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30,000 BCE
Bering Land Bridge
The Bering Land Bridge was believed to be a small channel of land that once connected Asia and North America. Some theories of the Bering Land Bridge suggest that this piece of land brought the very first people in America from Asia, as they followed hurds of animals. Many believe that the Land Bridge appear during the Ice Age because at this time sea levels dropped due to the formation of glacial ice, but it is very hard to determine an exact date due to the lack of evidence. -
Period: 30,000 BCE to
Beginnings to exploration
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500
Dark Ages
The Dark Ages also known as the migration period can be a period we refer to as backward times. We gained nothing good from this period instead, we probably loss from this period, hence the name. This period was in constant warfare and had a disappearance of urban life. This period also had no higher education and had a weak and unstable economy. One reason why this period was such a disaster may come from the Catholic Church. The church controlled everything from culture to education. -
1095
The Crusades
The Crusades were actually a big fail and managed to accomplish nothing the church intended to accomplish. The main purpose of the crusades were to protect Christianity by protecting Jerusalem and going out and spreading Christianity. They were so unsuccessful that today we basically consider them as religious massacres, but they unintentionally spread knowledge throughout Europe. This also led to advancements in the military and also the increase trade throughout Europe. -
1340
The Black Death
The Black Death completely changed society as we know it. it killed off 40%-50% of Europeans. It killed off most of the workers but still got to the rich as well. It then created a new merchant class and a completely new economy. The plague was horrible when infected you had blood and pus inside swellings that could be the size of an egg. Soon after other symptoms like fever, chills, diarrhea, and vomiting come until you eventually die. It was also highlt contagious and efficient. -
1350
The Renaissance
The Renaissance was a very important period that changed the world. It was a cultural movement that imported technology and ideas, it brought back classical ideas, and was considered an all-around golden age. The word "Renaissance" itself means rebirth and shows how this era came out of the dark ages and middle ages. It also brought ideas of modern science and brought huge advancements in medicine. Inventions like the prinitng press were breakthoughs in inovaton and transformed the world -
1451
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was born in what is now know as modern day Italy. He was actually an excellent navigator but, he still managed to never truly discover a faster way to Asia. He did believe the Earth was round just like other Europeans but, he thought it was much smaller than it really was. He did 4 voyages to what he thought was Asia. Instead on October 12, 1492, he discovered the Bahamas. The second voyage is brought 1,000 Spaniards and wiped natives by disease. He later did 2 other voyages -
1492
The Columbian Exchange
The Columbian Exchange is named after the explorer Christopher Columbus. In summary, The Columbian Exchange is just the exchange between the old world and the new world, Europe to America. It brought benefits from both sides and was not only exchange of goods but culture, religion, ideas, and food. The exchange was not always positive, however, since the disease was a large problem that was brought to America by the Europeans it nearly wiped out Native American civilizations. -
Chesapeake Colonies
Most of the Chesapeake colonies were located at the coast or at waterways. The settlements eventually sprawled out and expanded because the colonist wanted more land. This eventually led to conflicts with natives which could be seen with multiple colonies. colonies such as Virginia and Maryland grew tobacco as a cash crop and used indentured servants to grow the tobacco. Most of these servants were poor people from Europe and they came here in search for a new life, sponsored by the rich. -
Period: to
English Colonial Society
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New England Colonies
The main colonies of the New England colonies were Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Connecticut and later branched off to Rhode Island, Delaware, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Most of these colonies were founded due to religious reasons like the puritans in Plymouth thought England and Holland were corrupt. These colonies were built around religious centers and town centers. They had healthy lifestyles and lived to their 60s and like other colonies, they had conflicts with the natives in the area. -
Caribbean Colonies
The Caribbean colonies consisted of Barbados, Jamaica, and other English islands. The Caribbean colonies could be categorized as some of the most important colonies for numerous empires since they produced so much money. In the colonies of the Caribbean, slaves outnumbered the whites and there was no legal recourse for slaves. Spain, France, England, and Holland all had stakes in the region and they were all in love with the sugar. They basically used it for everything, it was the lifeblood. -
Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts were a series of acts that limited the colonist's trade between other foreign nations. For example, it limited the trade between the french and the colonies so that the colonies would get their good from England and not other countries so that the mother country would maximize profit. Eventually all goods could only be transported on English or colonial ships, anything else would be illegal. However, although this act was passed many colonist managed to pirate certain goods. -
Proprietary Colonies
Proprietary colonies were colonies under the ownership of not the crown but of other people the crown granted to. This included New York and New Jersey. New York formerly know as New Amsterdam was originally founded by the Dutch for trade. It was a threat to the English and Charles the second issued charter for new colonies in New Netherlands. New Netherlands was squished in between the New England Colonies and the Chesapeake colonies. Eventually some of these colonies were passed to the English -
Colonial Issues
