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20,000 BCE
The Bering Land Bridge
The Bering Land Bridge was the land mass between Russia and Canada that allowed people to cross into the Americas 20,000 years ago. This area more specifically includes land lying on the North American Plate and Siberian land east of the Chersky Range. Forming a land bridge that was theorized to be 620 miles wide that covered an area as large as British Columbia and Alberta, a small human population living in eastern Siberia were allowed to now cross into Canada. -
2000 BCE
Mayans
The Mayan civilization was a Mesoamerican civilization created by the Mayan people, primarily known for their advanced writing system for their time. As well as their feats in mathematics, the calendar system, and astronomy. The Mayans were based around city-states, they developed long-distance trade route and constructed pyramids to worship their deities.. When the empire eventually fell (for various possible reasons), their unique culture when on to influence many more future civilizations. -
1600 BCE
Adobe Houses
Adobe is a building material derived from earth and organic material. Used by Native Americans in the Southwestern United States for home construction purposes. Built from stone, adobe mud, and other materials the locals could find, many forged their communities with this material, becoming a widespread practice throughout the reigon in Native American societies. -
476
The Fall of the Roman Empire
In 476 C.E. Romulus, the last remaining Roman emperor in the west of what was left of the once great empire was overthrown by Odoacer, a Barbarian German leader. The order that the Roman Empire had brought to western Europe for 1000 years was no more. -
1350
The Black Death
The Black Death was one of the devastating epidemics in the history of the world, resulting in the death of what is estimated to be somewhere from 75 to 200 million is people in Europe and Asia. Due to unsanitary conditions and passing merchants and traders, the disease spread quickly throughout the continents, sweeping mass death and chaos over the world. -
1452
Leonardo DaVinci
Leonardo DaVinci was born in the 15th century who grew up to known as the father of paleontology, ichnology, and architecture and became famous for being considered on the greatest painters in the world. Areas of interest including invention, painting, sculpting, architecture, science, music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, writing, history, and cartography. Historians regard DaVinci as a prime example of a "Universal Genius" if one to exist. -
1492
Columbian Exchange
The Columbian Exchange was the widespread trade of plants, animals, culture, the human populace, colonial technologies, and ideas between the newly founded Americas and Europe (The Old World) in the 15th and 16th centuries. This new contact and trade path between the global populace circulated a variety of livestock and crops which dramatically increased the living standards and population in both hemispheres of the world. -
Period: 1492 to
English Colonial Societies
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Indentured Servants
Indentured servants were men and women who signed contracts to landowners in the new world agreeing to work for a preset number of years in exchange for traveling to the new world. Once they arrived in colonial America they were given food, clothing shelter, and the proper tools to attend to their work. When their contract came to an end, the former indentured servants now had the proper skills and materials to make a life of their own in America. -
John Smith
John Smith was one of the leaders in establishing the Jamestown colony, the first permanent English settlement in North America. He trained the first settlers to farm and work, preventing the colony's early decline. Smith explored the areas along the rivers of Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay, becoming the first explorer to map the region. Developing relations with Native American tribes, John Smith and the other settlers in Jamestown were able to develop methods to farm in the harsh conditions. -
Period: to
Colonial America
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New York Colony
The colony of New York was founded in 1626 by the Duke of York, named after the brother of King Charles II. One of the original 13 colonies and a member of the middle colonies, New York had a mild climate with warm summers the made farming suitable to the region. The colony primarily exported agricultural products and natural resources, but were also able to manufacture products from iron ore including plows, tools and nails. -
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was the defendant in the most famous trial of religious dissent in the history of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Being accused of holding religious meetings in her home and profoundly refusing the follow the rules of worship held in place by the Puritans leaders who governed over the colony. Eventually Hutchinson was put on trial by John Winthrop and her entire family was banished from Massachusetts for crimes against their religion. -
Sugar in the Caribbean
Sugar was the main crop in production on plantations throughout the Caribbean and other tropical colonies. Many of the islands had a bountiful natural supply of sugar cane that was soon to be refined in mills by slaves brought over from Africa. The fertile soil and tropical climate of the Caribbean made growing conditions very ideal for the colonists. -
Navigation Acts
The Navigations Acts were a series of laws passed by the British Parliament in 1651, 1660 & 1663. The American colonies represented a large potential source of wealth and trade for England. In order to exploit this potential, Parliament enabled the Navigation Acts to regulate the trade of the colonies and to collect tariffs (taxes). This caused many colonists to begin smuggling various goods in order to avoid the new taxes. -
