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Battle of Lexington & Concord
The battles that started the American Revolutionary War. The reason for these battles is because the British commander heard of supplies of powder and weapons were being kept by the Patriots in the towns of Lexington and Concord. The minutemen first met the British at Lexington early that morning and were defeated. The minutemen defeated the British soldiers at Concord and pushed them back into Boston. -
Declaration of Independence
A document written by Thomas Jefferson that declared independence from Great Britain. It was an important part of American democracy because it contains the ideals or goals of our nation and the complaints of the colonists against the British king. The colonists felt that they had no representation in Parliament and that their rights were being violated. The document explained to the foreign nations and contained the motivations for declaring independence. -
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Battle of Saratoga
After declaring independence from Great Britain, the colonists entered into an alliance with the French. Congress signed the Declaration of Independence and the Continental army defeated the British soldiers. This battle was a key turning point for the war. This was a signal to the French that the colonies actually had a chance to win the American Revolutionary War. It led to the French declaration of war with Britain. The French also provided the colonists with military & financial aid. -
Articles of Confederation
This document was the original constitution for the United States and was an agreement between the 13 colonies. It was created to establish the functions of a national government after the declaration of independence from Great Britain. It caused the creation of a weak national government and the laws were not enforced. The First Continental Congress borrowed money to fight in the Revolutionary War but, they were unable to pay off their debts. -
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Battle of Yorktown
The significance of the conflict was that the British surrendered to the colonists as French and American military. The American victory led to the discussion of British surrender. Yorktown was the final battle of the American Revolution, and the British began peace negotiations shortly after the American victory. This led to the Treaty of Paris and officially ended the war. -
Northwest Ordinance
An act of the Second Continental Congress that chartered a government for the Northwest Territory. It provided a precedent for admitting new states to the Union from the territory. A bill of rights guaranteed in the territory. It caused tension between the North and South because of expansion of slavery issues. -
Constitution
A document that established the principles of the national government and it limited the power. It also created the system of checks and balances. It contained the Bill of Rights that guaranteed the basic rights of being an American citizens. It was a solution of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. -
Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments to the US Constitution and guaranteed rights such as the freedoms of speech, assembly, and worship. Congress is not allowed to make laws establishing religion or limiting freedom of speech. The purpose of this bill is to protect the rights against violations. These rights are given to American citizens and sets rules of the due process of the law. -
Alien & Sedition Acts
It was signed into the law by John Adams and the Federalist Congress. The Alien Acts restricted immigrants and their citizenship. The Sedition Acts restricted the freedom of speech. It limited citizens to express their bad opinions on the government. These acts also made it harder for immigrants to vote and made new powers that allowed deportation. -
Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions
These resolutions were political statements written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison(Democratic-Republican). It allowed state legislatures to be able to nullify and protest the Alien & Sedition Acts. The legislatures took the position that the acts were violating the states' rights and were unconstitutional. Congress was controlled by Federalists and the fight against Alien & Sedition Acts moved the state legislatures in 1798. -
Marbury v. Madison Case
John Marbury had the right to his commission but Supreme Court didn't have the power to force the executive branch to do so. The Court unanimously agreed not to require Madison to deliver the commission to Marbury. This court case established the principle of judicial review. It gave the power of the federal courts to declare legislative and executive acts unconstitutional. This increased the power of the federal government and differed belief that the states should interpret the Constitution. -
Louisiana Purchase
Thomas Jefferson had a strict interpretation of the Constitution and was hesitant about purchasing Louisiana. This purchase set a precedent for future land acquisitions. It secured control of the Mississippi River as a highway for products to world markets. It also provided more land owned by the government for purchase. The new territory was explored by Lewis and Clark in search of the Northwest Passage. Americans traded fur and farm goods. Present states: Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. -
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War of 1812
A conflict fought between the United States, the United Kingdom, and their allies. It was caused by British restrictions on U.S. trade and America's desire to expand its territory, the United States took on Great Britain's naval power. The war was a tie but the Native Americans all lost their request of a recognized nation in North America. -
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Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans was the last major battle of the War of 1812. Although it was introduced by smaller conflicts. Under the command of General Andrew Jackson, American forces successfully repelled the invading British army. Many people think the Battle of New Orleans ended the War of 1812, but this is not the case. The Treaty of Ghent had been signed before the battle started, but news of the treaty did not arrive in America until after the battle was fought. -