Multiple problems began to arise at the end of the 17th century from full on wars with the natives to rebellions. In the eyes of the natives random strangers were just stopping on their land and taking their homes spreading disease and killing other natives. This conflict continued to grow and wars with natives started to arise. Rebellions like Bacon's rebellion began with other issues that were going on like the issues with colonial governments and class resentment.Problems grew in every colony -
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious revolution happened in England but took a hard impact on the colonies. It started when James the Second came into power and he was the first catholic in 100 years. He placed the Dominion of New England and had Spanish style colonial government.Parliament did not like him at all and gets James' daughter and her husband to invade England. They invaded and took power and ousted James the second out of England. The revolution was bloodless hence the name Glorious Revolution. -
Virtual Representation
Virtual representation was something that took place in Britain. It is when member of Parliament speaks for all of Britain rather than a small part. This was a problem for the colonist since they did not elect any Member of parliament, meaning they were not represented equally compared to Britain. This meant that when Parliament passed tax law against the colonist, the colonist did not have any say against it. This "representation" would eventually grow tensions leading to the revolution. -
Triangular Trade
Life in the late 17th century was really plain and simplistic. The colonist had very few luxury goods and even their homes and furniture was simple. That all changed with the triangular trade. It opened up and expanded commence I brought in numerous good to Africa , America, and Europe. Since it was mainly the trade between Africa, America, and Europe it formed the shape of a triangle hence the name triangular trade. It opened the economy and opened several a reliance between the continents. -
The Enlightenment
The enlightenment was a period of questioning and science. I showed the importance of reasoning and science and took science over superstition. Many important people like John Locke, Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, and many others helped contributed to society in this period and with them the world would never be the same. It brought upon questioning of pre-conceived notions and influenced the way we think today with backing our claims with hard scientific proof. It even questioned the Bible. -
Slavery in Colonial America
During the colonial times, multiple events occurred in the slavery category. For example, the colonies participated in the Atlantic slave trade which lead the deaths of countless slaves(more than %10 on the voyage). Slavery also grew quite a bit, using Africans as the main source of labor. It got to the point where the lower South had 2/3 of its population as slaves. Too make things worse for the slaves, some slaves had to tend to rice fields which was one of the most labor intensive crops. -
Colonial Economies
There were several different types of economies in the colonies.In the Northern New England colonies, the economy was very diverse. They fished, built ships, and participated in the Atlantic slave trade. The South on the other hand were quite the opposite. Their economy was not as diverse since they mainly relied on agriculture. The mid Atlantic, was a bit of a mix of both worlds, they had some agriculture, but they also participated in trade and had some small manufacturing industries. -
Period: to
Colonial America to 1763
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The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was a reaction to the enlightenment and could be described as an enlightenment but in a religious sense. It brought the revival of several religions and even spread some throughout America. It not only impacted the colonist but Native Americans as well, using Jesus as a symbol and bringing back pre- colonist contact ways of life. People such as John Edwards and George Whitfield brought about the change in peoples thinking. George Whitfield fior example, gave people a voice. -
7 Years War / French and Indian War
The French and Indian war was war fought between England, France, and Spain over territory in the new world. This is a actually a part in history where the colonist and the British fought as a team because they wanted land west. The French however wanted to move more South. Th eventual end result of the war was the Treaty of Paris 1763, where France got kicked out of North America and Britain gets Canada. This all started when Georgia Washington himself tries to take fort Duquesne. -
The Revolutionary War: Guerilla Warfare
Guerilla warfare was a strange tactic of the revolutionary war period. At this time most armies formed lines and formations and fired in volleys which were essentially waves of bullets all at once. Guerilla warfare was also petty warfare or hit and run tactics because of how unorthodox it was. In the revolutionary war, guerrilla warfare was used for picking small groups one by one instead of confronting large groups. An example would be how a colonist would hide, shoot and repeat. -
Period: to
The Revolutionary War
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Acts of Parliament
During the Revolutionary era, many acts were passed by parliament in order for the British empire to recover from the French and Indian war. The colonist however were very stubborn about the acts all though some were very necessary and were not as bad as the colonist had said. Many colonist formed riots, boycotts, and even formed rebellious groups like the sons of Liberty. To make things worse however, the British decided to place more acts on the colonies to punish them, making them infuriated. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was not a massacre at all instead, it was probably one of the first forms of propaganda in the New World. The Boston Massacre was a fictitious account from Paul Revere that describes British soldiers firing upon a crowd of colonists. In reality, the colonist were harassing the soldiers and were even throwing snowballs with stones inside of them, and this eventually led to the death of 5 citizens whcih is hardly a massacre at all. In the end, this mad the colonist outraged. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a "protest" against the British. It was actually a bunch of drunk Bostonians dressed as Native Americans that were led by Samuel Adams. It was a protest against acts that British passed earlier and the colonist wanted to express the fact that they were taxed without representation. The drunk Bostonians went on to 3 British ships and dumped 342 chests of tea in to the Boston Harbor. As a reaction, the British passed the intolerable acts, making the colonist more mad. -
