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1200 BCE
Olmecs
The Olmecs were the first major civilization of Mexico. They lived along the Gulf Coast of Mexico in small villages and lasted from around 1200 BCE-350 BCE, until the environment made their land uninhabitable. The Olmecs made and traded rubber throughout Mesoamerica, therefore the Aztec name Olmec came to mean "the rubber people." They were mainly known for their 20 ton stone heads statues, carried and carved to commemorate their old time rulers. -
Period: 1200 BCE to
Beginnings to Exploration
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Nov 27, 1095
The Crusades
The Crusades were a set of religious wars between the Christians and Muslims in the Middle East from 1095 through 1291. These religious wars started off as a Christian desire to take control of holy territory, Jerusalem, away from the Muslims. Jerusalem was a holy significance to the Christian Religion. The main goal of The Crusades was to release the Holy Land, but later began to extend the capture of other places. In total, there were 9 crusades, the first four being of most importance. -
1347
The Black Death
The Black Death was a disease that spread through Europe across the 1340s. In the mist of just a couple of months,the population of Florence,England decreased 60%.The cause of Black Death was from foreign boats and trading ships.The Europeans saw there were black boils on the people skins and told them to fleet out of the harbor.However, many people in Europe began to become sick from the Black Death. It spread like wide fire and more than 20 million people were dead due to the Black Death. -
1400
The Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural rebirth movement of science and culture in the 14th-17th centuries. This was the period in European civilization that immediately followed the Middle Ages, held to have been a surge in interest in classical learning and values. Also, this period witnessed the exploration of new continents, the decline of the feudal system and the growth of commerce, and the invention of powerful innovations such as printing, paper, and gunpowder. -
Aug 26, 1451
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was a talented navigator born in Italy. He made 4 voyages across the Atlantic Ocean: 1492-1493, 1498, 1502.He was determined to find a straight route from Europe to Asia. However, Columbus never made it and accidentally ended upon the Americas. Although he did not "discover" the New World himself, his voyages marked the beginning of centuries of transatlantic conquest and colonization. Today, Columbus is remembered as a daring explorer who transformed the world forever. -
1500
Columbian Exchange
The Columbian Exchange was an exchange of plants, animals, and culture, humans, technology, and ideas between the new and old world.The Americas and the Old World traded plants, culture, diseases, slaves, and ideas. The Columbian Exchange had affected the new world by bringing many diseases to many culture. The Spanish received slaves because the Native American were dying due to the disease and the hard labor. Some of the many diseases were smallpox, measles, chicken pox, and influenza. -
1572
Humphrey Gilbert
Humphrey Gilbert was an English soldier and navigator of the 16th century. Gilbert was a brilliant and creative man, but his deficient leadership caused him to fail at establishing the first English colony in North America. By mid-1570s Gilbert began to apply his Irish colonization schemes to North America. In 1577 he put forth a plan for seizing the Newfoundland fishing fleets of Spain.Gilbert finally outfitted a seven-ship expedition and set sail on Nov. 19, 1578, and later never seen again. -
Triangular Trade
The Triangular Trade was a trade between England, Africa, and the Americas. A ship from England full of manufactured goods like cloth, hardware and weapons would ship to Africa where the goods would be traded for slaves.A ship from Africa would come to the Americas containing hundreds of slaves, tightly packed in the horrific conditions.Once in America, the ship would unload the slaves and take any raw materials like rum, sugar, and tobacco back to England.This trade lasted from 15th-19th cent. -
Middle Passage
The Middle Passage was a voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World, one of three parts of the Triangular Trade.The Africans aboard the ship had no idea where they were going nor if they would return home. Most of them had in mind that they would work on plantations, however, they didn't know they would work as slaves in the Americas and West Indies in harsh conditions.Out of the 20 million who were taken from their homes and sold into slavery, half of them would die. -
Period: to
English Colonial Societies
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Tobacco
Tobacco was first introduced to the Europeans in 1492 when Columbus landed in the Americans. Tobacco cultivation and exports formed an essential component of the American colonial economy. During the Civil War, they were distinct from other cash crops in terms of agricultural demands, trade, slave labor, and plantation culture. Many influential American revolutionaries, including Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, owned tobacco plantations. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower compact was a set of self-governance rules from English settlers. On an expedition of the Pilgrims and other settlers in 1620, they all intended to lay anchor in Virginia. However, after storms and shoals, their ship was driven off course, and the settlers landed instead in Massachusetts, near Cape Cod, outside of Virginia. Knowing life without laws could prove catastrophic, colonist leaders created the Mayflower Compact to ensure a functioning social structure would prevail. -
Charter Colonies
Charter colonies were those that were governed by a royal authority without direct interference from the crowd.Massachusetts Bay became a new liberal charter in 1691. Later, Puritans from other colonies began moving in. New Jersey was divided in West Jersey and East Jersey. However, by 1702 Jersey was united as one.For Connecticut, settlers arrived in 1633. finally established in 1662. In 1647, Providence, Newport, Warwick, and Portsmouth united to eventually form the colony of Rhode Island. -
Nathaniel Bacon
