-
Court of Oyer
Due to the influx of accusations and arrests, the new governor of Massachusetts established a court to deal with witchcraft trials of Suffolk, Essex and Middlesex counties. This court's first conviction was for Bridget Bishop, who was hanged on June 2. -
Dissolving of the Court of Oyer and the remaining trials
Governor Phips dissolved the Court of Oyer in October, but trials still continued until 1693. All together, over 200 people were accused, 20 executed, and 5 died in prison. The General Court declared a day or mourning and fasting on January 14, 1697 for those who died during the trials. -
Period: to
Salem Witch Trials
A period of time where people, mostly women, were accused of witchcraft. This was a short time of hysteria and paranoia, much of which was inaccurate and caused the meaningless deaths of many people. -
The Beginning of the Salem Witch Trials
It began with strange reoccurring events in the village of Salem. People began to suffer from fits worse that epileptic fits, and other supernatural things were reported. Two children began to behave strangely, and the village decided to arrest three people, the first being Tituba. It was most likely that Tituba was targeted because she was ethnically different from the Puritans -
Beginning of the War
The French construct Fort Dusquesne as protection, but that angered the British. The British decided to attack the fort, and let a young George Washington commandeer the army. Washington loses, and that defeat sparks the beginning of the French and Indian War -
Shift of Power
The British began to have the upper hand against the French and the Native Americans. They felt superior to the natives and didn't treat them with respect. As a result, the natives allied themselves with the French. Despite that, the British managed to drive out the French from the lands -
Period: to
French and Indian War
A period of time where the British and the French fought over land in the New World. The Native Americans were allied with the French in the beginning, but eventually allied with the British once French resources were depleted -
Native American Allies
The French were allied with the natives. The Native Americans were less hostile to the French due to the fur trade and the French's lack of interest in land. However, near the end of the war, British ships cut off supply routes of the French. That caused the natives to lose interest in the French and began to ally themselves with the British -
Affected Native Americans
The defeat of the French was devastating to the natives. Their trade partners were gone and the British settlers flooded into native land. The natives couldn't play the French against the British any more. -
Parliament Passes Acts
Parliament passes acts to tax the colonists in an attempt to relieve themselves of the debts of the French and Indian War. Some acts included the Navigation Acts, Sugar Act, and the Stamp Act. These were not received well by the colonists and sparked outrage and increased the riots and protest -
Violent Protests
The influx of taxes infuriated the colonists. In an attempt to force their demands onto Parliament, the colonists staged many protests. Some were purely intellectual and political-based. Others were violent and caused harm to both sides of the battle. -
The Boston Massacre
The infamous Boston Massacre was the beginning of many committees created to retaliate against the British. A total of five colonists died during the conflict. Afterwards, the rebel Patriots began calling this conflict the Boston Massacre, with the famous picture created by Paul Revere circulating the East Coast. -
The Cotton Gin
Invented by Eli Whitney, the cotton gin was originally invented to reduce the need for slavery. However, the faster production of pure cotton ended up increasing the number of slaves. The machine separated the seeds from the fiber of the plant, cutting down on slaves who sorted through the seeds by hand -
Period: to
John Adam's Presidency
From the Federalist party, Adam's presidency is often overshadowed by George Washington's achievements. His decisions in the seat of power are not well liked by the people, but there are a few notable things he did well -
The XYZ Affair
During the period of Adam's presidency, he had the unfortunate problem of the war between the British and the French. The French began seizing American trade ships in response to the Jay Treaty. Adams, wanting to resolve the conflicts, sent envoys to France. However, three French officials, under the codenames X, Y and Z, refused to let the envoys begin the negotiations unless they paid a hefty fee. Adams, enraged by the demands, cut off the peace negotiations. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
Rising tensions in Europe affected the viewpoints of the Americans in the nation. As a result, the Federalists pounced on the opportunity to release a new act called the alien and sedition acts. These acts suppressed the first amendment and were a source of controversy in the nation, as the act allowed the president to deport any immigrants he deemed dangerous. The acts also forbid the people to speak their mind about the political systems. -
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
As retaliation against the alien and sedition acts, Virginia and Kentucky went against the acts by declaring the acts unconstitutional. These responses were led by future presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. -
The Election of 1800
The famous election of 1800 decided for Thomas Jefferson to take the role of president. Jefferson defeated rival Aaron Burr in a neck-to-neck battle for votes. When Alexander Hamilton became the tiebreaking vote, he chose Jefferson. This was significant because this was a victory for the Democratic Republicans, resulting in the obliteration of the Federalist party. -
The Beginning of the Industrial Revolution
The beginning of the Industrial Revolution can be traced back to the developments in the transportation area of the time period. Roads were being built across the nation, dotted with turnpikes to fund the construction. The most famous of the roads was the National Road, spanning from Maryland to the Ohio River -
Period: to
Thomas Jefferson's Presidency