1st Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from across the colonies in order to discuss some very important matters. In the first meeting, colonial leaders were very concerned with the build in tension against the British. They decided the renounce the Intolerable act and recommended the colonist to boycott British goods. Patrick Henry also warned of coming conflict and said the famous quote "Give me Liberty- or give me death". The meeting was one of the most important meetings to date. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Olive Branch Petition was basically a petition created by the Continental Congress as a last ditch effort to avoid a war with Britain. In the petition, many pledged their loyalty and tried to tell them they were British citizens as well, but King George III decided to reject the petition. This later just fueled support for the revolution to pick up. So what was suppose to be an apology letter later just resulted in a war with the person the colonist tried to apologies to. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important papers in the history of the United States. In general, the Declaration of Independence was a list of grievances drafted by Thomas Jefferson. It showed that independence was the only option and it declared the colonies united. The colonist were smart however since they avoided anti-monarchy sentiments in order to find other European allies willing to help the colonies in the battles against Britain. We celebrate the day it was signed. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was a very weak from of government the United States had put in place before the Constitution. The Articles of confederation primarily gave the power to individual states rather than a central government, this made it hard to agree on a single decision between the states. It relied on requisitions and could not force taxation since States would not comply since they had so much power. This was a very weak document that would soon be put to the test and replaced. -
Period: to
The Constitution
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Problems with the British
At this point in time the colonist were having a really hard time with the British. They owed British some money and they were not participating in trade with the British.The British were staying in their forts in the Ohio Valley and would not leave since they thought the treaty was no honored. To make things worse the British were giving guns to natives, making tensions with natives grow even stronger. Loyalist were a problem because the colonist hated them and mistreated them. -
Enlightenment Ideals on America in the late 18th Century
During this period of time, the Age of Enlightenment was still occurring, but on a difference basis since society has changed. It mainly occurred in the educated populace and widened the ways of thinking. To many people religion became less important and many people also thought that the church and the authority of the government should be separated. Ordinary people now have say in what is going on and they now have more influence around them compared to a century ago. It grew from old ideals. -
American Virtue
In the post-Revolutionary War America. things have changed and evolved into America's own unique identity. Republican ideals began to expand across the colonies and people were now using Democratic symbolism. You can see this as Americans began to build Greek style architecture and they even wanted Greek as the new language. They tried to stray away from British styles, to show that they did not want to have part in anything British. The populace also became more educated and civil duties grew. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's rebellion got its name from the leader Daniel Shay. He led other revolutionary war veterans, most of the men were furious Massachusetts farmers. They were unhappy with the high taxes, so they followed Daniel Shay to seize an arms stockpile. This occurred during post-war recession and times were tough for everyone and farms were seized. In a way Shay's rebellion was a test for the Articles of Confederation and it showed how weak it was and the importance of a central government. -
Constitutional Convention
The constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia and was suppose to improve upon the Article of Confederation or to just completely make something new. The founding fathers came together and agreed that the Articles were very weak, but planning out a constitution would be very hard to agree on. They came across 2 different plans and made a compromise by the end. They also arranged the 3 branches and determined how slaves should be counted. This Constitution replaced the AOC. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was a new way for Northwest territories to become admitted as a new state in the Union. It also established a government for Northwest Territories and gave new states equality to the original 13 colonies.The Northwest Ordinance also rejected slavery in the Northwest Territory. It placed governors and a legislature and would set up future admission for new states. It established a pattern the way the rest of the West would be settled and would be the basis. -
Election of 1788
This election was a big deal in American history. It brought us the first president of the United States, George Washington. He was considered everyone's choice and he was also a god-like figure. There were no running mates so the role role of Vice President was given to John Adams who was second in the election. The cabinet system was also put in place and it was based off the Prime Minister's system. It was very vital for running the government and it also distributed some of the power. -
International Conflicts
Despite having advice from George Washington to stay away from foreign affairs, the United States somehow got caught in the web. While France and Britain had a war, US merchants traded with both sides causing Britain to impound our ships. We used Jay's treaty to give favorable trade to Britain. We then also had Pickney's treaty giving us access to the Mississippi and New Orleans, but we also gave them favorable trade as well. African pirates also harassed American sailors in the ocean. -