Nathaniel Bacon was a Virginia planter and the leader of Bacon's Rebellion.With his father's help, he purchased land on Jamestown's northern frontier.In 1676, Bacon requested authorization from Berkeley to raise a militia to pacify the Native Americans on the colony's frontier.Suspicious of Bacon, Berkeley refused to grant the commission.When Bacon proceeded without governmental authorization,Berkeley accused him of treason. The ensuing battle between the two men culminated in Bacon's Rebellion. -
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, early Quaker, and founder of Pennsylvania, a place for religious freedom in America. By 1760's, Penn had already become a great figure of importance in the Quaker community. The democratic principles that he set forth served as an inspiration for the United States Constitution. Ahead of his time, Penn also published a plan for a United States of Europe, "European Dyet, Parliament or Estates."William Penn died penniless in 1718. -
Period: to
Colonial America to 1763
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Salem witch trials
These were a series of trials in 1692 after a group of young girls who claimed to be possessed by the devil, accused several women of witchcraft.Through the panic, a special court dealt with the cases of those convicted. The ones who were accused of witchcraft were hanged, the first one was Bridget Bishop, followed by 18 others.In total, about 150 were accused over the year. In September 1692, the people had turned over the trials and saw that it had all been a tragedy and released the guilty. -
Act of Union (1707)
The Act of Union 1707 was passed on May 1, 1707 with the purpose of joining the two kingdoms of Scotland and England into a new combined kingdom called Great Britain.The reason for England was that they feared that an independent Scotland with an independent king might invade. The reason why Scotland wanted this was because of the financial English subsidies and to remove trade restriction. Although it was passed, 3/4 of people hated it and military means were needed to control the situation. -
The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening (first Great Awakening) was a religious revival in the 18th century which began by Jonathan Edwards. This revival was part of a much broader movement, and evangelical upsurge taking place simultaneously on the other side of the Atlantic. It emerged from powerful preaching that gave listeners the sense of guilt and need of salvation from Christ. Also, it made religion intensely personal by fostering a sense of spiritual guilt and redemption, and by encouraging introspection. -
Seven-Years' War/ French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was a seven year long war between England, France, and Spain for territory. Britain and the Colonies would seek more land west in the Americas but France also wanted more land so this would cause land disputes. The first land dispute that would start the war was over the Ohio River valley but France had many forts in this region. British would have a new policy to defeat the French and have a 10,000 man army and Navy. Was a world-wide conflict and first real world war. -
Colonial Economies
The economy in America during the 18th century varied among the colonies. New England being along the coast, it was easier to base their economy on fishing and ship building and trading through the Atlantic World. Economy in the Mid Atlantic was based on agriculture and small manufacturing industry. Their geographical features allowed for them to grown many crops, including grains and oats. The economy of upper south (Chesapeake) was based on tobacco while the lower south's was based on rice. -
Deism
Deism in the 18th century is the view that God exists, but that He is not directly involved in the world.A deist believes that God exists and created the world, but does not interfere with His creation. Deists deny the Trinity, the inspiration of the Bible, the deity of Christ, miracles, and any supernatural act of redemption or salvation.Deism pictures God as uncaring and uninvolved. Thomas Jefferson was a famous deist, referring often in his writings to “Providence.”However, it's not biblical. -
Period: to
The American Industrial Revolution
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Treaty of Paris 1763
The Treaty of Paris of 1763 was the treaty that officially ended the French and Indian War between Great Britain and France. With this treaty, France gave all of its territory to mainland North America. The British gained control over the area west of the 13 colonies to the Mississippi. The French no longer held any control over any of the colonies,including Canada. Since Spain had joined France, they were also forced to give up Florida, but still held power of west of Mississippi. -
Period: to
The Revolutionary War 1763-1783
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Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed in March 22, 1765 by the British Parliament. It required all American colonists to pay a tax on all paper. The collected money was used to help pay the costs of the American frontier near the Appalachian Mountains. Usually, taxes were collected to regulate commerce, but this time, the tax collection was an act to raise money without the approval of colonial legislatures. The Stamp Act was repealed in March 1766 by the parliament. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a riot that stared when 50 citizens attacked the British sentinel,causing the death of 5 Bostonians. It was the climax of tensions in the American Colonies that had been growing since Royal troops first appeared in Massachussets, which became a leading sign to the Revolutionary War.This event of the American revolution is proved to be a magnet for popular misconceptions, because it was not really a massacre.The name came from Paul Revere who created the fictious account. -
Dunmore's Proclamation
Dunmore's Proclamation was a historical document signed on Nov. 7, 1775 by John Murray. The proclamation declared martial law and promised freedom to slaves who fought joined the American revolutionaries to fight for the king. This proclamation caused for thousands of slvaes to run away from the plantations. During the war, about 80,000 to 100,000 thousand slaves ran away from their masters and escaped. Failing Dunmore's objectives, he was forced to leave, taking over 300 former slaves with him. -
