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The Alamo
A Fort located in San Antonio, Texas. Battles fought in 1836 led to a Mexican victory over hundreds of soldiers from Texas. -
Gold Rush
A phenomenon that began when James W. Marshall found gold in California. Over 300k people traveled to California, Oregon, Washington, and even Alaska in hopes that this mass hysteria could potentially change their lives. -
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Compromise of 1850
Compromise between pro and anti-slavery politicians that defused confrontation over the states gained from the Mexican-American War. -
Free-Soil Movement
The political party of the mid-19th century that was solely based on the opposition of slavery expansion into the western territories. Later merged into the Republican party. -
Gadsden Purchase
Purchase between America and Mexico that gave America a small portion of Mexico that later became New Mexico and Arizona for $10 million. -
Panic of 1857
An American financial crisis that was caused by a worldwide economic decline as well as an over-stressed American economy. Some believe this was one of the factors that eventually led to the Civil War. -
Lecompton Constitution
One of 4 constitutions written for the state of Kansas. Included pro-slavery and would exclude all free blacks from the Bill of Rights. -
Manifest Destiny
Philosophical belief that westward expansion was necessary and inevitable. The Americans had nothing standing in their way to claim and settle all the land to the west. -
South Carolina Secession
South Carolina became the first state in the US to have officially seceded from the country.This act was deemed illegal, however no one stopped them. -
Crittenden Compromise
A failed attempt to permanently engrave slavery into the constitution, and make it illegal to ever deem slavery unconstitutional. Introduced by Senator Crittenden in 1860. -
Border States
These states (Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. -
Fort Sumter
The siege on Fort Sumter by the South Carolina Militia that was suppressed by the US army. Start of the civil war. -
Bull Run
The first major battle of the Civil War, a confederate victory. 35,000 union forces met 20,000 Confederate forces along a small river known as Bull Run. -
Anaconda Plan
Plan proposed by General Scott that involved using both land and naval forces to constrict the South, block all imports and exports, and to surround them along the Florida-Georgia atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coast and the Mississippi River. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Described as the "turning point" of the war. The largest number of casualties in the entire war. The Union would not have won without this victory. -
"Bleeding Kansas"
A type of "mini civil war" that occurred between pro and anti-slavery forces in Kansas from 1856-1865. Followed the establishment of the Kansas-Nebraska act, which was in 1854. -
13th Amendment
Abolished slavery in the U.S. Symbolized a Union victory over the slave-owning Confederacy. -
14th Amendment
Granted all citizenship to those "born or naturalized" as U.S. citizens. This included recently freed slaves. -
15th Amendment
This granted African Americans the right to vote. A huge milestone in the journey of racial equality. -
Sharecropping
The system in which landowners could lend land to tenants if they gave the landowners a share of the profits generated by the crops grown on the land.
