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Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 allowed California to enter the Union as a free state only if the territory gained form the war with Mexico would vote on whether or not the area would be a free or slave state. The idea of the people voting on this issue became known as popular sovereignty and this compromise undid the Missouri Compromise. -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska act to divide the Nebraska territory into Kansas and Nebraska. Voters in each territory had to decide whether or not they would ban slavery. This caused both people for and against slavery to rush to these territories to vote on the issue. This event led to fighting between the two groups and it led to the attack by John Brown. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott was a slave who was taken to live in a free state for five years and then was returned to a slave state. Scott believed that because he had lived in a free state that he was free so he sued his owner. The Supreme Court ruled that Scott did not have the right to sue because he was not a citizen. This decision sparked abolitionists to fight for their cause. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Lincoln and Douglas debated on their views of slavery and its role in America. The debate was held for the electioin for the senate seat both the candidates were running for. Douglas ended up winning the seat but, the debate caused Lincoln to gain national attention. -
First Department Store
Rowland H. Macy opened a department store in New York. It was the largest single store in America. It had a variety of items at fair prices and became standard in Urban areas. -
First Oil Well
Edwin Drake drilled the worlds first oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania. Drilled oil was relatively cheap to produce and easy to transport compared to boiling down whale blubber. -
Charles Darwin publishes Origin of Species
Darwin published this book that stated animals evolved from natural selection and that only the fittest survived. -
Lincoln Elected President
Abraham Lincoln won the presidential election with almost 60% of the electoral vote. The election angered the South because Lincoln was able to win without getting a single electoral vote from the South. This caused South Carolina to seceed because they felt they had no say in who became president anymore. -
The Confederate States of America is Formed
After being outraged from the election of 1860, several southern states seceeded to form the Confederate States of America. They began to draft a Constitution and elected Jefferson Davis as president. -
Civil War Begins
When the South first seceeded, Lincoln attempted to avoid a war with one last compromise. The Soutth rejected it and began to take Union forts and arsenals. This led to a battle at Fort Sumter which started the Civil War. Shortly after, Lincoln called for 75,000 men. -
Fort Sumter Falls
Fort Sumter was one of the most important forts that was still in the Union's possession. The fort is located in Charleston, South Carolina. After months of a confederate blockade on the fort, Liincoln attempted to sent only food to the fort but the South were suspicious and attacked the fort starting the Civil War. -
Processing of Immigrants at Ellis Island
Ellis island symbolized both hope and fear. Many were anxious to enter america and they were afraid of what was going to happen. -
Homestead Act
The homestead act made western farmland inexpensive. The railroads even offered reduced fares to get to these lands. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg was one of the battles early in the war. It showed that even though the south had fewer numbers, they were still a very powerful army. At this battle the south defeated the north on the streets of the city of Fredericksburg with 30,000 less men. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln passed the Emancipation Proclamation to free all of the slaves that were in slave states in the South. His plan was that these slaves would runt o the Union army to protect their freedom and that they would eventually enlist in the army. The Emancipation Proclamation did not however free slaves in states already in Union control. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was a major turning point in the civil war. The battle stopped Lee''s plan to invade the North and forced him to retreat back into southern territory. From this point on the Union is able to win battles that lead to the end of the war. -
Civil War Ends
On April 9, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S Grant at eh Appomattox Court House. The Union army had captured the southern capital and the south was exhausted from the fighting. Their economy and land was ruined and they had no other choice but to surrender. -
Lincoln is Assassinated
As Lincoln was gaining support on the issue of reconstruction, he was killed in a theater. Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's vice president, took office and continued Lincoln's work. -
13th Amendment
The thirteenth amendment officially ended slavery in the Union. Andrew Johnson passed this during the time of Reconstruction as Lincoln planned on doing it. -
Horatio Alger publishes his First Novel
Horatio Alger published Ragged Dick, or Street Life in New York. This book explained how a poor boy rose to wealth and fame through hard work. This stressed that anyone can become wealthy in America through determination and perserverence. -
14th Amendment
The Radical Republicans passed the 14th amendment when they had control of Congress. It granted full citizenship to every person born in the United States, including African Americans. -
American Federation of Labor
Samuel Gompers from the AFL. The AFL was a craft union. Not very powerful. -
Knights of Labor
Uriah Smith Stephens founded this union. It was devoted to social reform such as replacing capitalism with workers' cooperatives. -
Rockefeller Uses Horizontal Integration
John D. Rockefeller used horizonatl integration by buying out other oil companies. He even created a trust to avoid monopoly prevention laws. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment was passed because in the North there was no law that allowed African Americans the right to vote. This amendment guaranteed that no male citizen could be denied the right to vote on the basis of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. -
Great Chicago Fire
A fire broke out in Chicago and destroyed most of the city killing between 200-300 people. -
National Baseball League Forms
Baseball was America's national sport for sometime but it was not until 1876 when it was turned into a professional sport. Around the country, cities built stadiums that could seat thousands. -
Edison invents the Light Bulb
Thomas Edison and his team invented the light bulb. their goal was to develope affordable lighting for homes and this invention got the job done. -
Andrew Carnegie and Vertical Integration
Andrew Carnegie used vvertical integratioin by controlling different businesses that make up all phases of a product's developement. This allowed him to reduce costs and charge higher prices. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The act prohibited immigration by Chinese laborers, limited the civil rights of Chinese immigrants and forbade the naturaliztion of Chinese residents. -
World's First Roller Coaster
Lamarcus Thompson opened the first roller coaster at 10 cents a ride. He averaged about $600 of income each day. Amusement Parks offered a daylong vacation that all people could afford. -
Haymarket Square Strike
Strikers demanded an 8 hour work day in many cities and violence erupted between strikers and strikebbreakers. -
ICC Created
The ICC was created to monitor interstate businesses. It was specifically designed to oversee railroad operations. -
Electric Streetcar Invented
Virginia was the first state to introduce streetcars. Tey made it possible to live slightly outside the city. -
Jacob Riis and Tenements
Jacob Riis brought the truth about tenements to the public eye through his publication of How the Other Half Lives. -
World Colombian Exchange
A fair held to commemorate Columbus's arrival in the Americas. -
Strike at Homestead
Strikers strikedat a steel plant in Homestead, Pennsylvania because workers wages were cut. Frick hired pinkertons for help and the strike was called off when the public blamed the strikers for an assassination attempt on Frick. -
Maggie: A Girl of the Streets
Stephen Crane wrote the book to expose the slums of New York. At the time novels that explred harsh realities were popular. -
Sumpreme Court overrides Chinese Exclusion Act
Supreme court ruled that Chinese people born in America were United States citizens and could, come and go freely. -
Wright Brothers Fly
Orville and Wilbur Wright were able to create an airplane and fly it for 12 seconds. This event marked the birth of the aviation industry.