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson and signed on July 4th, 1776. This document announced that the 13 colonies were now 13 independent sovereign states and no longer a part of the British Empire. Instead, these formed a new nation, The United States of America. Adams would persuade the committee to select Jefferson to write the original document and Congress would edit and produce the final version but Jefferson would later be charged for writing the document. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga was fought between September 19 and October 7, 1777. This battle was a crucial victory for Patriots during the Revolutionary War. The first battle on September 19 was a small victory over American forces however the second battle was won by the Americans which forced their opponent to retreat. The victory convinced the French to recognize the colonist's cause and enter the war as their ally. Today, this battle is known as the turning point of th Revolutionary War. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first written constitution for the United States that served to establish the purpose of the national government. This established a weak central form of government that prevented the individuals from creating their own diplomacy. Since it was very weak the Congress would not get much done and there was no central government authority. After Shay's Rebellion many would want the Articles of Confederation to change and some realized it needed to be replaced. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was the final war of the Revolutionary War that took place between Sep. 28,1781 and Oct. 19,1781. This was the victory by a combined force of American Continental troops and French Army troops. The surrender by Cornwallis, and the capture of him and his army allowed the British government to negotiate an end to the conflict. In total, the French and American troops had 88 men killed and 301 wounded. Great Britain had about 309 killed and about 8,000 wounded and captured. -
Treaty of Paris-1783
After the Battle of Yorktown, delegates were sent to work on a treaty that would end the war officially. The Treaty of Paris of 1783 ended the Revolutionary War between Great Britain and United States, recognizing the American independence and establishing borders for the new nation. It also give them fishing rights and restore the property and prisoners of war. This treaty would also establish northern border with British/Canada and both nations will have access to the Mississippi River. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion was the name given to a series of protests in 1786 to 1787 by American farmers who were against the state and local enforcement of tax collections and judgement for debts. The name derived from the leader, Daniel Shays, former captain in the Continental Army. The rebellion was much more serious in Massachusetts where bad harvest, economic depression, and high taxes threatened farmers with the loss of their farms. This was a leading event to end the Articles of Confederation. -
Anti-Federalists
The Anti-Federalists were a group of people that formed to oppose the ratification of the new federal Constitution. These united form the fear of a powerful and strong national government and the absence of a bill of rights in the new Constitution. The Anti-Federalists were the most fearful of the power of the new federal government. Anti-Federalists were afraid of the extensive powers granted to the new government.One things they did was that they shared a core view of American politics. -
Three Branches
The delegates in the Constitutional Convention also wanted to divide power within the federal government. In fear of the United States being ruled under dictatorship, they created three branches, executive branch, legislative branch, and judicial branch. The executive was headed by the president. This was the place in which laws were made.The executive was the one that signed laws and appointed federal judges. The Judicial decided if laws were constitutional and were appointed by the president. -
Period: to
The Constitution
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Virginia Plan
The Virginia plan was a document drafted by James Madison, which was presented to Edmund Randolph that proposed a strong central government composed of three branches. This plan traced a small amount of what would later become the U.S. Constitution, a national government consisting of three branches with checks and balances to prevent abuse of power. This plan also described a 2 houses in the government, with different elections and terms. Both would still use population as basis for division. -
New Jersey Plan
The New Jersey Plan, also known as the Small State Plan, was a proposal for the structure of the United States Government, and an alternative to the Virginia Plan. This plan was presented at the constitutional convention that was held between May 1787 and September 1787.It offered a one house legislature in which all states would have equal number of votes and representatives. The main goal was for smaller states to have same power as larger states, also consisting of the three branches. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was adopted by a Second Continental Congress, providing a method for admitting new states into the Union from the territory, and listed a bill of rights guaranteed in the territory.The purpose of this law was to regulate the settlement of the Northwest Territory, which led eventually to dividing into several states of the Middle West.This organized the territory into townships and provided self-government and religious toleration in the territory and prohibiting slavery. -
Period: to
New Republic
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Election of 1788
The election of 1788 was the first presidential election held under the new constitution of the United States.In this election, George Washington was unanimously selected as the first president for the first two terms and John Adams became the first vice president. Before this election, the United States had no chief executive.Under the previous system, the government was headed by the confederation congress, with a ceremonial presiding officer and executive departments, but no executive branch. -
Education