Sir Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton was a renowned English mathematician, astronomer, and physicist described in his day as a "natural philosopher" and is considered to be one of the most influential scientists of all time and played a key role in the scientific revolution. Newton's most well-known feat perhaps is his formulation of the laws of motion and gravity that rewrote the view of the physical universe itself for the next upcoming centuries. -
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem witch trials began early in the year of 1692 after a group of girls in Salem, Massachusetts began exhibiting signs that they had been possessed by the devil. Erupting the town into chaos, the girls accused several women in the town of being witches. Over the course of the year, some 150 men and women were tried and hung for said withcraft. -
Triangular Trade
Triangular trade refers to the trade in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that involved shipping goods from Britain to West Africa to be exchanged for slaves, these slaves being shipped back to the West Indies and then exchanged for sugar, rum, and other commodities, were then in turn shipped back to Britian, finishing the triangle and completing the pattern. -
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was one the original Founding Fathers of the United States as well as a renowned mathematician, a leading author, politician, scientist, and inventor as well as much more. Playing a key part of the American Enlightenment in regards to his theories of electricity. Famous for his invention of the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove among other things. He also organized many civil matters, including the University of Pennsylvania, and Ivy League institution. -
Fort William Henry
The siege of Fort William Henry was conducted by the French versus the British-defended fort. With the assistance of the Montcalm Indian tribe, the French were able to take the fort after several days of bombardment. The terms of surrender sent the British to Fort Edward, but not before 1,500 were killed in the heat of the battle. -
The Seven Years War
The Seven Years' War otherwise known as the French vs. Indian War. It practically involved every European power around at the time and covered 5 continents. Conflict broke out between Britain and France when the British ambushed a small group of French soldiers. The war ended with the Treaty of Paris and proved to be successful for Great Britain, which gained the large majority of New France in North America, Spanish Florida, and some individual Caribbean islands in the West Indies. -
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The American Industrial Revolution
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Period: to
The Revolutionary War
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Treaty of Paris - 1763
The Treaty of Paris 1763 ended the French and Indian War otherwise known as the Seven Years' War between England and France. The treaty ordered that France were to give up all of its territory on the mainland of North America, ending the military threat from foreigners to the British colonies and the colonists there. Despite what may seem like success, this encouraged dissension between colonists and British government because they were not as interested in North America. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was put into place by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. This new tax was imposed on all of the American colonists and forced them to pay a tax fee on all printed paper they used. Paper, legal documents, licenses, newspaper, etc. Adverse reactions from the colonists to the tax ranged from boycotts to assaults on tax collectors. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre occurred when British soldiers shot at and killed/injured citizens while under the attack of an angry mob of colonists. This incident was used heavily as rebellious propaganda by leading Patriot figures of the revolution to encourage other colonists to join them in the fight for freedom. In the event, 5 people were killed, including Crispus Attucks, who was an important symbol for abolitionists in America and 6 had non-fatal injuries. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party is a well-known event in American history that served as a protest for the famous phrase: "No taxation without representation." The Sons of Liberty, a rebellion group led by Samuel Adams boarded three ships at night and threw 342 crates of tea overboard. They were dressed as Mohawk Indians in an effort to hide their true identity and to serve as symbolism that they do not want to be seen as British subjects anymore, but as free American citizens. -
Common Sense
Common Sense was a book written by Thomas Paine greatly supporting gaining independence from Great Britain for the people of the thirteen colonies. Thomas Paine used his knowledge of morals and political arguments to encourage the common man to join in the fight for freedom. Published at the beginning on the American Revolution, the book became symbolic for the fight and an immediate sensation among the colonists. -
The Heard Round The World
