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Period: 30,000 BCE to
Beginnings of exploration
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476
Fall of the Roman empire
There were many different reasons why Rome fell, but I'm going to talk about the last major fall. Germanic leader Odoacer was able to overthrow the current Roman emperor, Romulus, and take what was left of Rome for himself. This marked the last time the last time the Roman empire would fall into the hands of someone other than the Romans. -
1300
The renaissance
The renaissance was a sort of mass birth/re-birth of ideas. Ideas of art, literature, architecture, etc. This period of time is famous partly because of the artists and innovations that this time period brought. Artists within this period were Leonardo Da vinci, Michaelangelo, etc. The printing press was also innovative due to the fact that books could now be copies at a much higher rate, and were more readily available -
1347
The black death
The black death was a plague that spread throughout most of Europe and Asia in the 14th century that killed off about a third of the European population at the time. This plague is said to be the worst in history. It is believed that the plague was spread through infected rats or fleas -
Sep 8, 1492
Christopher Columbus' Voyage
Christopher Columbus originally set off to find a western route to India and had no idea of a new world. Christopher set out with his 3 ships, La Nina, La Pinta, and la Santa Maria, which were provided to him by King Ferdinand. Christopher originally landed in one of the islands in the Bahamas, but he still thought that he landed in India. Because of this, he called the indigenous people "indians" -
1500
The Columbian exchange
The Columbian exchange was the exchange of many different crops and goods traded between the new and the old world. But goods and crops weren't the only things being exchanged, oh no, with the goods also came along a wide variety of diseases, many of which were deadly to the members of the new world due to the fact that they didn't have an immunity to it. The deadliest of these diseases, smallpox, killed off most of the native population in the new world -
1519
Conquest of the Aztecs
The conquest of the Aztecs was lead by the Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortez. He began by Making his way to Tenochtitlan, capturing cities along the way, and even making alliances with others. By the time he arrived at Tenochtitlan, he and his an were greeted with gifts. Once inside the city, Hernan's men killed Montezuma, and after this, they tired to flee but were attacked by Aztecs. Hernan, now with a significanty smmaller army, gathered the support of natives and took The Aztec empire -
1519
The 95 theses
The 95 theses were written by Martin Luther as a way to protest the corruption of the church. The theses argued against indulgences and other matters. He argued that churches shouldn't give out indulgences and that priests had no right to forgive People for their sins, and that only God could pardon the sins of the people. -
Period: to
English Colonial societies
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Jamestown
Jamestown was one of the many earlier attempts of colonizing the new world, but it was the first successful one. Not many people survived in Jamestown; an estimated 80% of the population died within the first few months mainly due to the fact that, many people weren't familiar with labor, so many didn't work on agriculture. But John Smith's leadership helped drastically when he encouraged settlers to get their hands dirty and start working if they wanted to survive. -
Plymouth
Plymouth was a place people were able to go to, regardless of their worship. Plymouth struggled at first like many other english colonies. but the Plymouth colony was able to flourish with the help of the indigenous people there. The colonists were initially surprised when they were welcomed by a native using fluent English. After enough trading and a peace treaty, they began to trust eachother. The indigenous people provided them with food and farming advice in exchange for military tactics -
Connecticut
The colony in Connecticut was one of the original 13 colonies in America, and its most prominent feature was that it instilled a sense of democracy. This idea of democracy was put in place by the fundamental orders of Connecticut. These orders stated that assemblies and election be put in place. This also allowed the creation of laws. -
The glorious revolution
The glorious revolution might be one of the most important events in history for Europe. During the glorious revolution, as it eradicated any possibility of a Catholic monarch, as well as an absolute monarch. All of this was made possible thanks to the English bill of rights, which limited the monarch's power. They could no longer levy taxes, or suspend laws without parliaments permission -
Salem Witch trials
The Salem Witch Trials were a series of trials which were only led by accusation and very little evidence. These accusations started with a group of young girls as a way to draw attention away from them, as they were practicing witchcraft. During this time, being accused of being a witch was seen as a serious threat, as religion was really important at the time. Contrary to popular belief, no "witches" were actually burned alive, instead, most of them were executed by hanging. -
Period: to
Colonial America
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The great awakening