Running against fellow Democratic Republican Aaron Burr, Jefferson secured his position in the seat of power through Hamilton's vote for the man -
The Louisiana Purchase
A major contribution of president Thomas Jefferson was the purchase of the Louisiana territory from France. This action doubled the size of the nation. To explore the new territory, Jefferson hired Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to chart the new lands. However, the purchase created new problems that the nation had to address. First and foremost, the new territory was immediately at risk of other countries taking it. Second, the action of the purchase contradicted Jefferson's own beliefs. -
The Steamboat
The first steamboat, the Clermont, was a revolution all in itself. Steamboats could travel upriver against currents, something unheard of with canoes and other man-powered crafts. Steamboats transported people and goods along rivers, cutting time and cost down significantly. Steamboats were the first of the incredible inventions that stood out during the Industrial Revolution -
The Embargo Act of 1807
Thomas Jefferson was a brilliant man, but he did leave a legacy mistakes. Arguably the biggest error of his career was the infamous Embargo Act. The act was an attempt to maintain neutrality with the British and France because both had been harassing the American trade ships. The objective was for both countries to stop with the foul play. However, the plan backfired when both countries sought out new locations for trade. The American economy suffered greatly during this time period. -
Henry Clay
Known as a famous War Hawk, Henry Clay was a loud supporter of nationalism. One of his ideas was for America to build roads and canals and join the Western Coast with the Eastern. He also supported the idea of a national bank and backed up his motivations by saying that a national bank would giver federal control over the nation's money supply -
Industrialization of the North
During the period of the Industrial Revolution, the North became known for its factories and industry. The North became the center of industry as a result of the Embargo of 1807 and the War of 1812. The two events cut off British trade, thus forcing the North to produce their own goods. After the war, the British goods began to compete with the American goods in the market, thus leading to the tariff -
Tariff of 1816
Competition against British goods after the War of 1812 forced Congress to pass a bill in an attempt to save the economy. The South, in particular, felt attacked by the bill because they bought cheaper goods from the British. Because of the tariff, the British slowly stopped trading with the South, causing a depression to hit the South. The Southern farmers were especially hurt by the tariff -
The American System
The system was comprised of three parts. The tariff would control and protect the American economy, the national bank would protect the commerce of the nation, and the government would fund the roads, railroads, canals, and other public projects that would benefit the nation. This American System was based on Alexander Hamilton's ideas and written by Henry Clay -
America Gains Spanish Territories
The Spanish sold Florida to America after they fought the First Seminole War. The Spanish had very weak control over the territory and as a result, during the later years, they lost control of Oregon as well. -
The Panic of 1819
The first of the three panics, the Panic of 1819 forced thousands of factory workers to lose their jobs. Farmers were also susceptible to the panic, as their produce lost value and they lost income. As a result, they could not pay their debts and lost land and homes during court cases. During these periods, the people of America began to doubt capitalism -
Decline of Skilled Artisans
With factories came the result of mass production. As a consequence, the work of hand laborers was declining. The factories were much more efficient in pumping out products than the people. This was an unseen unfortunate event, as people who were not working in the factories were getting paid less and less as their work was slowly getting replaced by the items from the factories. -
The Missouri Compromise
Written by Henry Clay, this compromise was essentially a document that forged the borders for the Civil War. Maine would be a slave-free state, while Missouri would own slaves. The line drawn by the document set the stage for the future war. -
The Monroe Doctrine
Written by James Monroe,the document stated that European countries had no business in meddling with American affairs. However, this was during a time where America did not have an army or a navy to back their words. This document was written as a warning for European countries to stay out of Latin America -
The Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is the most famous of canals during the period of the Industrial Revolution. The canal cut through New York and lowered the cost of shipping from over $100 to just $4. This canal, along with the others being built across the nation, helped traders and merchants move goods with a lower cost -
Railroads
Perhaps the most important transportation innovation was the railroad. Railroads were being built across America and they were the ones who lowed shipment costs and helped connect the rest of the nation with the East Coast. The railroads were built with the help of immigrants traveling to America for a new chance at life. -
Lowell Mill Girls
These workers were all women who worked in textile factories. Known for the harsh conditions and low pay, the girls suffered and once tried to stage a strike in an attempt to change the conditions. They failed, however, and returned to their reduced pay. -
The Steel Plow
Invented by John Deere, the steel plow was an invention that changed the work of farmers all across America. The plow could cut through rocky soil in the Midwest. Thus, the farmers spread to colonize the rest of America that was previously untouched. -
Formal Apology of Massachusetts
In 1957, Massachusetts formally apologized for the events that happened in Salem, over 250 years ago. Studies have shown that the effects of "witchcraft" were also replicated with the consumption of the fungus ergot, which mimicked the effects of the cursed and possessed.