On this night, hundreds of British soldiers set off for a march from Boston towards Concord, Massachusetts on a mission to search and seize weapons from rebellious American colonists. The next morning, the British soldiers arrived at Lexington where they were greeted by a group of minutemen colonists. Without warning, someone fired the first shot, starting the Revolutionary War. The British kept marching but had to turn back due to numerous guerilla attacks from colonists. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Early in the Revolutionary War, the British army defeated the colonists at the Battle of Bunker Hill in Massachusetts. Aside from the colonists' loss, the colonial army did inflict rather significant casualties on the enemy army which in turn gave them a rather important confidence boost for later conflicts. This battle convinced the colonists that even though they were inexperienced, that their dedication to their country could overcome British superiority. -
British Problems - Native Americans
During the Revolution War, the British were known to supply Native American tribes with weapons and ammunition in order to aid them in the fight against the colonists. Even after the Revolutionary War was over, resulting in the loss of the British, they continued to supply Native Americans with arms in order to keep harming the colonists. -
The Declaration of Independence
The United States Declaration of Independence, a document drafted by the founding fathers of our nation, announced that the present thirteen colonies of the time, which where then at war with Great Britain would know hold themselves as separate from the regime. These newly formed sovereign states would found a new, great nation, the United States of America. Written by primarily by Thomas Jefferson, this motion set in place what would soon be the most powerful nation the world has ever seen. -
Massachusetts Constitution
The Massachusetts Constitution was the fundamental governing document of the state of Massachusetts. Coming into effect in 1780 the document remains the oldest and still functioning written constitution in the world. Also, the Massachusetts Constitution was the first constitution to be created by a convention rather than a body of legislatives. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first written constitution of the United States after their victory in the Revolution War against Great Britain. Due to the urgency, its progression was slowed by fears of central authority and relating too much to Great Britain. Congress served as a last resort while the states remained independent, however the federal government lacked the ability to tax and regulate commerce, making the constitution very weak. -
Period: to
The Constitution
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Shays' Rebellion
Shays' Rebellion originated in Massachusetts, led by Daniel Shays, four thousand rebels, mostly farmers, created an uprising against economic and civil injustices created by the federal government. Under the weak Articles of Confederation, the rebellion served as a key part of the reformation of the government, making it stronger. Taking place during the hot political climate where the changing of the Articles of Confederation was much needed, frightening politicians into the reformation. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was an act of Congress passed in 1787, which created the Northwest Territory, the first official organized territory of the United States. Extending from the land beyond the Appalachian Mountain, between British North America and the Great Lakes all the way to the north and the Ohio River to the south. This was made in response to the pressures of westward expansion, extremely tense diplomatic relations with the rest of the world and violent confrontations with Natives. -
Anti-Federalist Papers
The Anti-Federalist Papers collectively is the works written by the Founding Fathers opposed to the United States Constitution that was in favor to a stronger central government. Arguing against the union as written in the new Constitution. Although much less influencial compared to The Federalist Papers, these works still played a key role in shaping the early political landscape and the in the making of the United States Bill of Rights. -
The Federalist Papers
The Federalist Papers is a collection of 85 essays and articles written under the name "Publius," who was really Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay to advertise and promote the ratification of the United States Constitution. Although the authors of The Federalist Papers initially wanted to influence the vote in favor of ratifying the Constitution, in the first federalist article they set in place a debate that is much broader political terms. -
The Election of 1788
The presidential election of 1788 was the first presidential campaign conducted under the new United States Constitution which was ratified earlier in the year. George Washington, a famous figure of the American Revolution was elected for his first term as the first president of the United States, which would soon lead to a second with John Adams as the first vice president. Under the Articles of Confederation, the United States had no official head of state, so a leader was necessary. -
Period: to
New Republic
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Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion was a tax protest during the Washington presidency over the first tax imposed on domestic whiskey by the newly formed federal government. This tax was primarily set into motion to generate revenue in an attempt to balance out debts from the Revolutionary War. Distilleries in Pennsylvania protested rather violently to prevent officials from collecting the tax, but the movement was quickly quashed by Washington, who led a militia there himself to negotiate. -
First Bank of the United States
The United States Congress chartered the First Bank of the United States for a term of twenty years. The establishment was part of a three-part expansion of the federal monetary power, accompanied by a federal mint and various tariffs. The bank was championed by Alexander Hamilton, who was the first Secretary of the Treasury, he believed that a national bank was necessary to bring stability to the nation's credit and financial business of the new Constitution. -
Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney's model of the cotton gin was capable of cleaning 50 pounds of cotton lint per day. Quickly being able to separate the cotton fibers from the seeds greatly produced productivity versus handheld roller gins. Farmers across the United States had desperately searched for ways to make cotton farming more profitable, and thanks to the invention of the cotton gin, the amount of raw cotton yielded was estimated to be doubled each decade after 1800. -
Jay's Treaty
On this date, representatives from the United States and Great Britain signed Jay's Treaty, which set in place plans to resolve issues that have been around since the American Revolution. Although the treaty didn't have the highest approval rating, it did accomplish the goal of maintaining peace and preserving United States neutrality. -
XYZ Affair
The XYZ was a diplomatic issue that occurred early in the Adams' presidency involving confrontations between the United States and France which eventually led to an undeclared naval war. American diplomats were sent to France to negotiate but were offended by the informality of some of the French agents, who demanded tribute before negotiations were to begin. Eventually leaving France without negotiation, political chaos erupted resulting in the Quasi-war. -
Judiciary Act of 1801
Also known as the Midnight Judges Act, the Judiciary Act of 1801 represented the concern about the court system that required that the Justices of the Supreme Court to "ride the circuit" and reiterate decisions made in the other levels of court. The act reduced the number of seats on the Supreme Court from 6 to 5 in order to prevent future ties in voting purposes. -
Period: to
Westward Expansion
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Marbury v. Madison
Marbury v. Madison is one of the most important court cases in United States history because this is the case that established the role of judicial review in the Supreme Court. The decision helped define the boundaries between the constitutionally separate executive and judicial branches of the government. The case resulted from a petition by William Marbury, who was appointed Justice of the Peace but whose commission was not delivered upon. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the gain of the Louisiana territory from the French for around $15 million which is worth $250 million in today's economy. Napolean, the French Emperor at the time was in desperate need of money while in warfare with the United Kingdom, which prompted him to sell Louisiana to the United States. The American government only sought out for New Orleans, but quickly accepted the bargain for fear of Napolean having cold feet. -
The Embargo Act
The Embargo Act of 1807 was put in place to respond to violations of the United States idea of neutrality. American merchant ships and their cargo were seized by various European navies and forced into impressment by primarily the British Navy. Thomas Jefferson, the president at the time put in place an embargo that prohibited all American ships from trading in foreign ports. -
The War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought between the United States and the United Kingdom. With the outbreak of war with France and Britain, tensions were high across the world. Impressment was running rampant across the Atlantic. The war ended with the Treaty of Ghent and ushered in the "Era of Good Feelings." The war also signified the permanent decline of the Federalist Party, which had been greaty accused of being unpatriotic for its stance on the war. -
The Panic of 1819
In 1819, the rather large post-war economic expansion of 1812 ended. Banks through the country were failing, mortgages were foreclosed which forced people out of their homes and off their farms. Which in turn caused the prices of agriculture and manufacturing related products and goods fell triggering extreme widespread unemployment. All regions of the country were greatly impacted and a feeling of prosperity did not return until 1824. -
Adams-Onis Treaty
The Adams-Onis Treaty was a treaty with the United States and Spain that gave the Florida territory to the United States and more clearly defined the land boundaries between the two countries. Settling a border dispute between the United States and Spain was broadly considered a victory of American diplomacy, which came around during rising tensions between Spain and Britain with their respective border disputes. -
Mormons
Mormonism, otherwise known and the Latter Day Saints, was a religion established by Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon, published by Smith, was said to be translated from a set of golden plates via divine intervention. The book details the chronicles of the early indigenous people of the Americas and their dealings with God. Mormonism was initially considered pejorative, but Mormons themselves preferred the term Latter-day Saints. -
Period: to
Cultural Changes
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Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was the legislation passed by Congress which put in place a system for the admissions of new states into the union. The state of Maine wished to enter the union as a free state but was not able to until Missouri came along as a slave state. As part of the compromise, slavery was prohibited north of the 36°30′ parallel, excluding Missouri. -