The great awakening is a period in American history when religion became a little more important. The natives also had in on this, and most decided to go back to a pre-contact way of life, meaning they no longer wished to trade with whites, and no longer wnated alcohol -
The french and Indian war
The French and Indian war was a result of Britain and France wanting to expand their sphere of influence. This war made French soldiers and their Native allies go against American colonists as well as their allies. Britain benefited most out f this -
Period: to
The revolutionary war
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Treaty of Paris
This treaty not only ended the French and Indian war/&years war, but it aslo restored some land lost to its respectful countries, with a few excpetions -
The enlightenment
The American enlightenment put more focus on science and reason rather than religion. I guess This even can be compared to the Renaissance, as it was also an era of new ideas and teachings. A belief that rose from this time period would be Deism, the belief that God created the universe but does not intervene. -
Stamp act
The stamp act was one of the many taxes that Britain put over the colonies in order for them to pay war debt. This act put higher taxes on many different forms of paper such as legal documents, newspapers, playing cards, etc. -
Boston massacre
Tensions had already built up between the colonists and Britain due to the taxes put on them, and the lack of representation for the colonists. But this event is what really got the ball rolling. A mob of people were harassing a group of guards in Boston. Eventually, the guards had enough, they aimed their guns at the mob, and fired, killing 5 people, and injuring 6 others. -
Boston tea party
The Boston tea party was a protest against the Tea Act of 1773. This "tea party" was put together by a bunch of drunk people at a bar who decided to dress up as natives, go on British cargo ships, and throw a bunch of tea into the harbor. -
Olive Branch petition
The Olive Branch petition was made and signed during the second continental congress in an attempt to prevent a war with Britain. Unfortunately, Britain didn't care for peace, ignored it, and declared that the colonies were in rebellion. -
Deceleration of independence
This Declaration officially states that the 13 original colonies in America were now independent, no longer under British rule. and were to be recognized as such. The document also contained grievances for King George that justified their independence as well as inserting that they are entitled to certain rights as people. -
Period: to
The Constitution
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Constitution of Massachusetts
This Document was written in 1780 but was used as a model for the U.S. Constitution. This was most likely chosen because of their articles and how it even had a frame of government. The articles in the constitution of Massachusetts give people rights. rights such as civil rights and religious freedom. As for the structure of government, the Massachusetts Constitution split the government into 3 branches -
Age of enlightenment
The age of enlightenment was still going on, and new ideas kept popping up. Around this time period, this enlightenment educated the populace, making religion less important, and encouraging the idea of separating the church from the state, as well as the idea of letting ordinary people have more say -
Articles of confederation
The articles of confederation was ratified across all 13 states and served s the first constitution. The goal of these articles was to keep the idea of independent states alive. Unfortunately, these articles were weak because that's how they were written. People were afraid of giving a central government too much power because they didn't want another monarchy, so they were written weak as a result. of course, this would cause trouble in the future. -
Siege of Yorktown
The battle of Yorktown was a decisive victory for the colonies. America, with the combined forces of the French, were able to capture Cornwallis as well as his troops and prompted an end to the war with Britain. This battle marked the last major land battle with Britain in the revolution. -
Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris Was signed by representatives of both Britain and America on September 9, 1783. Contrary to popular belief, the declaration of independence didn't mark the end of the war, but this treaty did. This treaty officially ended the American revolution, and it established boundaries between America and Britain. -
Constitutional Convention
This convention was called upon in order to bring order and rewrite the articles of confederation. Although the original intent of this convention was to rewrite the articles, an entirely new document was written instead. The document that replaced the articles was the constitution -
Virginia plan
The Virginia plan proposed a 2 house legislature. The lower house would have representatives that were elected by the people, and the upper house would have representatives elected by the members of the lower house. The amount of represetatives a state got was based on population -
Northwest ordinance
This Ordinance created, or rather recognized, the northwest territory of America. This was the first landmass that ran west of the Appalachian that was admitted, or taken, into the U.S. This land was taken mostly due to the idea of westward expansion, as well as tensions from Britain and spain -
Shay's Rebellion
in 1787, Shay and his rebellion marched toward an armory in Springfield in an attempt to take its weapons and overthrow the government. The government lacked funds to put down the rebellion using troops, so privately funded militias had to put down the rebellion. This rebellion caused a sense of urgency and leaders thought it was time for a sort of change -
