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Missouri Compromise
This compromise admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner was an enslaved African American who led a rebellion of slaves and free blacks in Virginia. -
Texas annexed by the USA
The USA took Texas from Mexico, causing the Mexican-American War. After this, it was granted to the USA. -
War with Mexico begins
Mexico did not like the fact that the USA wanted to take Texas from them, so Mexico and the USA went to war with each other. -
USA settles dispute with Britain over Oregon
Both Britain and the United States had conflict dealing with Oregon and its borders. USA, obviously, won this dispute and Oregon became a state in the USA. -
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hildalgo ends US-Mexican War
This ended the Mexican-American War when Mexico gave the US Texas and the US gave Mexico $15 million. -
Compromise of 1850
California joined the USA as a free state, New Mexico and Utah became US territories, slave trade was abolished in Washington, D.C., and the Fugitive Slave Act was passed (this gave slaves legal rights.) -
Gadsden Purchase
This purchase, made by the US, settled the border dispute between the US and Mexico and gave the US almost 30,000 square miles of land. -
Formation of the Republican Party
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Kansas-Nebraska Act; Bleeding Kansas (to 1861)
It was passed by the U.S. Congress on May 30, 1854. It allowed people in Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery within their borders. This gave them their freedom that they wanted. Bleeding Kansas was the period of violence during the settling of the Kansas territory. In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act overturned the Missouri Compromise’s boundary between slave and free territory. -
Border Ruffians try to rig the voting system against Lincoln
Missouri Ruffians and local pro-slavery men sack and burn the anti-slavery town of Lawrence, Kansas. They also illegally traveled to others states and voted. -
Dred Scott judgement
A slave that tried to sue for his freedom, claiming that his stay in the northern portion of Louisiana had made him a free man. The U.S, Supreme Court decided he couldn't sue in federal court because he was property, not a citizen. -
Treaties of Tianjin
This group of treaties allowed Western civilizations into more Chinese ports and opened the previously shut off China into the world. -
Lincoln gave his "Divided" Speech
Lincoln gave his House Divided speech which said “A house divided against itself cannot stand" and this meant that if the USA fights against itself, it will never survive. -
Raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown attempted to create a major revolt with the slaves. He wanted to ride down the river and provide the slaves with arms from the North, but he failed to get the slaves all together. Brown was captured, put on trial for treason, and sentenced to death. -
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis led the Confederate States of America to try and start their own government under their own roof. -
Stephen Douglas won the Senate of Illinois
Douglas vs. Lincoln for the Senate of Illinois and Douglas ended up winning this one. This made USA and Douglas confident that Douglas would be elected as president, but that did not happen. -
Abraham Lincoln elected as president
Lincoln won the party's presidential nomination against Douglas. In the election, he represented the National Union Party. -
South Carolina secedes from the USA
South Carolina did not agree with the rules that Congress applied dealing with slaves, so they left the Union and joined the CSA. Many other states left the Union because they did not like the new laws, but they followed South Carolina in search to finding their own laws. -
Six other states secede from the USA; CSA established
Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas all seceded after South Carolina and joined the CSA hoping to gain their wants and needs with slavery. -
Lincoln inaugurated as president
Lincoln appealed for the preservation of the Union in the inauguration. To retain his support in the North, he called for compromise between the North and the South. -
U.S. Separation
At this time the United States was splitting int 2; The United States and the Confederate States of America. Of coarse the main cause of this split was the relevance of slavery and its status in federal territories. -
CSA Forces Take Fort Sumpter
General P.G.T Beauregard, commander of the confederacy started the attack on the union at fort sumpter. At 2:30 AM the commander of the union gave up fort sumpter. -
Four more states join the CSA
Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina all attempted to follow the dreams of the CSA by leaving the Union and pursuing their own government. -
Four Slave states decide to stay in the USA
The Border states also known as the slave states did not secede from the union and did not join the confederacy. They remained neutral compared to most of the other states. -
First battle of Bull Run
This was the first large scale battle during the war. It involves around 35,000 union troops fighting 20,000 confederate troops along a small river known as bull run. Although the union had numbers, the confederates had knowledge, and posed a major threat. The Confederate victory gave them a mass amount of confidence to advance in the civil war. -
Jefferson Davis Elected president of USA; Trent affair, danger of British intervention
November 6, 1861 is the day that Jefferson Davis was elected president, not of the United States, but the Confederate States of America. The Trent affair is an event where the U.S. captured to European diplomats, almost causing a war with the Untied Kingdom. -
USA abolishes slavery in Washington, DC
On this date the capitol decided it was time to end slavery. Abraham Lincoln signed an act abolishing slavery in the district of Columbia. This was seen as the first step in the road to entire emancipation for African Americans. -
The Homestead Act
This act encouraged US settlers to migrate West by promising them 160 acres of land in exchange for a small fee and after a period of residency for 5 years. -
2nd battle of Bull Run
This battle being much like the first, consisted of a vast amount of loss for each side. In this, once again the confederates were on the defensive against the very aggressive union. The confederates, knowing the geography had the advantage and won. -
The battle of Anteitam
This battle was known as the bloodiest battle during the civil war. This battle totaled 22,717 dead, wounded, or missing. This battle came to a union victory. -
Emancipation Proclamation
On this date Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This Proclamation stated that if the southern states did not cease their rebellion by January 1st, 1863, that they would be forced to comply to the regulations of the proclamation. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
Fought from July 1st to 3rd where Robert E. Lee (Confederate) sent men into war against George G. Meade (Union). The union managed to hold of the confederates during their burst attack methods, which then led to the confederate defeat. This was said to be the turning point of the war. -