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith was the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, otherwise known as Mormonism. According to Smith himself, he experienced visions sent by God and Jesus Christ in which an angel directed him to a book of golden tablets which were inscribed with an ancient language that only he could understand through the gift of God. In 1830 he published the Book of Mormon, an English translation of the plates, from there he attracted thousands of followers who still remain today in generations. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was a United States policy of strong opposition to European colonialism in The Americas, both North, and South. Stating that further attempts by European powers to take any control of an independent state in The Americas would be viewed as "unfriendly disposition" towards the United States. The doctrine was issued at a time when nearly all Latin American colonies of Spain and Portugal respectively, so now the Europeans powers could not touch their former colonies. -
The Election of 1824
John Quincy Adams was the first president to be elected by the House of Representatives after no candidate could secure the majority of the electoral votes. The Democratic-Republican Party failed to agree on a choice of candidate for the election, therefore the faction led by Andrew Jackson were able to form the now modern Democratic Party, later becoming the Whig Party in which John Quincy Adams would be able to become the tenth president. -
Election of 1828
The United States presidential election of 1828 was the second match pitching John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson against each other. Andrew Jackson merged the strength of his followers with the Democratic Party creating the party that we know today in modernity. The election brought in the Jacksonian Democracy, therefore creating the First Party System which later led to the Second Party System. -
John Calhoun
John Calhoun was an American statesman from South Carolina, primarily known for how he fiercely defended slavery and for improving the rights of minorities in politics. He saw that Northern acceptance of Southern policies as the only way to keep the South apart of the Union. His beliefs heavily influenced the South's secession from the Union in 1860. Beginning his career in the House of Representatives, Calhoun worked as Vice President and Secretary of War under different Presidents. -
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The Age of Jackson
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Yeoman Farmers
A yeoman farmer was a member of the social hierarchy who were identified as non-slaveowners, simple family farmers in Southern areas. Those who owned land typically were just subsistence farmers, growing just for their family. However, some yeoman farmers managed to grow enough crops for the market to sell. Yeoman farmers controlled more land than the higher class planters, more in the range of 50-200 acres of land. -
Waltham System
The Waltham System was a labor and production method that was employed in the United States in the early 1800s, more particularly in the northern region during the earlier years of the American textile industry. The system employed domestic labor, depending on people coming to the industry to earn more income than they could at home, from which they would be forced to abide by strict hours and a moral code. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner's slave rebellion was a rebellion of slaves in Virginia who killed up to 60 white people, most likely slave owners. Although it was the largest slave rebellion in history, the rebellion was shut down in a matter of days. As a result, widespread fear was present throughout the north and the south which in turn brought upon even harsher laws on slaves than what was already in place. -
Nullification Crisis
The Nullification Crisis was the United States political sectional crisis involving South Carolina and the federal government under Andrew Jackson. South Carolina declared that the tariffs of 1828 and 1832 were unconstitutional and therefore would not pay them. As a result, the United States suffered an economic decline with South Carolina being at the center. The government, later passing the Force and Compromise Tariff Bill would satisfy South Carolina and the crisis was then over. -
Siege of Bexar (Alamo)
The Siege of Bexar was an early battle in the Texas Revolution in which the Texian rebel army defeated the Mexican forces at San Antonio de Bexar. As of then, Texians had become displeased with the Mexican government as Santa Anna became increasingly dictatorial. After the Battle of Gonzales, which launched the Texas Revolution, after Santa Anna sent his brother-in-law to Bexar with reinforcements. Soon after, the Texian army led by Stephen F. Austin would initiate a siege of San Antonio. -
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin, other known as the "Father of Texas," and the founder of Texas. Austin led the second colonization of Texas, bringing 300 families from the United States to the region in 1825. Taking temporary command of the Texan forces during the Siege of Bexar, playing a key role in the Texas Revolution. Confident he could win the election for the President of Texas until Sam Houston entered the race two weeks before the election. He served two months as secretary of state before he died. -
The Telegraph
During the 1830s and 40s, Samuel Morse invented the telegraph which forever changed how the country would communicate with each other. Working by transmitting electrical signals over wires between set stations. By 1866, a telegraph line had been laid across the Atlantic Ocean from the United States to European, laying the groundwork for communication revolutions yet to come. -
Age of the Common Man