Period: to
The new republic
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Election of 1788
The election of 1788 would be the very first election in American History. Washington was the very first president and was seen as a god-like figure at the time. Washington wins by a landslide. Washington had no running mates, so the title of vp was given to the second place winner of the election, which was John Adams -
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion was a series of protests that protested a tax put on whiskey/alcohol. It was mostly Pennsylvania and Kentucky farmers that protested this tax, seeing as how large of a profit whiskey rolls in. About 6,000 farmers threatened to attack Pittsburgh in response to this tax. This Rebellion was the first major test of the American Constitution -
Bill of rights
The bill of rights contained the first 10 amendments for the united states constitution. These Amendments were written to satisfy the anti-federalists, who were against the ratification of the U.S. Constitution due to fear of creating a central government that was too strong. Unalienable rights were given to the people to please the Anti-federalists -
democrat-republicans
This political party was formed by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison to oppose the Federalist party which was run by Alexander Hamilton. This party disliked the federalist party because they would loosely interpret the Constitution and they saw this as monarchal. They believed that state govenremnts should have more power -
Pickney's treaty
Pickney's treaty was signed with the intent of establishing a friendship with America and Spain. This treaty also allowed America Access to the Mississippi River, as well as defining a border between America and Spanish Florida. -
Election of 1796
Washington does not run during this election, instead, he leaves a farewell address stating that he would only run for 2 terms and that he was against permanent alliances, but temporary alliances were ok. The first major parties to go against each other would be Federalists (John Adams) and Republicans (Thomas Jefferson). John Adams wins this election by popular vote, and Jefferson becomes VP. -
Period: to
The age of Jefferson
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Election of 1800
Jefferson wins the election this time, but not without the help of Hamilton, who persuaded the house to vote for Jefferson. This election spawned the creation of the 12th amendment, which required separate ballots for VP and president. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana purchase is the purchase of a large stretch of land from Spain. This purchase expanded America by about 2x its size prior to the purchase. All of this land was purchased for about $11 million. Spain ceded the Louisiana territory back to France, and because of this, Napoleon threatened to shut down New Orleans. Eventually, Napoleon sold he land to fund his Army -
Cotton Gin
Prior to the invention of the cotton gin, Cotton took a long time to process. But with the invention of Cotton gin, up to 50 pounds of cotton could be processed a day. Before the cotton Gin rolled around, slavery had actually been on the decline, but because of the increased speed and efficiency of the cotton gin, slavery made a comeback. After the cotton Gin, slave prices actually dropeed becavuse cotton was easirr tot process -
Embargo act
The Embargo act was put up as a response to America's violation of Neutrality. British Navies seized American ships as well as their cargo, and some even resorted to impressment, Forcing thousands of people to join the British navy. and others also resorted to plundering American ships -
Lowell Mills
The Lowell mills and the Lowell mill system was seen as revolutionary at the time. Employing young adults (mostly women) instead of children, and even providing education opportunities for its workers. The Lowell System was also more efficient as well as humane than the textile industry back in Britain. The Mill girls were required to live in Dorms that were not too far from the factory -
Period: to
The American Industrial Revolution
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Battle of New Orleans
This battle took place just after the signing of the treaty of Ghent, which ended the war, but news of this would not reach America in time. What resulted was a major U.S. Victory. Yes, the battle fought even though the war ended because of poor communication. -
Panic of 1819
After the war of 1812, America began to receive imported goods that were cheap and were manufactured at low costs, this beat out the local competition and put many factories out of business. Agriculture rights collapsed in 1819, making prices for agriculture goods significantly higher. The banks also began to fail and the economy began to go downhill. -
Second great awakening
This age of awakening, unlike the others, put more emphasis on religion. Ideas od deism and secularism would be abandoned by many in this time period, and ideas of the supernatural became a little more prominent. But this was taken pver eventually due to economics and politics -
Period: to
Cultural Changes
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Missouri compromise
There was a bit of trouble when it came to accepting new states and trying to figure out whether or they would become slave states. The Missouri Compromise admitted Maine as a free state and Missouri as a slave state. This was so the balance of free vs. slave states wouldn't shift. Part of this compromise was the prohibition of slavery above the 36*30 parallel. -
