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U.S. Significant Events
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Thomas Jefferson Becomes President
Thomas Jefferson became the 3rd President of the United States of America. He was a statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and the Founding Father of the United States of America. Was the president from March 4, 1803 - March 4, 1809 -
Louisiana Purchase
A massive land sale that doubles the size of the young American republic. Comprised mostly of the modern-day United States between the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains, with the exceptions of Texas, parts of New Mexico, and other pockets of land already controlled by the United States. Napoleon sold Louisiana to America to finance his wars. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
Tasked by Thomas Jefferson, Meriweather Lewis, and William Clarke began exploring lands west of the Mississippi River that comprised the Louisiana Purchase. The excursion lasted two years and faced my hardships. -
Congress Prohibits Importing of African Slaves
The United States congress abolishes the slave trade which is a huge deal. It ended the slave trade with many more battles to be fought for the black people. -
War of 1812
The United States took on the greatest naval power in the world, Great Britain, in a conflict that would have an immense impact on the young country’s future. Causes of the war included British attempts to restrict U.S. trade, the Royal Navy’s impressment of American seamen, and America’s desire to expand its territory. Many in the U.S. celebrated the War of 1812 as a “2nd war of independence,” beginning an era of partisan agreement and national pride. -
Start Spangled Banner
An attorney and amateur poet named Francis Scott Key wrote as he watched U.S. soldiers—who were under bombardment from British naval forces during the War of 1812—raise a large American flag over Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland. -
Monroe Doctrine
In a speech to Congress in 1823, President James Monroe warned European powers not to attempt further colonization or otherwise interfere in the Western Hemisphere, stating that the United States would view any such interference as a potentially hostile act. This policy principle would become a cornerstone of U.S. diplomacy for generations. -
"Spoils System"
"The Spoils System" was the name given to the practice of hiring and firing federal workers when presidential administrations changed in the 19th century. It is also known as the patronage system. The practice began during the administration of President Andrew Jackson, who took office in March 1829. -
Trail of Tears
125,000 Native Americans that lived in the Southeastern U.S. that was land occupied by their ancestors but then later working on behalf of white settlers who wanted to grow cotton on the Indians’ land, the federal government forced them to leave their homelands and walk hundreds of miles to a specially designated “Indian territory” across the Mississippi River. This deadly journey was known as the Trail of Tears. -
Texas Revolution
During the Texas Revolution, a convention of American Texans meets at Washington-on-the-Brazos and declares the independence of Texas from Mexico. The delegates chose David Burnet as provisional president and confirmed Sam Houston as the commander in chief of all Texan forces. The Texans also adopted a constitution that protected the free practice of slavery, which had been prohibited by Mexican law. -
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny, a phrase coined in 1845, is the idea that the United States is destined—by God, its advocates believed—to expand its dominion and spread democracy and capitalism across the entire North American continent. The philosophy drove 19th-century U.S. territorial expansion and was used to justify the forced removal of Native Americans and other groups from their homes. -
Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush was sparked by the discovery of gold nuggets in the Sacramento Valley in early 1848 and was arguably one of the most significant events to shape American history during the first half of the 19th century. As news spread of the discovery, thousands of prospective gold miners traveled by sea or overland to San Francisco and the surrounding area; by the end of 1849, the non-native population of the California territory was some 100,00. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 consists of five laws passed in September of 1850 that dealt with the issue of slavery and territorial expansion. As part of the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act was amended and the slave trade in Washington, D.C., was abolished. In addition, Texas gave up some land, NM, AX, and Utah was established and could decide for self (free or slave), and admitted as a free state -
Civil War
from 1861 - 1865, over tensions between northern and southern states over slavery, states’ rights, and westward expansion. The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 caused seven southern states to secede and form the Confederate States of America; four more states soon joined them. The War Between the States, as the Civil War was also known, ended in Confederate surrender in 1865. The conflict was the costliest and deadliest war fought on American soil. -
Reconstruction
The effort to reintegrate Southern states from the Confederacy and 4 million newly-freed people into the United States. Under the administration of President Andrew Johnson in 1865 and 1866, new southern state legislatures passed restrictive “Black Codes” to control the labor and behavior of formerly enslaved people and other African Americans. With the Reconstruction Act of 1867, newly enfranchised Black people gained a voice in government for the first time in American history, -
Abraham Lincoln's Assassination
On the evening of April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor, and Confederate sympathizer assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. The attack came only five days after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his massive army at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, effectively ending the American Civil War. -
Gilded Age
During this era, America became more prosperous and saw unprecedented growth in industry and technology. But the Gilded Age had a more sinister side: It was a period where greedy, corrupt industrialists, bankers, and politicians enjoyed extraordinary wealth and opulence at the expense of the working class. In fact, it was wealthy tycoons, not politicians, who inconspicuously held the most political power during the Gilded Age. -
Progressive Era
Progressive Era reformers sought to harness the power of the federal government to eliminate unethical and unfair business practices, reduce corruption, and counteract the negative social effects of industrialization. During the Progressive Era, protections for workers and consumers were strengthened, and women finally achieved the right to vote.