The Age of the Common Man, also known as the Jacksonian democracy, characterized by a democratic spirit, built with President Jackson's equal political policy. The election showed that age did not matter in the presidential office but rather ability to appeal to the voters, voters saw Jackson as ideal because of all the struggles he has overcome and challenges that he faced. Jackson actually downplayed his accomplishments to play to the public belief that Jackson was similar to the common man. -
Runaway Slaves
It was not surprising to see slaves attempt to escape to the freedom of the north, but the journey would be riddled with peril and extremely risky. Getting to the north would mean risking recapture and sent even farther south where work would be even more difficult. Canada would be the only place where slaves could be truly free, as Americans could not chase runaway slaves into Canada because the land was governed by the British. -
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States and unfortunately died 31 days into his presidential term due to pneumonia, making his term the shortest served term in United States presidential history. He was also the first president to die in office, his death triggered unsettled Constitutional questions to come to light, as in the presidential line of succession until the Twenty-fifth Amendment was added to the United States Constitution in 1967. -
Thomas Dew
Thomas Dew was a respected professor of history, metaphysics, and political economy at The College of William & Mary. In 1832, Dew published a review of the celebrated slavery debate of 1831-32 in the Virginia General Assembly, which greatly contributed towards putting a stop to the movement. Dew was widely respected in the South, his distributed writings assisted in confirming pro-slavery public opinion -
Battle of Palo Alto
The Battle of Palo Alto was the first major battle of the Mexican-American War on the disputed ground from the modern-day city of Brownsville. The Army of The North, which was led by General Mariano Arista, pitting 3,700 and 2,300 led by General Zachary Taylor. The battle took place on May 8th, three days before the formal declaration of war on Mexico by the United States. The victory of the Americas was widely attributed to superior artillery, being more light and mobile than the Mexicans. -
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began in early 1848 when gold was found by James Marshall in Coloma, California. This sudden news brought over 300,000 people to the region from the United States and even from abroad. The influx of immigration and gold into the economy greatly reinvigorated the American economy. Due to the population of California increases rapidly, the region went quickly to statehood through the Compromise of 1850, going from a territory to the home state of the Republic Party. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially ushered in an era of peace between the United States and the Mexican Republic. With the defeat of the Mexican Army, the country entered into treaty negotiations which called for the United States to pay $15 and to pay off American citizen claims against Mexico. The treaty also gave the United States ownership of up to the Rio Grande as a set boundary for Texas, along with California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention was the first women's rights convention under the women's suffrage movement. Advertising the convention to discuss the social, civil, political and religious rights of women in the 19th century. The convention attracted widespread attention and was soon followed by the Rochester Women's Rights Convention and the first in the series of annual National Women's Rights Convention. -
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was a writer, editor, and literary critic. Best known for his works of poetry and short stories, particularly in the mystery genre. He was and is widely regarded a central figure for Romanticism in the United States and American literature as one of the earliest practitioners of the short story. Edgar Allan Poe is widely considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre and for important contribution into the then emerging science fiction genre. -
James K. Polk
James Knox Polk was an American politician who served as the 11th President of the United States. Polk was a member of the Democratic Party and an advocate for Jacksonian Democracy as the protege of Andrew Jackson. During his presidency, the United States expanded significantly with the annexation of the Republic of Texas, the Oregon Treaty, and the ending of the Mexican-American War. -
Manifest Destiny
In the 19th century, Manifest Destiny was a widely held belief in the United States that the settlers were to expand across North America. Events such as the Louisiana Purchase greatly advancement the progression of Manifest Destiny. The term was officially coined in 1845 by editor John O'Sulliavan in an attempt to define the essence of this mindset in a rhetorical tone. Manifest Destiny was the mission of the United States to redeem and remake the west in the image of agrarian America. -
Free Black Communities
Although there were not very many, some free black communities did exist in the northern regions of the United States. Those African Americans who were lucky enough to escape or to not be born into slavery were able to live peacefully in the north. True that they were not slaves, but they still suffered from discrimination and disapproval from other northerners. During the Runaway Slave Act, some of these communities were raided and the people taken to the south, even if they weren't runaways. -
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears was the term coined to the series of forced removals of Native American tribes from their ancestral homelands in the United States from the federal government. Following the Indian Removal Act of 1830, Indians that were relocating endured starvation and exposure to disease while on their journey to the designated land. Over 4000 Indians of various tribes died before even reaching their various destinations. -