The 18th century was a period of massive growth for the United States, and education was swept along with it. Education in the older centuries was considered to be a privilege for those who had it, mainly the upper class. However, in the 18th century, education, literacy, and learning were provided to the upper and lower classes. Education during this century grew significantly. Since the colonies grew and evolved, the economy also evolved, which helped to provide more practical education. -
Bank of the United States
After the Revolutionary War, the United States needed a plan for the government to pay the large debt. This was when the First Bank of the United States was created. It was built while Philadelphia was still the nation;s capital. Alexander Hamilton conceived the bank to handle the war debt and create a standard form of currency. The bank functioned as a common currency for young America. The bank lasted for several years, until congress voted to abandon the bank and it charter in 1811. -
Bill of Rights
The first 10 amendments of the Constitution make up the Bill of Rights.These were written by James Madison as a response to calls from several states for greater constitutional protection liberties.The main idea behind these rights was to insure certain freedoms and rights to citizens of America. These also put limits on what the government could do and control.Many delegates were against signing a constitution without bill of rights, so this became a reason for Madison to create the amendments. -
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion was the first real test of the new U.S. In Western Pennsylvania, people used a lot of whiskey. The federal government passed a tax on whiskey in 1791. Farmers in western Pennsylvania refused to pay the tax, saying it was like the Stamp Act all over again. Trouble went from 1791 to 1794, when farmers assaulted federal tax collectors. President Washington called out the militia to calm the rebellion and although many were arrested, they were later found free of charge. -
Election of 1796
After Washington decided to not run for third term, 12 men declared themselves candidates for president. Representing the Federalist Party, John Adams won in the Electoral College, becoming the president, and Thomas Jefferson- Democratic Republican- ran second, becoming the vice president. This has been the only election in history that elected a President and Vice president from two different political parties. -
Period: to
The Age of Jefferson
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Election of 1800
In the United States Presidential election of 1800, sometimes referred to as the "Revolution of 1800," Vice President Thomas Jefferson defeated incumbent president John Adams. The election was a realigning election that ushered in a generation of Republican Party rule and the eventual demise of the Federalist Party in the First Party System. It was a lengthy, bitter rematch of the 1796 election between the pro-French and pro-decentralization Republicans under Jefferson and Aaron Burr. -
Period: to
Westward Expansion
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Louisiana Purchase
Sold by France & bought by Thomas Jefferson for $15 million, about 3 cents per acre, was such a controversial issue for Jefferson because it was against his strict constitution views . During this time, Napoleon was willing to sell to the US to receive funds to fight the British. This purchase of the Louisiana territory would be one of the largest bargain in history. The Adams-Onis treaty gave Florida to the US and formalized the US possession of Louisiana, which went back to Jefferson's ideals. -
12th Amendment
This amendment was ratified in 1804 during the administration of Thomas Jefferson, and changed the presidential election rules, applying to both the president and vice president. it stated that the candidates would not be from the same state, electors had to choose for the president and vice president in different ballots. To choose the president, there must be majority votes for the candidate and if there is no major votes, the house of representatives would choose, one vote per state. -
Cotton Gin
The cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney and it had the purpose of removing seeds easier from cotton. By the mid-19th century, cotton had become America’s leading export. Also, his invention offered Southern planters a justification to maintain and expand slavery even as a growing number of Americans supported its abolition. Based in part on his reputation for creating the cotton gin, Whitney later secured a major contract to build muskets for the U.S. government. -
Embargo Act of 1807
The Embargo Act of 1807 was a law passed by the United States Congress and signed by President Thomas Jefferson on December 22, 1807.It prohibited American ships from trading in all foreign ports. America's neutrality and basic rights as an independent nation had clearly been violated, and something needed to be done about it.Jefferson didn't want war, but he was willing to take economic measures.He hoped that perhaps an embargo would hit the British and French where it would hurt them the most. -
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a conflict between the U.S. and Great Britain over British violations.Many people saw this as a second declaration of independence.The war lasted about 2 1/2 years and produced very few results.In Washington, British troops burned the White House, the Capitol, and other buildings in retaliation for the earlier burning of government buildings in Canada by U.S. soldiers.The British soon retreated, however.This war ended with the exchange of ratification of the Treaty of Ghent. -
Star Spangled Banner
The Star Spangled Banner was written in 1814 by a poet named Francis Scott Key. It started when in the War of 1812, one of Key's friend was taken prisoner by the British. IN hope to find him, he negotiated his release but was nor allowed to leave or take his friend until the bombardment of Fort McHenry was finalized. As Key watched the event occur, he was inspired to tribute what he witnessed. The poem was later turned into a song and now lays as the nations national and most known anthem. -
Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was a protestant religious revival during the 19th century.It reflected romanticists characterized by enthusiasm, emotions, and appeal to the super natural. It rejected rationalism and deism of the Enlightenment.The revivals enrolled millions of new members and led to the formation of many new religious denominations.To the converted, the Second Great Awakening was held to be a new millennial age. However, like many other events, this came to an end around the 1840s. -