Two competing forms of government
2 parties arose with different ideas and interpretations of the Constitution.The Republicans were led by Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton led the Federalists. The Federalist wanted a strong central government and a loose interpretation of the Constitution. The Republicans on the other hand wanted a Decentralized government and a strict interpretation of the Constitution. The Republicans also wanted the Bill of rights while the Federalist thought that it was necessary. They were opposites. -
Period: to
The New Republic
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The Bank of the United States
The Bank of the United States was created by Alexander Hamilton. It was a depository, somewhere you could place and store your money. It was also a place where you could make loans, this is when you borrow money but you have to pay the bank back but with interest. The bank also helped stabilize the economy and currency. It was unfair however since it favored private investors. The bank however faced controversies about being constitutional. It questioned if the government had too much authority. -
The Bill of Rights
The Bill of rights is arguably one of the most important documents in the history of the United States. The addition of the Bill of Rights had a lot of controversy since the 2 parties that existed at the time disagreed with adding the bill to the constitution. The Bill of Rights is very vital because it provides rights that are inscribed and are unalienable to normal person. To Democratic -Republicans, they felt that it was a necessary to preserve the rights of an individual. -
The XYZ Affair
This affair occurred during Adam's presidency. It started with problem's from Jay's Treaty. It limited the French's trade and France got mad so they seized our ships. We then sent envoys to France and they demanded $250,000 each envoy, a $10,000,000 loan to France, and an apology letter from John Adams. Word got out of this and we had an undeclared naval war called the Quazi War. Our army tripled in size and the United states Naval department was created to fight the French. -
Period: to
The Age of Jefferson
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Election of 1800
The election of 1800 was an election where vice president Thomas Jefferson ran against president John Adams. He was a conservative who wanted the reduction of the US gov, he wanted to eradicate the national debt, sever connections with the bank of the United States, sell western land, and slash the United States military and begin to rely more on the militias. The reasons why this election was so chaotic was because Adams went through a whole lot to take Jefferson's power away. -
Jefferson Administration
Jefferson himself could categorized as one of the greatest presidents. He was a very laid back guy who embraced political conflict and dialogue. He had a simple demeanor with no pomp and circumstance and was a casual dresser. He was actually even personally attacked by this. He wanted a smaller government and to sell western lands in order to make some money for the debt. He conducted the Louisiana purchase which was controversial because purchasing the Louisiana purchase contradicted his ideas. -
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was essentially a second war with Britain. At the time Britain's forces were still the most powerful. The war started when the US declared war with Britain. America tries to take Canada but the Americans got beat back. America then burned the capital, but later karma hits and Britain burn D.C. We do however beat them in a naval battle in the great lakes. In conclusion to the war, it was a draw so it was a big waste of time and money. It didn't solve diplomatic issues at all. -
Technological benefits of War of 1812
The War of 1812 although was a waste of time actually gave us lots of technological advancements. The embargo that Britain had put on the US caused the US to do things themselves and caused great technological innovations. The US created new firearms that would shoot more accurately and become later improved on, steam engines that helped in production and transportation, new agricultural advancement that made farming easier and cheaper, and mass production that increased production. -
Period: to
The America Industrial Revolution
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Panic of 1819
One of the worst depressions in the history of the United State, has to go to the panic of 1819. It all began after the war of 1812, their was a huge economic boom after the war. The second bank of the United States had opened up 3 years ago. Suddenly agriculture prices had collapsed in 1819 and banks began to fail. The United States had gone in to a tail spin and the economy has never been seen as so horrible. This was the worst recession in US history but we have no pictures and just painting. -
McCulloh v. Maryland
McCulloh versus Maryland was a land mark Supreme court of the United States case. The reason why this Supreme Court case was such a landmark was because the Supreme Court ruled that Congress had implied powers. The government would be in charge of commerce and create another bank and the federal government was above the states. The states would also never have the ability to take the place of the federal government. Eventually the South was led to more radical views of state's rights. -
Millennialism
Millennialism was a weird topic in the era of cultural changes. It brought people who tried to pick a day for Christ to come and failed not once but numerous times. It also brought about Shakers, who were celibate people and were also communistic. They didn't believe in procreation and rejected domesticity, the no procreation led to their own downfall. Mormons were also a things after Joseph Smith said he found Golden Ancient tablets and this belief appealed to farmers and traders. -
Temperance Movement
The Temperance movement was essentially a movement where people began to abstain from alcohol. During the periods of the early 1800s, the consumption of alcohol was at a high. People would drink all day and this would cause some problems while under the influence like domestic abuse. So the Temperance movement was a movement to stop the consumption of large amounts of alcohol. The alcohol problem was so bad in-fact that some states had to place a ban on alcohol. Restrictions still stand today. -
Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening actually started around 1800 but picked up around the 1820s. It is basically what the name states, it was basically the second revival of religion. The second great awakening emphasized religious romanticism. This brought about questioning higher authority and focused on connecting to God directly. This brought influence with emotions and the supernatural. IT rejected secularism and deism. People believed that the economy and politics had taken over morality. -
Architecture
During the period of cultural change, Americans grew a fascination in Greek culture. This included literature, politics, art, and architecture. This brought about Greek revival and is seen in some modern houses. Americans were fascinated with Greek Democracy and the similarities in the common-man democracy. This brought the coming of Greek architecture. Some houses use large stone pillars for aesthetic purposes to mimic the Greek architecture, and some of America's furniture is Greek inspired. -
Nature
Nature as part of the era of cultural changes brought a tranquil and more relaxed side of the United States. Parks were created as a new idea. It serves as a purpose to getaway from fast-paced lives of cites, jobs, and just everyday life. This would help reduce stress and help clear minds. Later cemeteries would follow this design. This is ironic because a park is where someone may rest and a cemetery is where someone is put to rest forever. Later rural cemetery movements would come into effect. -
Slavery during Cultural Changes
Slavery during the era of cultural change had an issue with abolitionist and anti-abolitionist. Abolitionist used gradualism which gradually freed slaves and sent them to Africa like Liberia. This was never popular with African Americans. Abolitionist also wanted immediatism which was the immediate end to slavery. Anti-abolitionist rallied to denounce abolitionist. They burned Abolitionist literature and books and they made the gag rule, forbidding words of abolition. -
Period: to
Cultural Changes
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Missouri Compromise
The compromise started with a crisis in Missouri. Missouri was trying to apply for admission as a slave state, and the North being believing in anti-slavery they disagreed with Missouri's admission. The South o n the other hand wanted Missouri to be admitted so they would have more power by having more slave states. So the the Missouri compromise was passed creating an imaginary line on the 36 30 latitude. This made states above that line free except for Missouri. This will cause future conflict -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was a speech given out by president Jame Monroe after the War of 1812. At the time, the United States was beginning to grow rapidly while other empires like the Spanish empire began to crumble. According to Monroe, the United States would have influence over the new area. Monroe also declared that Europe could have no intervention in the Western hemisphere. This basically meant that America was under the influence of the United States and would take in America's influence. -
Corrupt Bargain
The Corrupt Bargain was an unfair deal in the eyes of Andrew Jackson. It occurred during the election of 1824, and it was a deal struck between House Speaker Henry Clay and presidential candidate John Quincy Adams. This occurred when both John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson ran against each other for the presidency, but Jackson had the popular vote and more votes in the electoral college. The deal convinced Congress to make Adams president and Clay as secretary of state. Jackson was furious. -
Period: to
Jacksonian America
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Election of 1824
The election of 1824 is one of the most well known elections in history. this is due to the fact that something fishy was going on during the election. For this election the previous president picked no successor so it was hard to decide who should be the next president. there were 4 candidates John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William Crawford, and Henry Clay. Jackson wins the popular vote of the election but lost in the electoral college. Adams becomes president through the corrupt bargain. -
Immigration
Throughout the industrial revolution although there was a mass migration of the United States population, there was also a mass migration of foreign mostly European population to the United States. The Irish came due to a potato famine, they mostly went to the inner city slums and were hated. The Germans came due to poor harvest and political turmoil. The Midwest and the North were where most Germans and Scandinavians migrated to. People also went from rural areas to urban areas. -
Labor Changes
Labor was completely changed during the industrial revolution. New ways of labor had been created. Steam powered engines helped run large machines that were able to do 10 times the work of an average human. Mass production was a huge money saver, with worker working on assembly lines in order to create goods in bulk cheaper and quicker. Lowell Mills where women worked in Waltham systems in centralized factories in large forces. It had bad conditions and long hours, but women earned more. -
Changes in Communication
Communication evolved during the Industrial Revolution. Society witnessed globalization and instant communication at the snap of a finger. New would travel across the globe in minutes due to these new innovations. The telegram mas a device that sent electronic signal by Morse code, these signals were then translated back and were sent in seconds. Printing became cheaper and easier, making textbooks possible and increase literacy. Mass advertising and photography grew as well, people were updated -
Changes in Agriculture
Changes in agriculture may be some of the greatest and most underrated changes, it made food cheaper and easier to produce. The iron plow was created by John Deere and was used to dig into the surface of the ground and loosen and shift the soil so seeds may be planted. This made plant growth a lot easier. Crank churns were created to produce butter in large cheap quantities. Things like the cotton gin increased slavery but made slave life easier. It made cotton cheaper and easier to process. -