Popular Sovereignty
Popular sovereignty is that the authority of the state and its federal government is formed and maintained through the consent of its people through their elected representatives. For example, in the 1850s, Senator Stephen A. Douglas promoted popular sovereignty to commit to a neutral position on slavery. Using it to voice that residents of territories should be given the right to vote as to whether slavery should or should not be allowed in their said territory. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a series of five separate bills passed by Congress which resolved a political firestorm between slave and free states over the status of acquired during the Mexican-American War. Texas surrendered its claim to New Mexico as well as its claims north of 36 30. California admitted as a free state with its current boundaries. The slave trade was banned in the District of Columbia and a more rampant Fugitive Slave Law was enacted. -
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Sectionalism
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Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was an anti-slavery novel published by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe which later laid the groundwork for the Civil War. The book featured the character, Uncle Tom, which depicts him long-suffering and the true reality of slavery while also asserting that Christain love can overcome something as destructive as the enslavement of a fellow human being. Uncle Tom's Cabin was the best-selling novel of the century, just following the Bible. -
Daniel Webster
Daniel Webster was an American politician who served twice in the House of Representatives. Webster was harshly attacked by abolitionists in New England who felt betrayed by the compromises he had to make. Webster resigned from the Senate under a cloud in 1850. Webster attacked the Nullification Act which negatively contrasted South Carolina's response to the tariff with that of his native Great Britain's response to the Embargo of 1807. -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was a series of violent political and physical confrontations involving abolitionists and pro-slavery Americans in Kansas. The heart of the conflict involved the question of whether Kansas would outlaw slavery or not, entering the United States as a free or slave state. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 called for popular sovereignty called that the citizens should be allowed to vote on the issue of slavery. -
Period: to
The Civil War
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Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau was an American poet, philosopher, and abolitionist. Best known for his book "Walden," a reflection text upon the simple living in natural surroundings, and for his essay "Civil Disobedience," which argued for disobedience to an unjust federal government. Thoreau was a lifelong abolitionist, giving lectures which attacked the Fugitive Slave Law and defending fellow abolitionist John Brown. His works of rebellion influenced figures such as Martin Luthur King Jr and Gandhi. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln that changed the federal status of over 3 million slaves in the South from enslaved to free. The Proclamation declared as a slave escapes from the Confederate government, the said slave would be legally free. Not passed by Congress, The Emancipation Proclamation was on the Lincoln's constitutional authroity as commander in chief of the armed forces. -
Stonewall Jackson
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, best-known after General Robert E. Lee. Jackson played a key role in almost all the military engagements in the Eastern part of the war and in winning countless significant battles. At the First Battle of Bull Run, Jackson's courage and tenacity caused Barnard Elliot Bee Jr. to compare Jackson to "stone wall," earning him the nickname Stonewall Jackson. -
Gettysburg Address
Delivered by Abraham Lincoln almost five months after the Union army defeated the Confederate soldiers, the Gettysburg Address was one the greatest and most influential national speeches to date. Barely going over two minutes, President Lincoln restated the principals under the Declaration of Independence that should bring equality to all citizens of America. Examining the founding principals of the nation with the phrase "Four score and seven years ago." -
Wade-Davis Bill
The Wade-Davis Bill of 1864 was a bill proposed for the Reconstruction of the South from two radical representatives of the south, Benjamin Wade and Henry Davis. It was made in contrast to Lincoln's more lenient Ten Percent Plan. The bill made that states wishing to be apart of the Union once more had to take an Ironclad oath to the effect the majority in each Southern state had never in the past supported the Confederate government. -
Freedman's Bureau
The Freedmen's Bureau was an agency of the United States Department of War to direct such issues of provisions, clothing, and fuel, as he may deem needful for the immediate for the immediate and temporary shelter and supply of destitute and suffering refugees and freedmen and their wives and children. -
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was American statesman and the 16th President of the United States. Lincoln led the United States through the infamous Civil War, considered to be its bloodiest war and largest political crisis to date. Lincoln's election prompted the southern states to secede from the Union due to his stance on slavery. His complex strategy towards ending slavery included the Emancipation Proclamation and his effort to push through Congress to add the Thirteenth Amendment, which banned slavery. -