McCulloch vs Maryland
The state of Maryland imposed a tax on the bank of $15,000/year, which cashier James McCulloch of the Baltimore branch refused to pay. The case went to the Supreme Court. Maryland argued that as a sovereign state, it had the power to tax any business within its borders. McCulloch’s attorneys argued that a national bank was “necessary and proper” for Congress to establish in order to carry out its enumerated powers. At the end, the Supreme court held that Maryland had not right to tax the bank. -
Period: to
Cultural Change
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Missouri Crisis
In February 1820, Illinois Senator Jesse B.Thomas suggested a proposal that would eventually be called the Missouri Compromise: Maine would enter as a free state, Missouri would come in with slaves, but no slavery would be permitted in other states developed out of the Louisiana Purchase north of 36 degrees 30 minutes latitude, Missouri’s southern boundary. The Thomas proposal was accepted in the Senate but defeated in the House, and ardent debate along sectional lines resumed in Congress. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was a message from president James Monroe that warned European powers to not interfere in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere because i. It is best known as the policy to the Western Hemisphere. The doctrine was delivered by Monroe on Dec 1823, warning the European nations that the U.S. would not tolerate further colonization. The doctrine was conceived to major concerns the moment, but soon became a buzzword of U.S policy in the Western Hemisphere. -
Election of 1824
In the United States election of 1824, John Quincy Adams was elected President on February 9, 1825, after the House of Representatives decided the election. In years prior to this election, the people had seen a one-party government in the united States, as the Federalist had vanished leaving only the Democratic-Republican presidency.However, what was led by Jackson would evolve into the democratic party and the factions led by John Quincy Adams and Henry clay became the National Republic Party. -
Greek Revival
Greek Revival spread through Europe and the United States during the first half of the 19th century. The main reasons for the style's popularity was the general intellectual preoccupation with ancient Greek culture at the time.Homes in the Greek Revival style were usually painted white to resemble the white marble of impressive and costly public buildings.The gable-fronted house, found throughout America, is one of the style’s enduring legacies.Today, Greek revival is still found across the U.S. -
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Age of Jackson
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Election of 1828
The election of 1828 was the "political fight" between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams.This time, Jackson would come into the election with a new form of strategy.Both sides would spread rumors and negative comments about each other in order to make their side look better.This election would then be considered the "dirtiest" election ever. Jackson would eventually win this election with 178 electoral votes to Adams’s 83, Jackson became the first president to gain office by a direct appeal -
Temperance Movement
The Temperance Movement was a social movement towards the banning of alcohol.Temperance movements typically criticize alcohol intoxication, promote complete abstinence, or even its complete prohibition.This movement was mostly encouraged by women, since most of them would receive beatings and abuse from men who would drink too much. However, they were also groups of men that would also join this movement. It would promote the negative and immoral characteristics regarding alcohol. -
Lowell Mills
The Lowell Mills speak of many mills that operated in the city of Lowell,Massachusetts.By the early 1830s, young unmarried women from the rural New England made up the majority of workers in the Massachusetts textile mills. The owners of the mills later became interested more in the profit than the welfare of their employees and began to cut wages without reducing work hours.The women responded by striking out making the owners understand that they needed other workers and hired migrating Irish. -
Yeoman Farmers
Yeoman Farmers were a part of the Southern Society Culture of the early American Industrial Revolution. These Farmers formed part of the southern militias and were in charge of the caught of runaway slaves. If they saw that there was any slave running away, they could stop it and take it back to its owners. They also guarded against any possible slave rebellions. Out of all the Yeoman, only about 25% owned saves. Some Yeoman Farmers relied on planters, but others resented them. -
Iron Plow
The first iron plow was a tool with replaceable parts whose invention accelerated the development of American agriculture in the antebellum period. It was first invented by a man named Jethro Wood. This tool would allow for easier cultivation of soil allowing seeds to loosen/sprout at a easier and quicker speed. It would also be used to help bury crop residues and to help control weeds. It was of most use to those living in the Middle-West of the nation since it was harder work of the soil. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner's Rebellion, also known as the Southampton Rebellion,was a slave rebellion that took place in Virginia in August of 1831.This event was led by Nat turners and caused the death of about 65 whites, the largest and deadliest slave uprising. The event was put down within a few days, and turner survived in hiding for more than two months.The state executed 56 slaves accused of being a part of the rebellion. In total, approximately 120 slaves were murdered and Turner was hanged and skinned. -
Tariff Act of 1832
The Tariff of 1832 was a protectionist tariff in the United States. It was largely written by former President John Quincy Adams, who had been elected to the House of Representatives. It reduced the existing tariffs to remedy the conflict created by the tariff of 1828, but it was still deemed unsatisfactory by some in the South. South Carolinian opposition to this tariff caused the Nullification Crisis. As a result of this crisis, the 1832 Tariff was replaced by the Compromise Tariff of 1833. -