Changes in Transportation
Multiple new forms or transportation were created to make transportation quicker, more reliable, and cheaper. Roads were better made and safer to travel on. Steamboats made going up and down rivers a breeze and went incredible speeds at the time, it also made water transportation cheaper. Canals went with steamboats since they were water routes that could cut transportation time. Railroads were one of the fastest ways of transportation and it hauled tons of goods and made things cheaper. -
Growing Cities
Throughout the industrial revolution we see cities begin to grow. As cities became more industrialized, people flocked to those cities creating a population boom. Slums started to from, working class neighborhoods, multiple family dwellings like tenements, and segregated neighborhoods became a large part of the city. This made mass transportation crucial with such a massive population. Things like overcrowding, temperance, and racial tensions became a problem, but cities created a police force. -
Southern Society
Society in the South was different, it was mixed society where everyone interacted with each other. It had 3 levels the Planters, Yeoman Farmers, and Tenant Farmers. Planters were at the top, they owned 0-9 slaves and were rich. Yeoman farmer relied on planters and were like average farmers. They banded together to do things like catch slaves and formed militias. Tenant farmers were 30-50% of the population. They were at the bottom and were kind of like slaves, but encouraged white supremacy. -
Slavery in the Industrial Revolution
As slavery was plummeting the cotton gin actually brought a little boom back into the business it increased slavery, processed more cotton, and created more clothing. The North didn't have slavery but they did have free black communities which were under more scrutiny. Slaves in the South also tried to runaway and go to the North. The Southern lives were mixed with interaction all around. There were 2 types of slaves, a field slave typically worked more intensively, a domestic slave was inside. -
Presidency of John Q. Adams
During John Q. Adams presidency, he put in place the American system. This meant the placement of industrial tariffs, a new national bank, and internal improvements on the infrastructure like the building of roads and canals. He also put national universities and observatories in place. He was above politics and chased people based on merit. Many were aware of the many gaffs Adams had and he was unaware of popular democracy. During the campaign for Jackson Adams was personally attacked. -
Election of 1828
This election was essentially a new start for Andrew Jackson. He brought his humble origins and how he was a hero of the war of 1812. He also represented the modern Democratic party. He tried to appeal to the common man in order to seem more relatable and he used the grass-root technique going door to door and spreading his name throughout the United States. Although this election had personal attacks to ruin the images of Jackson he wins overwhelmingly and beats John Quincy Adams. -
Jackson Administartion
Jackson was the first president to be voted in by the common man. Once president Jackson puts in place the spoils system. This replaced the bureaucracy with his supporters and filled the government with his own people. In the beginning of the first term he forced most of the cabinet to resign. During his presidency the Nullification Crisis occurred making his vice president resign. Although Jackson was a great president, he had a dark side that hated Natives and he placed the Indian Removal Act. -
Age of Common Man
The age of the common man changed society as we know it. It allowed for politics to be more open towards the common man. It brought a new Democratic culture and a sense of being American. It also showed a mixed society with universal voting with every white male being able to vote now. As president Andrew Jackson was elected he appealed and wanted to benefit the common man. He brought the Republic of the common man. Davy Crocket is also soon known as the hero of the common man -
Slavery during the Westward expansion
During the period of Westward expansion many foresaw slavery growing in new territories. From the expansion of the United States through the Mexican American war,David Wilmot came up with the Wilmot Proviso. The Wilmot Proviso promised that western territories from the war would not have slavery. Political parties also split up due to slavery with free soil factions and pro-slavery Democrats. Popular Sovereignty came as as states should choose to be either a free or a slave state. -
Great Migration
The Great migration was essentially part of Manifest Destiny, but it was more of the movement of the people. As part of the great migration large amounts of people traveled up to Oregon to what is know as the Oregon trial.It was a 5 to 6 month trip and many elderly and young died throughout the journey. They went in search of new opportunity. There was also a group of Mormons that were migrating because of religious beliefs. Members of the community had to deed their property to the Church. -
Western Frontier
America's Western frontier was wild and full of mysteries, it consisted of colonists looking for opportunity, fur traders, trappers, and Native Americans. America dominated the fur trade by the 1820s. Trappers who participated in the fur trade made lots of money but at the cost of the beavers endangerment. These trapper however brought information of the Western lands. Native Americans were also on the frontier as many of them were pushed due to white settlement claiming their homes. -
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was the thought that the United States should spread its reach from the west coast to the East coast. Many people went through the Oregon trail which took about 5-6 months. People believed that going West brought a lot of opportunity. Manifest Destiny also caused conflict however because it may have led some to believe that they were entitled to the land of others. For example, the United States fought over land from Mexico in the Mexican-American war. -
Period: to
Westward Expansion
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Election of 1840
The election of 1840 was between candidate Martin Van Buren who wanted to be re-elected and general William Henry Harrison who was a Whig. The Whig party were intense competition. They spread rumors about Martin Van Buren. Since women still did not have the ability to vote, they had an influence on the men who could vote. This made the Whigs make women to convince the men to cote for Harrison. With all this Harrison wins with a landslide, but died a month later. John Tyler becomes president. -