Mormons
Mormonism Originated in 1823 when Joseph Smith claimed to have found gold tablets which had text written in an ancient language that only he could understand/decipher. Mormonism claimed that the NAtive-Americans were among the last tribes of Israel. Mormonism mainly appealed to farmers and traders. Mormons would later face heavy discrimination and some were even forced to move -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine prohibited the further settlement of North America and stated that any attempt of doing so would be viewed as "manifestation of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States". This Doctrine also stated that The U.S. would no meddle or interfere with other European settlements that have already existed prior to the Docrine -
Period: to
Age of Jackson
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Election of 1824
The Election of 1824 had 4 candidates, Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William Crawford. They were all also coincidentally in the Democratic-Republican Party. In the end, Jackson would win the Popular vote, but not the electoral vote. Adams was the one that won the electoral votes, therefore he won the election. -
Sing sing
Sing Sing Penitentiary was built to house inmates and was meant to be a correctional facility. In here, prisoners would work during the day and would be housed during the night. The purpose of this would be to make criminals think about their past actions and make them realize that they did wrong. The mentally ill would be put with the general population at first, but would eventually be put in mental institutions once people saw how bad of an idea that was. -
Election of 1828
Jacksons loss in the Election of 1824 left him angry and bitter, but he had a new plan set in place for the next election. During this election. Jackson will put more emphasis on personal character in hopes of making him more appealing to the common man. He talked about his humble origins and military career as well as His democratic values (democratic-republican party faded). Jackson will win this election by a landslide. -
Spoils system
The spoils system was set in place by Andrew Jackson. The spoils system promised to give people position in government in exchange for their support. This system replaced the bureaucracy with Jacksons supporters. -
The steam boat
Goods were commonly transported across the US using rivers. But transporting goods upstream was challenge that called for a different type of boat, one that used a long pole to move, but this method proved to be very slow. With the invention of the steamboat, goods cpuld be transported upstream in largr quantities and much faster as well -
Temperance movement
The temperance movement had a slow start, but many states had temperance movement p and running by the 1830s. The goal of this movement is to abstain from drinking alcohol. Alcohol was blamed for some of the problems that were being faced at the time. Alcohol consumption at this time was through the roof, people were either drunk or passed out on the side of the street. Temperance sought to fix this problem and moderate the consumption of alcohol or get rid of it entirely. -
Indian removal act
Andrew Jackson hated the native Americans. Some natives have assimilated to American ways by this time. Gold is found on Cherokee land and Andrew Jackson passes the Indian removal act. This act gave the president power to exchange Native American land as they saw fit. This act would later result in the trail of tears -
Trail of Tears
The trail of tears is the Name given to an event that happened in 1831, where Native Americans were forced to relocate from their homelands. Many Natives died on this journey due to disease, exposure, and starvation. Because of these many deaths, this act was nicknamed "The trail of Tears". Many soldiers that were tasked to relocate the Natives thought this act to be cruel, but none did anything about it -
Nat Turners Rebellion
Nat Turners Rebellion was a rebellion in which rebel slaves Killed about 65 people. The rebellion was suppressed 2 days later, on August 23. Approximately 55 slaves were executed because they were a part of the rebellion, and many othrs were punished. This spread fear across the states and State militias began to prepare in the case of another rebellion. Militias on high alert were one precaution, but another one would be the prohibition of educating slaves. -
Election of 1832
During this Election, the bank of the united states was up and running, but Jackson hated the bank. Clay thought that the bank was an issue to win the election. Clay hopes that Jackson's veto of the bank renewal would trap Jackson, and make him lose the election, but it did the opposite. During his bank veto speech, he explained why he did it and laid out his vision for American democracy. He gained the support of the opposition. Jackson Destroys clay in the elction -
Slave codes
The slave codes were a set of Laws that severely limited what African Americans could do. What these codes did was effectively strip African Americans of their civil rights. These codes stated that slaves are born into the slave life, and had very little chance of becoming free. -
American anti-slavery Society
The American Anti-slavery society was a group of people that aimed to abolish slavery. This society held a lot of controversy and eve had their meetings attacked. The members of this society would make points against slavery, one member even using religion to sympathize with slaves, and deem slavery as unethical and a sin. -