Election of 1832
The election of 1832 was a political dispute between Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay. Jackson would win an election once again receiving a large majority of the popular votes and electoral college votes. Originally Clay's plan was to ruin Jackson, Jackson would receive so much support from his speech regarding the national bank and the reasoning for his veto against the rechartering of the bank. This speech would be more geared towards the common man and inspire many people to vote for Jackson. -
American Anti-Slavery Society (AASS)
The American Anti-Slavery Society was an abolitionist organization in the 19th century. It hoped to convince both white Southerners and Northerners of slavery's inhumanity. The organization sent lectures across the North to convince people of slavery's brutality and how ungodly it was.Most of the members demanded for African Americans to receive the same rights as whites. About 150,000 members were attracted to the society but rapidly split allowing the abolitionists to form the Liberty Party. -
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was a politician and general who fought to defend royalist New Spain and then for Mexican independence. He greatly influenced early Mexican politics and government, and was a skilled soldier and cunning politician, who dominated Mexican history in the first half of the nineteenth century. During the 1870s, he finally abandoned politics and wrote his memoirs. In 1874 he was allowed to return to Mexico City, where he lived in obscurity until his death on June 21, 1876. -
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism was an intellectual movement during the New England Renaissance.Its leaders were Ralph Waldo and Henry David Thoreau. As a group, the transcendentalists led the celebration of the American experiment as one of individualism and self-reliance.They took stands on women's rights, abolition, reform, and education.They created an American "state of mind" in which imagination was better than reason, creativity was better than theory, and action was better than contemplation. -
Election of 1836
In the presidential election of 1836, the Democrat Martin Van Buren defeated several Whig Party candidates.it all began when Jackson decide to not run for a third term and the Democrats chose Van Buren. A new political party, the Whigs, had also chosen three candidates to run for president. However, the popularity of Jackson helped Van Buren win the election easily, although he lacked Jackson's charisma. Shortly after the election, the country entered a severe economic depression. -
Trail of Tears
In 1838 and 1839, as a part of Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Policy, a Indian tribe called the Cherokee Indians, working on behalf of white settlers to grow cotton, were forced to leave their land at Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee and Florida and move to present day Oklahoma. Jackson had created this policy in order to create more farming land for the US. However, along the way about 4,000 Indians died from exposure, diseases, and starvation while on route to their relocation. -
Oregon Trail
This was the pioneer journey that started from Missouri and ultimately ended at Oregon. This event had occurred due to the large and growing belief of Manifest Destiny. Most people who went to travel were farmers or people looking for some kind of economic opportunity else where. However, this journey towards Oregon would prove to be difficult as many died from Indian attacks on the Great Plains or died from the horrible terrain of the Rocky Mountains. The trail was heavily traveled until 1884. -
Election of 1840
The United States presidential election of 1840 saw President Martin Van Buren fight for re-election against an economic depression and a Whig Party unified for the first time behind war hero William Henry Harrison. In this election however, the Whigs easily defeated Van Buren. This election was unique in that electors cast votes for four men who had been or would become President of the United States. Harrison became the president but died on April 4, 1841 and was replaced by John Tyler. -
Telegraph
The telegraph was invented in the 1830s by Samuel Morse and other inventors, revolutionizing long-distance communication. t worked by transmitting electrical signals over a wire laid between stations. Also, Samuel Morse developed a code (bearing his name) that assigned a set of dots and dashes to each letter of the English alphabet and allowed for the simple transmission of complex messages across telegraph lines. He sent his 1st message in 1844 and its success until the 21st century. -
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was the large belief by most Americans that God himself had destined the United States to reach from the west coast to the east coast. This belief had greatly inspired many and encouraged them to keep expanding towards the west. This event had received its name from a man named John O'Sullivan who had stronger believed in this idea. As a result of this, America would then end up in a war with Mexico and implement the removal of Native Americans from their lands. -
Annexation of Texas
Texas had at first been under the property of Mexico. However, until Mexican government started to make regulations on settlers there, people would then decide to rebel and form the Republic of Texas. After winning, Sam Houston, the president at the time, had wanted Texas to join the Union. Members of Congress were at first skeptical on whether or not to let Texas join the Union being a slave state, but after much discussion they had let Texas into the Union as the 28th state. -
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States and considered to be one of American's greatest heroes according to him being the Union's savior and emancipator of the slaves. His mount from humbleness to achieving the biggest office in history was remarkable. Sadly, he was cruelly assassinated at a time when his country most needed him to complete a great task. His persistence that the Union was worth trying to save embedded the idea of self-government that all nations want. -
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Sectionalism