Texas
Texas has a rough story. Mexico first allowed settlement of Texas but with certain conditions put in place. However, the white folks just kept coming and coming outnumbering the Mexicans and disobeying the conditions. Texas then separated from Mexico so the Dictator Santa Anna came up North to put Texas down, but after many battle Sam Houston captured Santa Anna while he was resting. After Texas was an independent nation. the US fights for admission of Texas as either a slave or free state. -
Mexican American War
The Mexican war basically started over the United States thirst for land. America declares war on Mexico and marches from Kansas to California. California then declares its independence from Mexico and later joins the United States. The war lasted for 2 years and Mexico became overwhelmed with its problems and the war. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war setting border dispute and giving half of Mexico's territory to the US. Problems are coming over slavery due to new territory. -
Slavery in Sectionalism
The ideas of slavery in the North and South were intensifying at this time. The Compromise of 1850 brought about the end of the slave trade in D.C., but the fugitive slave act was passed so slaves would be returned to owner if they were in the North. Some Northern states however passed laws that prohibited the returning of slaves. A problem arose that was called Bleeding Kansas. This was basically when pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers both went to Kansas and set up 2 different governments. -
Industrialization vs. Agriculture
The North and the South was essentially industrialization versus agriculture. The North had numerous factories with a large population that overwhelmed the South. Most of the North's population were freemen as well so that makes the ratio even greater compared to the South. The North also had railroads that were connected and ran throughout the North. The South however was growing in city size and industrialization but was minuscule. They still mainly relied on agriculture like cotton. -
Suffrage
Women's suffrage began when women were starting to get opportunity like men. Industrialization made it so women must work, during wars as well women took jobs of men. Women were a growing political influence. Women were also against all the bad things like temperance and slavery. The Seneca Falls Convention, was a cornerstone for future suffrage and the media portrayed it negatively,but the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions was passed to secure rights in economics and voting for women. -
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Sectionalism
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California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush was an interesting part of American history. As soon as gold was found, thousands of American flocked to California creating a boom in the population. California became a territory in 1848 and 2 years later earned its statehood. Gold was easy to find at first and mining began in 1852 but later as more and more people came, gold diminished and people became desperate for gold but found nothing but dirt. The Chinese even came for opportunity, but were treated horribly. -
Nativism
People who believed in Nativism were called Nativist. They blamed all the problems the United States had on the immigrants. They were completely against immigration especially against the Germans and Irish Catholics. They formed a party called the know nothings or the American party. Although they weren't a significant party they influenced the other parties. They formed a secret organization and wanted restrictions on immigration. They wanted a 1 policy vote but they disappeared by 1860. -
Election of 1852
The election of 1852 was between Franklin Pierce who was a Democrat and Winfield Scott who was a Whig. Winfield Scott allied with anti-slavery Whigs and after his lost the Whig party fell apart After this election there was complete polarization. The Democrats weakened and the Whig party was no more. The Republican party appealed to the North with free soil Whigs and anti slavery democrats. The Democratic party appealed to the South and pro slavery Whigs conjoined with the Democrats. -
Election of 1860
The election of 1860 was an election that put one of the most well known presidents in office. This election had 2 official candidates John Breckinridge as a Democrat and Abraham Lincoln as Republican. The election had an unofficial candidate which was John Bell who was with the Constitutional Union party (former know nothings). These candidates appealed to different sections of the country. Abraham Lincoln won because of the division in the Democratic party. This made the South mad. -
The South
The South was basically the complete opposite of the North. Their population was about a third of the North's and half of that population included slaves. Their industry was also minuscule compared to North with only around 18,000 factories worth $155 billion which is around 10 times less the worth of the North. They also had 9,000 miles of railroad tracks that were not consolidated or coordinated. Although they odds were against them, they had great military leadership and intense dicipline. -
Civil War: Leader - George McClellan
George McClellan can be described as pretty bad military leader. He was placed as the general for the Army of the Potomac by Abraham Lincoln, but the only thing he was good for was the training of his army at a relatively fast pace. Although he was fast at training his army it took him 3 weeks to land his army for the Peninsular Campaign, which should have taken him a couple of days to do, ruining the campaign. He also hated Lincoln and during the election of 1864 he runs against Lincoln himself -
The North
The North had several advantages over the South. One advantage includes the large population of 22 million. Most of the population included free men ready to fight, unlike the South which included a population that consisted a large portion of slaves. They also had a large industry with 110,000 factories and a net worth of $1.5 Billion. Their factories also manufactured 97% of the weapons, 94% of clothing, 90% of shoes and boots. They also had one of the greatest politician as president. -