New York female reform society
This organization was created with the intent of preventing prostitution. Prostitution was not uncommon in this time period, seeing as how it wasn't yet illegal. Many women, approximately 5 to 10 percent of the females in new york were prostitutes because prostitution often paid more than other forms of work. Some other forms of empoyment also included formsof prostitution -
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism is the belief that people are inherently good by nature, but we were corrupted by society and institutions. They believe that people are at their best when they are completely self-reliant and independent. They believe in the power of the people, the individual, and put more focus on personal freedom -
Election of 1836
Martin Van Buren, also known as "Old Kinderhook" barely wins this election versus the Whig party. It isn't all sugar and rainbows though, seeing as how he inherited a bad economy. During his presidency, he gained the nickname "Martin Van Ruin" because people blamed him for the bad economy, more specifically the panic of 1837. The panic of 1837 was another economic depression in which people lost their jobs and profits went down. -
Iron Plow
The iron Plow was Invented in 1837 By John Deere. The purpose of the iron plow was to break apart tough dirt so it could be better used for agricultural purposes. John Deere sold his first Plow to a local farmer, and he kept making more because of high demand. He started his company and mass produced these for public use. His company was so successful that its still around today -
Police Force
The police force was established because there would be tensions within cities that needed to be solved. Most of these tensions arising because of Slums and their highly concentrated populace which allowed for higher rates of crime within them. Not only would they take care of problems, but their presence was meant t keep new ones from arising. -
Period: to
Westward expansion
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Election of 1840
Martin Van Buren decides to run for re-election against Harrison (Whig). In order to secure their victory within the election, the Whigs would spread rumors about Van Buren in order to make him less appealing. Whigs would also get wives to influence the vote of their husbands. Harrison is able to win the election by a landslide, but will die just one month into his presidency, making him the shortest-lived president. -
Texas Annexation
The state of Texas was annexed into the United States of America on December 29, 1845, and was admitted as a slave state. Texas was independent for about 10 years before annexation into the United States because there was debate whether or not Texas should be admitted as a slave state. Texas was a top priority during the panic of 1837 -
Manifest destiny
Manifest destiny is the belief that America had to expand to the West and take most of the land in order to reach the Pacific ocean and take over most of the continent. The taking of the land wasn't meant to be forceful, it was planned that people would settle west, form their own government, and annex into the united states as Texas did. The term "Manifest Destiny" was first used in 1839 but gained little attention, it wasn't until it was ridiculed by Whigs in 1846 when it gained popularity. -
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a trail that many people took to settle America in the west and was approximately 2,000 miles long. This was a long journey that people took in wagons, and it took these settlers approximately 5-6 months to reach Oregon. A trek this long didn't come without a price though, many people died during the Oregon trail, mostly due to diseases. -
Battle of Palo Alto
The Battle of Palo Alto was the first major battle of the Mexican-American war. Mexican troops started to make their way across the Rio Grande to besiege Fort Texas. This attempt at a siege was what prompted the beginning of the Mexican-American war. Zach Taylor made his way back to Fort Texas when he heard reports of Mexican cannon shots, and he made his way with more supplies. The result of this battle was an American VIcrory -
Bear Flag Revolt
The bear flag revolt would mark when California gained its independence from Mexico. The people of California were largely neglected by Mexico since their independence from Spain. The rebellion started when someone was sent to California with the intent of starting a revolt. The point of this rebellion was to weaken Mexico's connection with California, making California easier to capture with the help of reinforcements. -
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso was a document that suggested that Slavery be banned in the land obtained from Mexico. Unfortunately, this was turned down by Congress and was never passed, but something did come up from this. The Wilmot Proviso sparked some controversy among slave and non-slave states regarding the admittance of new states and their status of either Slave or non-slave state. -
Period: to
Sectional Crisis
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California Gold Rush
The gold rush began when gold was found in stutters mill. This discovery of gold caused a mass migration to California. Some people here were able to make it rich, and people were able to make a profit, but not from finding gold. Because of the mass migration, people provided gold-lookers with housing, supplies, etc. In the beginning, gold was easy to find. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