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Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in 1848, officially ending the Mexican-American War in favor of the United States. The war had started about two years before the treaty was signed because of a territorial dispute. When the war was done, the treaty stated that an additional 525,000 square miles would be added to the United States territory, including present-day states. Mexico also gave up all claims to Texas and recognized the Rio Grande ad America's southern boundary. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls convention was the first's women's convention held in Seneca Falls, New York. This women's convention was held because women wanted to have equal rights as men. This convention was to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of Woman will be held in the Wesleyan Chapel. The convention proceeded to discuss the 11 resolutions on women’s rights. All passed unanimously except for the ninth resolution, which demanded the right to vote for women. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a series of laws that death with the issue of slavery. The reason this started was because California wanted to join as a free state but it upset the balance between the number of free to slave states. As a result of this, Henry Clay made up the solution of coming up with a Compromise that averted a crisis between the North and South. The Fugitive Slave Act was passed along and Slavery was banned in D.C, and California was allowed to enter as a free state. -
Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act was a pair of federal laws allowing for the capture and return of any runaway slaves in the territory of the United States.The first Runaway Slave Act of 1793 allowed local governments to seize and return escaped slaves to their owners and impose punishments. However, the plan did not work and the congress was required to make something better with greater punishments. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was one of the most controversial laws until its was repealed in 1864. -
California Gold Rush
The discovery of gold nuggets in Sacramento valley in 1848 sparked the gold rush in California, one of the most significant events that shaped the American history during the first half of the century, As the news spread through discovery, thousands of gold miners traveled by sea or over land to San Francisco and the surrounding area, making the population over 100,000. A total of $2 billion worth of precious metal was extracted from the area during the Gold Rush. -
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman was a slave who escaped to freedom in the North in 1849 to become the most famous "conductor" of the Underground Railroad. Tubman risked her life helping many families escape from the plantation system to freedom on the elaborate safe system of safe houses. Tubman was a also a leading abolitionist before the Civil War and helped the Union Army during the war by working as a spy among other roles. After the war, she dedicated to help impoverished slaves and the elderly. -
Republican Party
The Republican Party was founded in 1854 by former Whig Party members who opposed the spread of slavery in the western territories. With the successful introduction of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill of 1854, an act that dissolved the terms of the Missouri Compromise and allowed slave or free status to be decided in the territories by popular sovereignty, the Whigs disintegrated. In 1854, the Republican Party was made. The party quickly gained many people and was successful until the election of 1933. -
Sam Houston
On April 21, 1836, Houston and his men defeated Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna at San Jacinto to secure Texan independence. He was voted president in 1836 and again in 1841, then served as a senator after Texas became a state in 1845. Sam Houston was elected Governor of Tennessee. As governor, he refused to swear loyalty to the Confederacy when Texas seceded from the Union in 1861 with the outbreak of the American Civil War, and he was removed from office. -
Immigration
During the late 1800s, many people form different parts of the world began to migrate to America, deciding to leave their homes. Some came looking for job opportunities while others came seeking personal freedom or relief from political and religious persecution. Hoping the best, about 12 million immigrants arrived in the United States between 1870 and 1900. Many of these people were from Ireland, Germany, and England, the principal sources of immigration before the Civil War. -
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The Civil War
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Nurses
The Civil War gave women new roles in traditional male dominated positions. One of the roles that women were allowed to participate in was nursing. Thousands of women served as volunteer nurses during the Civil War. At the beginning of the war, nurses were mostly volunteers who showed up at military hospitals. But after Battle Of Bull Run, Clara Barton and Dorothea Dix organized a nursing corps to help care for the wounded soldiers, with Clara Barton being the most famous nurse of the Civil War. -
Clara Barton
Clarissa Barton, known as Clara, is one of the most honored women of American History. During her years, she served as a teacher, worked in the U.S. Patent Office and was an independent nurse during the Civil War. During the Civil War, Clara risked herself by bringing supplies and support to the soldiers. Though she did not attend nursing school and Nursing education was not formalize she provided self-taught nursing care. At 1881, she founded the American Red Cross and led it for 23 years. -
Jefferson Davis
In 1861, Jefferson Davis was elected as the president of the Confederacy. Before the war, Davis had argued against secession, but when Mississippi seceded, he resigned from the Senate. Davis struggled to manage the southern war effort and keep a new nation united. His personality led to conflicts with many officers which caused him to be captured, imprisoned, and charged with treason after the war. Compared to Lincoln, Davis lacked his personal qualities that made him a successful leader. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in the third year of the Civil War.The proclamation declared that all people held as slaves within the rebellious states were to be set free. Despite the expensive wording, the proclamation was limited, since it only applied to states that had succeeded from the Union, leaving the border states untouched. This proclamation also allowed for African American to serve in the Union's armed forces. In total, about 3 million slaves were free. -
