54-40 or Fight
A slogan during a dispute between several nations and the U.S. over the stretch of the Oregon territory that Americans believed was their right. -
Manifest Destiny
The idea that American society had the divine right to conquer at least the stretch to the other coast. A driving factor for the idea of heading west and American land expansion. -
Wilmot Proviso
A proposal by David Wilmot to not allow slavery into any new state taken from Spain from the Mexican war, as part of the long fight for abolition. -
Mexican War
A war between America and Mexico after the annexation of Texas. America ended up winning and expanding its territory much further as they had hoped they would, high on Manifest Destiny. Along with the expanded nation, the slavery dispute was also expanded. -
Gold Rush
A mass migration of people to California in search of their fortune. This rapid migration caused the territory to quickly become a state. It lead yet more taking of Native land and devastation due to disease and starvation. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
A peace treaty put forward by Mexico to end the war. Specified that American pay 15 million dollars to Mexico for a good chunk of Spanish territory up to California. Feeding the Manifest Destiny idea in hopes of peace. -
Gadsen Purchase
Yet another expansion attempt by the U.S.: A purchase of the rest of the Mexican territory there up to lower New-Mexico and Arizona. -
Ostend Manifesto
A veiled threat written as a defense for American purchase of Cuba with subtle threat of war if refused. A clear addition to the expansionist mindset of the time that cared very much about getting more and more territory though whatever means. -
Kanagawa Treaty
An attempt from America to open up the once Isolationist Japan for trade purposes. Under threat of force they opened two sea ports to America and placed an ambassador in Japan in order to spread their global influence. -
Sumner-Brooks Incident
An incident in which a pro-slavery politician ruthlessly beat to near death an anti-slavery senator who criticized slaveholders a couple days before. An incident that further polarized the issue of slavery to the point of war. -
Panic of 1857
The first worldwide financial panic due to the now linked economy of nations. It did not last long but was officially ended by the American Civil War. -
Border States
Slave states that were allowed to keep their slaves because they didn't secede from the union. -
Anaconda Plan
A very successful battle plan for the north in which the union forces would cut off supply lines and resources to the confederacy and drive their economy into the toilet. -
Bull Run
The first major battle of the Civil War, a confederate victory and a realization that the war wouldn't be as easy or short as expected. -
Gettysburg
The bloodiest battle of the Civil War and the turning point of the war. Later turned into a graveyard in which one of the shortest, but most remembered speeches of American history was made. -
10% Plan
A presidential proclamation by Lincoln to reconstruct the south by reintegrating rebelling states if 10% voted to accept the union and emancipation. An example of Lincoln's moderate and lenient position towards dealing with the south. -
Sherman's March
A military raid that left a trail of destruction through Georgia and was yet another shot at the South's economy. -
Black Codes
Laws meant to hinder free Black citizens from having the true freedom they'd been hoping for. And just the beginning of a long push back towards freed African-American citizens in the south. -
Freedman's Bureau
A government agency dedicated to assisting the now freed African-Americans and refugees left after The Civil War. One of the few things standing between African-Americans and the harsh treatment received by the governments and people of the South.