Missouri Compromise
An effort to preserve the balance of power in Congress between slave and free states. It also was a way to fix sectionalism and political issues in relation to containing the expansion of slavery. It was passed in 1820, admitting Missouri as a slave state. The Missouri Compromise was repealed by the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Also drew a line for the expansion of slavery at 36 degrees/30 degrees. -
Monroe Doctrine
A U.S. policy toward the Western Hemisphere. President James Madison passed the Monroe Doctrine to warn European countries not to try and recolonize Latin America. This threat was dependent on the British navy because the United States military has not grown larger yet. The Monroe Doctrine was used as a reason for future presidents' involvement in Latin American affairs which lead to immediate resentment. -
Nullification Crisis
The federal government passed a high protective tariff that angered the South. John C. Calhoun attempted to nullify the tariff stating that South Carolina is unable to pay it. Andrew Jackson wanted to maintain the federal government being stronger than the states. A compromise was made and the tariff was lowered. The South was threatened to pay it. The issues of states' rights were still continuing. -
Texas Annexation
Americans, in the controlled Texas, declared independence from Mexico after slavery was outlawed in Mexico. The U.S. acquired the Republic of Texas through annexation a while after Texas won independence from Mexico. Mexico wanted to keep Texas, and Van Buren feared it would cause war. He also didn't want to add a new state to the Union that allowed slavery. It was admitted into the United States as the 28th state and increased sectionalism because of debates over expansion of slavery. -
Oregon Treaty
A treaty between Great Britain and The United States to settle boundary disputes. American newspaper headlined "54'40 or Fight", supporting war with the British over the territory. This treaty allowed the avoidance of war. The British gained land north of the 49th parallel and the United States gained the south. The Oregon Treaty was one of the first successes of Manifest Destiny. -
Mexican Cession (Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo)
This territory was acquired through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo after the Mexican-American War. It was wanted by Americans to complete the idea of Manifest Destiny and own land from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. It increased sectionalism and caused more disputes over the expansion of slavery. It added about 7 states: California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. -
Declaration of Sentiments
A document signed in 1848 by 68 women and 32 men. 100 out of 300 attendees at the first women's rights convention to be organized by women. The Declaration of Sentiments was one of America's most important documents advocating women's rights. It was written mostly by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and was presented to the participants at America's first women's rights convention, in Seneca Falls. Elizabeth Cady Stanton believed that woman should be granted the right to vote. -
Compromise of 1850
A compromise that introduced the principle of popular sovereignty to let the people decide if a state should be slave or free. It admitted California as a free state and the other states would be determined by the people. It also introduced the Fugitive Slave Law Act that required northerners to return runaway slaves to the South. The slave trade in Washington D.C. was abolished as well. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Is Published
An anti-slavery novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe. The novel had a intense effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U.S. and is said to have "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War". It caused people in the North to become much more opposed to slavery. It also helped make slavery less popular by putting faces on the slaves and their owners. -
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Bleeding Kansas
The war between slavery and anti-slavery in the Kansas territory. It was a series of violent encounters in the United States between 1854 and 1861. They emerged from a political and territorial debates over slavery in the proposed state of Kansas. It was also considered an important staging ground for what some people argue is the first battles of the Civil War, because it was on a battlefield and fought between the supporters of anti-slavery and supporters of pro-slavery. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Proposed by Stephen Douglas, it allowed the people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide whether or not to allow slavery within their borders(popular sovereignty). The Act repealed the Missouri Compromise which prohibited slavery north of 36 degrees/30 degrees. Both pro-slavery and anti-slavery supporters were voting and things got violent which was known as Bleeding Kansas. This led to the creation of the Republican Party. -
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John Brown’s Raid at Harper’s Ferry
The raid was led on a Virginia arsenal, with the hope of arming slaves and starting a rebellion for abolition. John Brown was captured and executed for what he did. It struck fear into the heart of slave owners and caused them to want to protect slavery. The South was paranoid by the North's intentions. -
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Battle of Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is significant because it is the place where the first battle of the American Civil War was fought. This war was a thought after South Carolina seceded from the Union. The Confederate states fired at the Union and General Beauregard of the Confederate forces demanded the surrender of the Union Garrison of Fort Sumter. Garrison commander Anderson refused. But he surrendered on April 13th and evacuated the next day. After the Civil War, Fort Sumter was rebuilt and partially redesigned. -
Battle of Bull Run