This treaty was signed on February 2, 1848, and this was the treaty that effectively ended the Mexican-American war. This treated called for the US to pay approximately $20 million in USD. It also settled the border of Texas to the Rio Grande, as well as give the US ownership of California, as well as more territory that makes up most of the west. -
Seneca falls convention
The Seneca Falls convention was held in New York on July 7, 1848, and was the first convention for women's rights. During this convention, the members would discuss the role of women in society, hold a lecture on law, etc. Members would even debate over women's right to vote because some were against it. This convention would become a cornerstone for women's rights in the furute. -
Election of 1848
The Election of 1848 saw the rise of the free soil party(Martin Van Buren). The Free-soilers supported the Wilmot Proviso and wanted to keep slavery where it already existed. Of course, this party didn't really get support from the South because of issues with slavery. Zachary Taylor, one of the people running for the presidency went to both North and south and appealed to the majority. He campaigned in the south as pro-slavery and supported the Wilmot proviso in the North. Zachary Taylor wins -
The underground railroad
Many people believe that the underground railroad was a series of organized routes run by African-Americans and whites that helped many slaves escape, but that wasn't the case. The underground railroad was merely the term used to describe it. There were some people that were involved, but the railroad was just a series of safe houses that leads up to the north. Approximately 100,000 slaves were freed between 1830 and 1860 -
Compromise of 1850
The compromise of 1850 had 5 separate bills. California was able to enter as a free state with its current borders, New Mexico and Utah were able to decide on slavery, Texas debt would be absorbed by the federal government once annexed, Lave trade to Washington DC would be banned, and another fugitive slave act, but this one made northerners had toaid in the capture of runaway slaves -
Fugitive slave act
The fugitive slave act allowed slave owners to reclaim their slaves even if the slaves have already fleed to a northern state. The slaves that were re-captured had no right to trial and were taken right back down to the south. Any whites would be jailed if they refused to help in the capture of a slave. Unfortunately, many free African-Americans were captured as well even though they were never a slave. -
Election of 1852
Franklin Pierce of the Democratic party ran against Winfield Scott of the Whig party ran against each other. Franklin would win this election. Scott would then ally with anti-slavery Whigs, but the Whig party would fall apart not too long afterward. I couldn't find anything that made this election the least bit interesting, I'm just writing this so it feels like i did more work and wont feel bad for making it too short. -
John Browns Raid
John Brown was an abolitionist who believed that it was his holy duty, as instructed by God himself, to end slavery across the US. John Brown invaded the south and led raiders into harpers ferry, and took control of the town and federal arsenal. Brown planned on spreading this revolt across the south. John Brown was quickly defeated by US marines. John Bown would later be hanged for this revolt, making him amrtyr for his cause. -
Election of 1860
Main candidates for this election were Abraham Lincoln, John Breckinridge, John Bell, and Steven Douglass. Lincoln had a very moderate approach to slavery and had very few political enemies. Each candidate was able to appeal to different sections of the country. Lincoln would win this election primarily due to the division of the democratic party. -
Secession of the South
the south would grow upset over Lincoln. Eventually, states would begin to secede for the US, South Carolina being the first to do so was then followed by many other states in the south. 6 states would secede alongside South Carolina in less than 2 months and they would name themselves the Confederate States of America. Jefferson Davis would become the first president of the Confederacy, and the government would be mostly the same, except that slavery would be protected. Buchanan did nothing -
Union Blockade
This blockade was put in place in order to prevent the south from trading. The south was trying to gain support from European nations to join their cause, but the north sent a blockade to prevent the south from importing and exporting goods -
Fort Sumter
South Carolina needed a show of force to shoe the North that they meant business. They decided to attack Fort Sumpter just before it was resupplied. The union Garrison was ordered to surrender after the assault, ad they did. Lincoln then decided to declare the south was in a state insurrection. 75,000 men were then called on to the pat down rebellion -
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Civil war
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Battle of bull run
The battle of Bull run in Virginia marked the first major battle of the American Civil war. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, but the result was a Confederate victory. The tide turned when reinforcements from Virginia arrived, but the Confederates launched a counterattack, which prompted the retreat of the union. -
Southern Draft
During the civil war, The north/union had a much bigger population, meaning that they had a larger army as well. Although the south/confederacy did have the upper hand when it came to military leadership, soldiers were still needed. To keep up with the union and to try to ensure their victory, the southern draft was passed. This draft made healthy white men from the ages of 18-35 join the military. -