Neutral States
The border states during the Civil War were the slave states that didn't leave the Union. These states included Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri. West Virginia, which separated from Virginia during the war, was also considered a border state. All of these states had strong support for both the Confederacy and the Union. All were important because they kept control of the border states which was an important role.These states gave the Union the advantage in troops, factories, and money. -
Gettysburg Address
This was an address/speech given by Abraham Lincoln regarding the death of soldiers who had fought in the Battle of Gettysburg. This would later become one of the most memorable and important speech in our today's history starting with the famous words "Four score and seven years ago". He also had made remarks about the difficulty of abolishing slavery and the dedication they need to put into this war to stop it once and for all. -
Election of 1864
This election was between Abraham Lincoln and George McClellan. Northerners had greatly endorsed the leadership of Abraham Lincoln and had elected him once again. He had won 55 percent of the popular vote and 212 electoral votes. He had also gained much support directly because of letting soldiers go home to vote. Lincoln would face the great problem that is the Civil War and whether or not they can beat the Confederate army. However, he ended winning the election. -
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Reconstruction
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Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee was a military officer in the U. S. Army and the legendary general of the Confederate army during the Civil War. in 1861, Lee became the commander of the Army of North Virginia. Lee and his army achieved great success during the peninsula Campaign and Second Bull Run, with his greatest Battle of Chancellorsville.In 1863, Lee invaded the North, only to be defeated.With Confederate defeat near certainty, Lee continued, battling Ulysses Grant, before surrendering his army in 1865. -
Freedmen's Bureau
Freedmen's Bureau was a relief agency in war-torn South for black slaves and poor whites. 4 million slaves had gained their freedom as a result of the Union's victory, which left many communities in ruin and destroyed the south's plantation-based economy.During this time, there were many services that provided food, schools, confiscated land, and emergency services. However, the bureau was prevented from fully carrying out plans because of low funds. In 1872, congress shut the bureau completely. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth, an American actor and sympathizer, assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at ford's theater in Washington, D.C. The attack was only five days after the Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his massive army of Appomattox Court House, Virginia, effectively ending the Civil War. That day, Lincoln was attending a performance with his wife, while Booth masterminded a plan even greater than kidnapping. Lincoln died a day after the event. -
13th Amendment
Following the Civil War, the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on December 6, 1865 and officially made slavery illegal in all states.African Americans could no longer be held as slaves and were free to live their lives as people and not as property. It was 100% supported by republicans and 23% by Democrats.Formally abolishing slavery in the United States, the 13th Amendment was passed by the Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified by the states on December 6, 1865. -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment was ratified on July 9,1868 and addresses citizenship rights and equal protection of laws, it was placed in response to to conflicts related to former slaves following the Civil War. The amendment states that all people born in the United States are subject to it's law. No state shall make laws that will take away the privileges of citizens. No state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law. No state shall deprive a person's rights. -
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was a leading United States Army general during the American Civil War and a Commanding General at the conclusion of the war. He was elected as the 18th president of the United States. He worked closely with President Lincoln to lead the Union army to the victory over the Confederacy. With the close of the Civil War, Grant led the army's supervision of Reconstruction in the former Confederate states. His death in 1885 prompted an outpouring in support of national unity. -
Mississippi Plan
The Mississippi Plan was formulated by the Democratic Party and the Democrats in South Carolina and Louisiana in an attempt to violently overthrow the Republican Party by organized violence in order to redeem the sate of Mississippi. It required every citizen from twenty-one to sixty to display his poll tax receipt. It also required the would-be voter to both read and interpret the U.S. Constitution, allowing registration officials to discriminate between white and black illiterates. -
Election of 1876
The election of 1876 between Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel Tilden of New York was one of the most hostile, controversial campaigns in American history. Tilden won the popular vote and led in the electoral college, but 19 votes from three Republican-controlled states remained disputed.The Congress set up a special electoral commission to determine the winner.The19 disputed electoral votes were ultimately awarded to Hayes after a bitter legal and political battle, giving him the victory. -
Compromise of 1877
After the election of 1876, the outcome of race hinged largely on disputed returns from Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina, the only states in the South with Reconstruction- era Republican government still in power.Allies of the Republican Party candidate Rutherford Hayes met in secret with Democrats to accept the victory of Hayes. The republicans would accept only if Republicans withdraw federal troops from the south, deleting democratic control.As a result,the reconstruction Era ended.