The first major battle of the American Civil War. The Union troops had the upper had in the beginning of the battle, but the Confederacy, lead by General Thomas J. Jackson, ended up with a victory. This shocked those who were hoping that the war would end quickly and those who were unprepared for the massacre warfare that is produced. Lincoln replaced General Irvin McDowell with General George G. McClellan, in the hopes of getting a victory next time. -
Battle of Antietam
A battle fought between the Confederacy and the Union. It was known as a "tactical draw". The Confederacy was led by General Robert E. Lee and the Union was led by General George G. McClellan. The end result of the invasion was the Battle of Antietam, one of the most important days of the Civil War. Antietam was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, and led to the push of the Emancipation Proclamation. Even though the Union faced more losses, Lee retreated to Virginia. -
Emancipation Proclamation
A presidential proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln to set enslaved African Americans free. Only slaves in the Union states were "freed". Slaves were not set free on the exact date of the proclamation. It strengthened moral cause which allowed African Americans to fight in the Civil War with the Union. It was considered a necessary war measure. The reasoning for the Emancipation Proclamation was not issued sooner is because Lincoln was trying to pacify the border states. -
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Battle of Vicksburg
The final significant battle of the American Civil War. Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Mississippi River and drove the Confederate army of Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton into defense mode, surrounding the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. The Union surrendered, giving control of the Mississippi River to the Union and it was a major component for achieving victory in the war. -
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Battle of Gettysburg
This battle was considered the most important engagement of the American Civil War. After a great victory over Union forces, General Robert E. Lee marched his Army into Pennsylvania, confidently. The marching Confederates battled with the Union’s Army, commanded by General George G. Meade, at the crossroads town of Gettysburg. The next day, the Confederates attacked the Union. Lee had almost 1/3 of his army dead or wounded. Lee was forced to retreat his outnumbered army towards Virginia. -
Gettysburg Address
A speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln at the dedication of Soldier's National Cemetery, a cemetery for Union soldiers killed at the Battle Of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Lincoln advocates the words of the Declaration of Independence; and, Lincoln stated that the Civil War was not just a fight to preserve the Union, but also to bring equality to all citizens of the United States. -
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Sherman's March to the Sea
A military campaign of the American Civil War conducted by the Union general. William T. Sherman advanced with a plan of total war and led his forces towards the Tennessee-Georgia border. Total war is the idea that rivals are willing to make any sacrifice in lives and other resources to achieve a complete victory. His motive was to take control of the port in Savannah, Georgia. -
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Presidential Reconstruction
President Abraham Lincoln had his plan for Reconstruction to reunify the North and South at the end of the war. He believed that the South had never legally seceded from the Union. After Lincoln's assassination, Johnson decided to continue the 10% plan but modified. He failed to consider Congress' views. The Radical Republicans believed that the South needed to be punished for causing the war. Unlike Radical Republicans, Lincoln did not want to punish southerners or reorganize southern society. -
Freedmen's Bureau Is Established
An organization that was established in 1865 by Congress to help former black slaves and poor whites in the South in the after the Civil War. It was set up by Radical Republicans to ensure protection for the freedmen. It also set up schools and helped them gain land. The freedmen were in a position of economic dependence and destitution. The group assisted in the negotiation of labor contracts. -
13th Amendment Is Passed
After the Emancipation Proclamation, no slaves were actually freed. It wasn't until the 13th Amendment that slavery was abolished. It created a constitutional amendment that banned slavery in ALL of the American states. It outlaws slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. -
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Congressional Reconstruction
The goal for this plan is to punish the South. The Military Reconstruction Act of 1867 was implemented and the South was divided into 5 military districts, controlled by the US Army. The 14th Amendment must be ratified, which grants birthright citizenship. It must grant African Americans the right to vote as well. -
14th Amendment Is Passed
The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and equal protection of the laws. As of which included former slaves recently freed. It covers many concepts that are used in anti-discrimination cases. These were basic rights given to each citizens. The amendment also outlines concepts that are important for citizenship claims, citizenship by birth. -
15th Amendment Is Passed
The 15th Amendment to the Constitution granted African American men the right to vote by declaring that the "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude". This created black male suffrage. The rights that were protected by the national government during Reconstruction were taken by Southern State Governments. Segregation started to spread. "Separate but equal". -
Plessy v. Ferguson
The case was created by an 1892 incident when African-American train passenger, Homer Plessy, refused to sit in a car for blacks. It was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. It confirmed the constitutionality of racial segregation laws for public facilities as long as the segregated facilities were equal in quality. It was also a doctrine that came to be known as the "separate but equal" case.