Battle of Antietam
During the battle of Antietam, Union forces were able to push back Confederate forces into Maryland. Lee, a southern general, had to hold his men in a position due to the unions power in numbers. Continuous attacks to Lee's army were sent, but the Confederate soldiers were able to stand their ground behind Antietam Creek. Eventually, though, Lee had to retreat his men back, making this a union victory -
The emancipation proclamation
The emancipation proclamation was issued to free most slaves. Due to this, many slaves used the chance to escape plantation to become free, seeing as how their owners could no longer look for them and take them back forcefully. -
The Gettysburg address
The Gettysburg address is one of the most important speeches in American history. Lincolns speech proposed the idea of reconstruction. He knew that it would be a long and hard process, but he thought it was necessary in order to honor those who have lost their lives, and to build a nation that is truly free -
Lincolns %10 plan
Lincolns %10 plan pardoned all southerners, but not all Officers and officials. Southerners needed to take an oath of loyalty to the unites states in order for them to be pardoned. They also had to apply for federal recognition and form new governments. Lincolns plan to pardon the south and to annex them again was very lenient. -
Wade-Davis bill
The Wade-Davis bill was a harsher way of admitting the south back into the United States. With this bill, all Confederate leaders would be punished. This Bill also called for the destruction of the slave society And they had t take an oath declaring that they never aided the Confederacy, Confederate officers would also be stripped of their US citizenships, and only after a long punishment, would the south be readmitted to the United States. This bill was vetoed by Abraham Lincoln. -
Sherman's March to sea
Sherman's march to sea Started in the captured city of Atlanta and was planned to end at the capture of the port of Savannah. While on this path, General Sherman and his men burned mostly everything in their path that belonged to the confederacy. This burning is known as "scorched earth". -
Black codes
The black codes severely limited civil rights and economic opportunity for African Americans. These black codes were passed all across the south. The Blac codes promoted an exploitable workforce, allowing people to pay African Americans less. They also outlawed interracial marriage and it didnt allow African Americans to serve in a jury -
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Reconstruction
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40 Acres and a mule
The saying "40 acres and a mule" goes back to the age of reconstruction. During the age of reconstruction, some planters would abandon their land. This land was taken by Union forces and was given to freedmen so they could grow their own crops. The freemen were also entitled to a mule, seeing as how many there were. The freedman saw the land as independence and freedom, but the land had to be given back to the original owners eventually. -
Freedmen's Bureau
The Freemans bureau was a sort of relief agency that was set up for the war-torn south. This bureau provided food, education, and emergency services for freedmen across the south. They also confiscated land for agricultural purposes. This Bureau would be the main institution set in place for reconstruction. -
Appomattox courthouse
I guess you could consider the Appomattox courthouse case the last battle of the American civil war, seeing as how this is when Confederate general, Robert E. Lee surrendered to the union, bringing an end to the Civil war. -
The death of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham was assassinated on April 14, 1865 by John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor. Abraham was watching the play until John went up to the booth, and shot Lincoln in the back of the head, fatally wounding him. Booth escaped by jumping off the Booth, and running out the theater with a broken foot. The initial shot didn't kill the President, but he was dying. Unfortunately, nothing could be done about the wound, and Lincoln died the next day -
13th amendment
The 13th amendment was ratified on December 6th, 1865. This amendment called for the official ban of slavery across the US. Lincoln and Radical Republicans were able to pass this act before the end of the war. Because of this new amendment, many slaves saw this as a chance to finally escape their plantations and their masters and go North. -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment was passed on July 9th, 1868, and it granted all people that were born in the United States official citizenship. All people including slaves. Citizenship would also give them equal protection by law. Confederate officials were also banned from from office, and financial compensation would not be given to ex-slave owners. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment was ratified on February 3rd, 1870, and it granted suffrage for all males in America, even African American males were allowed to vote. This amendment was necessary in order to protect the black vote. Women wanted suffrage too. Of course, not many people would be happy with the new amendment, so white resistance groups began to pop up. These groups resented the rights given to African amercians, and they sought to make things as they were before