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The Civil War
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Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America started after the South got upset with Abraham Lincoln being elected as president. Secessionist held rallied across the South. South Carolina was the first state to leave and 2 months later Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. The states then formed the Confederacy and Jefferson Davis was president. The government was the same as the Unions but slavery was protected. President Buchannon did nothing about this, and later things get worst. -
The Trent Affair
the Trent affair was an affair where 2 Confederate diplomats were sent on British ships to Britain. At this time, the North had put a blockade in the Atlantic and the USS San Jacinto intercepted the RMS Trent which was the British ship carrying the diplomats, hence the name Trent affair. When the Union captured the diplomats, the British demanded an apology, and Lincoln being one of the greatest politicians, he released the Diplomats and somehow managed to secure British and French neutrality. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was a proclamation that declared all slaves free in the South. This proclamation was used to try to convince the South to end the rebellion since he would only put it into act if the rebellion did not end by January 1, 1863. The proclamation also prevented Britain from entering the war because it showed that the south was pro slavery and that would be against the British empire. the only exception would be that the border states were allowed to keep slaves. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was similar to Saratoga since it was the turning point of the war. This is one of the very few battles in the war where the South invaded into the North. It was the bloodiest battle between 90,000 union soldiers and 75,000 Confederate soldiers. It lasted 3 days, the first day had small skirmishes, the second the Confederate tried to flank, and on the final day the Confederate decided to charge up the middle and they got wiped out, causing the Confederate to retreat. -
Life for whites Reconstruction South
Although some would assume whites had a good life in the South, it was not always the case. Some poor whites did exist and were exploited while working like through sharecropping. There were also people called carpetbagger who were actually Northerners who moved to the South for economic opportunity. Scalawags were whites who ere considered traitors by other Southerners, they got wealthy by manipulating black votes and it was the quickest way for economic improvements. They came from poor South. -
Plans for Reconstruction
Before reconstruction began, there were 2 different plans to go by: Lincoln's 10% Plan and the Wade-Davis Bill. Lincoln's 10% plan or the Amnesty & Reconstruction plan was the idea that all southerns except for officers and officials would be pardoned of their crimes. The Southern could also take an oath of loyalty and when 10% of a states population takes the oath they can apply for state recognition. The Wade-Davis bill was essentially the same but much more cruel, wanting a long punishment. -
Former Slaves
Although the Civil War was basically fought over slavery, during the reconstruction and after the war, many former slaves were very limited with their rights.They did have the Freedman's Bureau, which was a relief agency for former slaves, but they had a bunch of broken promises. Although former slaves should have 40 acres and a mule, instead they could just rent/buy the farm land. Black codes were created to limit civil rights and economic opportunity for blacks. Vagrancy was also a problem. -
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Reconstruction
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Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was just trying to enjoy a comedic play at Ford's Theater but little did he know he was going to be assassinated. although they did know of some conspiracy against Lincoln and his cabinet he would have never expected to die at the play. It was just 5 days after the Appomattox courthouse surrender when John Wilkes Booth snuck into Lincoln's booth and shot him in the back of the head. He dies the next day and millions viewed his funeral procession on the railroad tracks. -
Andrew Johnson Administration
Andrew Johnson was originally Abraham Lincoln's vice president but eventually became the third most hated president in history. He started off as vice president but upon Lincoln's assassination he was sworn in as president. He opposed succession and was a blatant racist. He promoted a lenient readmission policy with taking an oath, return all of property, and renounce succession. He also ratified the 13th amendment. He was later impeached by congress and was the first president to get impeached. -
Grant Administration
President Ulysses S. Grant won the election of 1868 as a republican who went for political moderation and peace. As a great military leader, he failed at presidency. He had no control over his cabinet and he tried using military force in state affairs in the South but that ultimately backfired. His presidency caused a divide in the Republican party and for democrats to take over. The Panic of 1873 swept over and Grant gives up and does nothing in the South cause he is scared of political losses -
The New South
The new South was an era of change for the South, they became more industrialized and business oriented and also came up with excuses for losing the war. The excuses for losing the war was called the Lost Cause,They justified losing with a bunch of excuses and tried to rewrite history. The South did start to industrialize and Northerners were investing while the poor were getting exploited. Southerners also participated in sharecropping, which was a horrible way to live and make money. -
Election of 1876
The election was between Samuel Tilden(Democrat) and Rutherford Hayes(Republican). The issues were corruption, reconstruction and the economy. Although Tilden had the popular vote, the electoral votes were unclear with 3 states undecided. The compromise of 1877 was struck and Hayes given the electoral votes if he ends reconstruction and removes federal troops from the South. This meant no troops to keep order in the South. As a result, total suppression for Southern blacks began.
