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Battle of Lexington and Concord
First battle of the Revolutionary war. Started with "the shot heard 'round the world". -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was adopted on this day. It not only declared America's independence from Great Britain, but it also listed the many grievances that the colonists had with the King and Parliament. In addition, the DOI also listed the reasons for rebellion for loyalists and uncommitted colonists who were unsure or on the fence. -
Battle of Saratoga
A major turning point for the American colonists, the battle of Saratoga is the battle that got France to ally themselves with the Americans. -
Articles of Confederation
Formed during the Second Continental Congress, the Articles of Confederation established America's first gov't. It created a weak and ineffective central gov't with dominant state gov'ts. While Shay's Rebellion showed how weak the central gov't was, there was one success of the AOC. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 set the precedent for the addition of states, and made slavery illegal in the Northwest territory. -
Battle of Yorktown
The final battle of the American Revolution. It was a victory for the Continental army and led to the British surrendering. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance set the precedent for admitting states into the country, adding them on equal terms as the previous ones. It also banned slavery in the Northwest territory. -
Constitution
The Constitution established America's current government, with a strong central gov't that has shared power with state and local gov'ts. It created a central gov't with 3 branches, a bicameral legislature (a result of the Great Compromise), a president and cabinet, and a supreme court. All three branches have checks and balances to make sure that no one branch grows too powerful. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights are the first ten amendments to the Constitution. It was created as a compromise between Federalists and Anti-Federalists, promising certain rights to American citizens, while still having the Constitution ratified. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts were passed in response to the XYZ Affair. The Alien Act restricted immigrants and citizenship, while the Sedition Act restricted freedom of speech. The Sedition Act was unconstitutional, as it infringed upon the right freedom of speech, which is in the first amendment. -
Louisiana Purchase
Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana territory from France to take control of the Mississippi River and the port of New Orleans. In addition, he sent Louis and Clark to explore this vast territory, and to find a Northwest passage (which doesn't exist). This large purchase almost doubled the size of the country. -
Marbury v. Madison
Supreme Court Chief Justice Marshall presided over the Marbury v. Madison case. It was during this court case when he established the Supreme Court's power of judicial review. -
War of 1812 Begins
War hawks pushed for war with Great Britain due to British impressment of American sailors. The gov't tried to control England by imposing an embargo, but it didn't work, as England had many other countries to trade with. The continued tensions between the U.S. and England led to war. -
Battle of New Orleans
The battle of New Orleans was a victory for the U.S. under war hero Andrew Jackson. Even though the war had ended the year prior, news of the Treaty of Ghent (which ended the War of 1812) didn't America until later, so the Americans and the British kept fighting. It was celebrated until news of the treaty made it to the U.S. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was the first of many compromises made to keep the number of free states and slave states balanced. It admitted Missouri as a slave state, and Maine as a free state. It also drew the Mason-Dixon line as 36'30*, with only slave states below it, and only free states above it. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine prohibited European colonisation of Latin America. It didn't have much of an impact when it was made, but it was used by Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, and Woodrow Wilson in later years. -
Nullification Crisis
When the U.S. gov't passed a high protective tariff, this upset the South. South Carolina (led by John C. Calhoun) nullified the tariff, saying that the state wouldn't pay it. Pres. Andrew Jackson came to a compromise with the state, lowering the tariff and forcing (via threat) South Carolina to pay. -
Texas Annexation
Texas was originally part of Mexico, until it declared independence. In 1836, Texas asked to be annexed into the U.S., but the U.S. declines, due to disputes over the balance of free and slave states, and border disputes. When the U.S. finally annexed Texas in 1845, they provoked war with Mexico due to the aforementioned border disputes. -
Oregon Treaty
Before the Oregon Treaty, there were disputes over the the British-American border in the Northwest of the U.S. Even though newspapers rallied to go to war over the territory with the headline "54'40* or fight!", the American gov't didn't want another American-British war, so the Oregon Treaty was signed. It gave the U.S. land south of the 49th parallel. -
Mexican Cession
After the Mexican-American war, the U.S. obtained most of northern Mexico, which is now the southwest of the U.S. This large addition to the U.S. completed manifest destiny. It added the states of California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado. -
Declaration of Sentiments
In 1848, at the Seneca Falls Convention, 100 men and women signed the Declaration of Sentiments. The DOS, in a manner similar to the Declaration of Independence, listed the rights, careers, etc. that women had been deprived of. -
Compromise of 1850
The compromise admitted California as a free state, banned the slave trade in Washington D.C., strengthened the Fugitive Slave Act, and established popular sovereignty in the area of the Mexican Cession. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin is Published
In 1852 Harriet Beecher Stowe's best-selling anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was published. It evoked sympathy for slaves for readers in the North. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Established popular sovereignty in the deciding of slavery status in the states of Kansa and Nebraska. -
Bleeding Kansas
A violent conflict that occurred as a result of pro-slavery and anti-slavery people coming from other states to vote for whether or not Kansas would be a slave state. -
John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry
Abolitionist John Brown led a group of abolitionists on an attempt to raid a Virginia arsenal. He was planning to start a slave revolt to destroy the institution of slavery. -
Battle of Bull Run
A victory for the Confederates, it was after this battle that people realized that this wouldn't be short war. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
The first battle of the Civil War, it was a victory for the Confederates, with them taking over Fort Sumter. There were no casualties, except for a horse. -
Battle of Antietam
A draw with many casualties on both sides, the battle of Antietam was the bloodiest in the Civil war. -
Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln's speech at the dedication of a war cemetery at the Gettysburg battlefield. -
Battle of Vicksburg
During the battle of Vicksburg the Union captured Vicksburg, and later Port Hudson, which split the Confederacy in half via the Mississippi River. -
Battle of Gettysburg
A victory for the Union, the battle ended with a Confederate retreat. This battle injured and killed a third of General Lee's (Confederate) army. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Passed by Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation was justified as a "military measure". Even though it made the war about ending slavery, it didn't actually free any slaves, as Lincoln didn't want to lose the border states. (especially Maryland, which bordered D.C.) -
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Presidential Reconstruction
The goal of Presidential Reconstruction was to get the South back into the Union as fast as possible. It was carried out by Pres. Lincoln, and Pres. Jackson. -
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Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's march to the Sea was when William T. Sherman used total war against the Confederacy. He did so by marching from Atlanta, Georgia to Savannah, Georgia. Along the way, he stole livestock and crops, and burned the houses of people who resisted. -
Freedman's Bureau Established
The Freedman's Bureau was an organization set up by Radical Republicans to make sure that freedmen were protected, assisted, and could provide for themselves. -
13th Amendment Passed
The 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States. -
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Congressional Reconstruction
The goal of Congressional Reconstruction was to punish the South and protect the rights of newly freed slaves. It was carried out by the dominating Radical Republicans in Congress. -
14th Amendment Passed
The 14th amendment made all people born in the U.S. citizens, gave everyone equal protection under the law, and punished the South. -
15th Amendment Passed
The 15th amendment made voting available to all men. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
During the Plessy v. Ferguson case, Congress made segregation legal under the idea of "separate but equal".