US congress passes the Wade-Davis bill
This bill was proposed by two radical republicans, Senator Benjamin Wade and Representative Henry Winter Davis, and was deemed another way for southern reconstruction. Although, one major problem is that this bill went against Lincolns famous "Ten Percent Plan". Of coarse this bill passed through two houses but when it reached Lincoln it was instantly vetoed. -
Atlanta falls to US forces
On this date army general William Sherman advanced his forces on Atlanta, Georgia. The goal of this siege was to completely cripple the confederate forces, and it did, because while the confederates retreated they destroyed many of their important equipment so it wouldn't fall to the Union. After fleeing the scene, the union came in and burned everything to the ground. -
Lincoln defeats McClellan
This election was against John McClellan (Democrat) and Abraham Lincoln (republican). Even though McClellan attempted to portray himself as a Peace Candidate, people were simply not buying it, and Lincoln won by a landslide. -
Richmond falls; Lincoln assassination; Andrew Johnson
Richmond, the rebel capitol of Virginia was sought after by Grant for 10 months. The Union had a desire for this place and on April 3rd, they made that desire turn into a reality by pushing all other forces out.On April 15th, 1865, Lincoln was announced dead from a fatal gun shot in the head from a man name John Wilkes Booth. Because of this assassination a man named Andrew Johnson was appointed as the new president of the United States. -
Palmito Ranch
Robert E. Lee surrendered the last major Confederate army to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse. This was the end of it all, the two sides were to stop at once. The last battle, not being a massive one was fought at Palmito Ranch. -
13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
This amendment stated that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." This formally ended the presence of slavery within the United States. -
The Civil Rights Act
Know as a turning point in U.S. history because it declared that all persons born in the United States were now citizens, without regard to race, color, or previous condition. -
14th amendment to the Constitution
The 14th amendment simply granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States. This made it easier to populate the US but also protect it from those who are here through illegal means. -
Ulysses S. Grant becomes president
Grant was previously the United States general for the Army. He had worked closely with Lincoln and caught on to a few traits from him. He then later decided to become the 18th U.S. president. -
The Great Sioux War
This was a series of battles and negotiations which occurred between 1876 and 1877 between the Sioux and Cheyenne and the US government. The war started over the Native anger toward the white men stealing their land. However, gold was discovered in the area. -
1876 Presidential Election
This election between Samuel J. Tilden and Rutherford B. Hayes was known to be the most controversial elections at this time. This is because not many people knew what was happening because of some unplaced electoral votes. Yet, in the end Hayes received the electoral votes and the victory. In return the republicans promised to pull their union troops out of the south. -
Dawes Act
The Dawes Act allowed the President and the U.S. Government to divide Native American land and allot it to individuals. -
Sinking of the U.S.S. Maine
As tensions grew between imperialist Spain and the US, the United States ship, the U.S.S. Maine mysteriously exploded and shifted US in favor of war. -
Start of the Spanish-American War
After the U.S.S. Maine mysteriously exploded off the coast of Cuba, the United States declares war on the imperialist Spain. -
Signing of the Treaty of Paris
After the Splendid Little War in which the US decimated the Spanish, the Treaty of Paris was signed and officially gave the US the win for the war and some new territory. -
President McKinley Assassinated
This day, President McKinley was shot and killed, making Theodore Roosevelt the new President -
The Philippine Organic Act
This act allowed for the creation of a Philippine elected assembly once three conditions were met: two years of continued peace, the publication of a public census, and the removal of any continued insurrections. -
The Roosevelt Corollary is Issued
This corollary added an extra enforcement power to the Monroe Doctrine that allowed for the U.S. to intervene in the Western Hemisphere when potential assets were in danger. -
First World War Breaks Out in Europe
With tensions in Europe rising due to secretive treaties and alliances, an Arch-Duke of Austria-Hungary was assassinated. Russia, wishing to preserve its assets in Serbia, was roped into the conflict and, soon, due to the alliances that each of the parties were involved, the First World War broke out soon after. -
Opening of the Panama Canal
After years of US intervention in Panama, this day the Panama Canal, in control of the US, opened. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
The Lusitania was an American ship transporting goods from the US to Britain. One fateful day, it was sunk by German U-Boats without warning. Although commonly mistaken for the United States' main reason to go into WW1, it was not. -
Zimmerman Telegram
Germany, worried that they were beginning to fall behind in the war, sent a telegram to the Mexican Prime Minister urging his country to attack the United States if they were to get involved in the war. However, this telegram was intercepted by the British and given to the United States as a motivation to join the war against Germany. -
US Enters the Great War (World War One)
After years of suffering from German U-Boat campaigns and secret military deals (Zimmerman Telegram), the United States finally had enough and decided to join the First World War on the side of the Allied Powers. -
Wilson Issues the Fourteen Points
In an attempt to create a lasting peace that would cause little to no resentment among losing powers, US President Wilson issues his famous Fourteen Points, in which he underlined the basis for many ideas, including a League of Nations that would keep any small scale conflicts from escalating into all-out warfare such as World War One. -
Treaty of Versailles
After refusing to listen to Great Peacemaker Wilson, the Prime Ministers from France, Britain and Italy came to a decision on how to deal with Germany that was much harsher than anything Wilson thought of. In this treaty, Germans had to pay a substantial amount in reparations and were considered the main cause for the outbreak of war. -
Dawes Plan
After years of being unable to meet reparation requirements, Germany was finally given help by the rest of Europe and the U.S. By lowering these requirement, Europe hoped Germany could actually make its deadlines. -
Stock Market Crash
On this day in history, the US stock market crashed for the first time and led to an extreme recession called the Great Depression. This event is argued to have been inevitable due to the extreme growth of the US before it occurred and may have marked the end of US interventionism.