Ku Klux Klan
The Ky Klux Klan, commonly known as the KKK are group that advocates white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration. Throughout history, the KKK used domestic terrorism, including both physical assault and even murder against those individuals of whom they opposed. All three distinct movements that they were all involved in called for the "purification" of American society and all members are all considered right-wing extremeists. -
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Reconstruction
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The Election of 1868
The United States presidential of 1868 was the 21st presidential election, the first election to take place after the Civil War during the era of Reconstruction. Andrew Johnson failed to receive the Democratic vote due to being very unpopular. Democratic nominee New York Governor Horatio Seymour versus Civil War general Ulysses S. Grant, due to Grant being one of the most popular men in the North due to his efforts in concluding the Civil War successfully for the Union, he won by a landslide. -
Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee was an American and the former Commander of the Confederates States Army of which he commanded during the Civil War until his surrender in 1865. When Virginia initially succeeded from the Union, Lee made the decision to follow his home state to serve under Confederate President Jefferson Davis was a senior military advisor. Once he was appointed Commander, his aggressive battle tactics proved to be prone to high casualties which resulted in Lee surrendering his entire army. -
Jim Crow Laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and federal laws that enforced extreme racial segregation in the Southern United States. Put in place by the white Democratic-dominated state legislatures in the late 19th century which mandated racial segregation in public facilities in the states of the former Confederate government. Education had essentially been segregated since the establishment in most of the South after the end of the Civil War. -
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was a prominent United States Army general during the Civil War with the Confederate States and was elected the Commanding General of the Union towards the conclusion of the war. Soon after the Civil War, Grant was elected as the 18th President of the United States. Working very closely with Abraham Lincoln during his time as Command General, the pair led the Union to victory over the Confederacy. After Lincoln died, Reconstruction put Grant at odds with Andrew Johnson. -
George McClellan
George McClellan was an American soldier, railroad engineer, and politician who served during the Mexican-American War and later left the army to work on the nation's railroad systems. The Civil War, however, caused McClellan to return to the military as a major general, playing an important role in raising the Army of the Potomac. Suffering from the inability to challenge his aggressive-attacking opponents on the battlefield, he overestimated their strength, letting his army down frequently. -
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis was an American politician who served as the President of the Confederate States during the Civil War with the Union. When elected, Davis was seen as embodying the values of the planter social class and a champion of the slave owner society. Davis was a primary candidate due to his strong political and military background, however, he originally claimed he would server wherever his expertise was needed. The last Confederate surrender on November 6th, 1865. -
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford B. Hayes was an American politician who served as the 13th President of the United States. Assuming the presidency at the end of the Reconstruction Era during the Compromise of 1877. While in office, Hayes ended the army support for Republican state governments in the South, promoted civil service reform, and attempted to put back together the divisions left over the Civil War and Reconstruction. -
Grandfather Clause
The original grandfather clauses were contained in new state constitutions and Jim Crow laws passed by the white-dominated state legislatures in most of the Southern United States to prevent voter rolls and effectively preventing minorities such as blacks, Mexican Americans, and poor white people from voting. Prohibitions on the voting in place before 1870 were eventually nullified by the Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution. -
Eastern State Penitentiary
The Eastern State Penitentiary was operational from 1829 to 1971, known as the world's first true penitentiary which encouraged the separate confinement of inmates for a better method rehabilitation. The feel of the prison was a more "sit and think about what you have done" kind of feel versus to the prison system today. The cells were made of concrete with a single glass skylight to represent the "Eye of God," showing the prisoners that God was always watching over them. -
John Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth was an American actor and later became Abraham Lincoln's assassin at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. By the 1860s, Booth was a well-known actor as a member of the popular and theatrical Booth family. Booth's original plan with his group of co-conspirators was to kidnap Lincoln and had later planned to kill him as well as the Vice President and Secretary of State. The plan was in an effort to support the Confederate cause, which Booth was not yet aware that it was over.
