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Thomas Jefferson Elected President
Thomas Jefferson defeats John Adams to become the 3rd President of the United States. -
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Second Great Awakening
A second period of religious revivalism occurred from roughly 1800 to the 1850s. During this time, many revivals like those from the First Great Awakening occurred, and new Christian sects were created. -
Cane Ridge Revival
Thousands of people flock to Cane Ridge, Kentucky where Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian revivals occur. -
Louisiana Purchase
Thomas Jefferson's administration purchases Louisiana and surrounding territories from France for $15 million. -
Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa Confederacy
Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa, two Native American leaders, begin allying themselves with other Native American tribes in the hopes of attacking America. -
Embargo Act of 1807
In the hopes of avoiding the war between Napoleonic France and Europe, Congress passes the Embargo Act in 1807 which closed American ports to foreign trade. -
Battle of Tippecanoe
Tecumseh's allies are defeated by the United States at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. -
War of 1812 Begins
America begins the War of 1812 by invading Canada. -
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War of 1812
In 1812, The United States of America declared war on Britain after Britain was openly hostile towards America. Despite early British victories, the war soon turned in the favor of America, and peace was made in December of 1814. News of the peace treaty was slow to reach America, and the war did not fully end after Andrew Jackson's victory in New Orleans in 1815. -
Tecumseh Dies
Tecumseh, the unifier of Native Americans across the continent, dies while waging war against America in Ontario. -
Battle at Fort McHenry
Americans at Fort McHenry repel an invasion by the British in 1814. Francis Scott Key pens The Star Spangled Banner while observing the battle. -
Washington D.C. Burned
The British invade Washington D.C. and torch the city in August 1814 -
Treaty of Ghent Signed
The Treaty of Ghent is signed, which normalized relations between American and Great Britain. -
Battle of New Orleans
Andrew Jackson ends the War of 1812 on a high note and defeats Britain at New Orleans in early 1815. -
Calhoun Argues for the American System
John C. Calhoun begins arguing for the American System, a collection of laws which would improve American infrastructure and finances. -
Adams-Onís Treaty
Spain sells Florida to America for $5 million as part of the Adams-Onís Treaty. -
Missouri Compromise of 1820
Missouri is admitted to the Union as a slave state, Maine is admitted as a free state, and East-West line dividing slave states from free states is created. -
Petit Gulf Cotton Discovered
Petit Gulf Cotton, an extremely useful strain of cotton, is discovered near Rodney, Mississippi and helps spark the Cotton Revolution. -
Lowell Mill Town Completed
The city of Lowell, a town centered around textile mills, revolutionizes the textile industry after it's completion in 1821. -
John Quincy Adams Elected President
John Quincy Adams becomes President of the United States after a highly controversial election between him, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, William H. Crawford. -
Andrew Jackson Elected President
Andrew Jackson defeats John Quincy Adams to become President of the United States in 1828. -
Joseph Smith Founds Mormonism
John Smith founds the Mormon religion after receiving visions from God in the early 1830s. -
Indian Removal Act of 1830
Andrew Jackson forcibly evicts thousands of Native Americans to make more room for American settlers. -
Nat Turner's Slave Revolt
Nat Turner, a slave, kills his master and leads dozens of slaves on a revolt which kills over 50 whites. -
Nullification Crisis
John C. Calhoun and South Carolina declare the federal tariffs of 1828 and 1832 null, prompting a military response from Andrew Jackson. -
Andrew Jackson Vetoes Bank Charter
During the election of 1832, the recharter of the Bank of the United States is forced through Congress. Andrew Jackson vetoes the charter, effectively ending the future for the Bank. -
Treaty of New Echota
John Ridge and some of the Cherokee tribe sign the Treaty of New Echota, which cedes Cherokee lands in exchange for $5 million and peace from Georgia. -
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Texas Revolution
Texans declare Independence from Mexico, and become the Republic of Texas in 1836 -
Polk Occupies the Nueces Strip
Polk occupies the Nueces Strip after Mexico declines to sell the land to America. -
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Mexican American War
Mexico and America go to war over the disputed Nueces Strip in Southern Texas. -
Battle of San Jacinto
Sam Houston routs the Mexican army at San Jacinto. -
Treaty of Velasco
A defeated Santa Anna is forced to sign the Treaty of Velasco, which recognizes Texas as an independent state. -
Panic of 1837
Risky investments and the end of the Bank of the United States cause an economic downturn in America. -
Trail of Tears
Cherokee Indians are forced to move westward under harsh conditions, killing thousands. -
Gold Discovered at Sutter's Mill
James W. Marshall discovers gold in Sutter's mill in California, sparking the California Gold Rush. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Mexico surrenders to the United States as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the United States gains a large tract of land to the West. -
John O'Sullivan Coins Manifest Destiny
John O'Sullivan coined the term "Manifest Destiny", the idea of American superiority, in an 1845 newspaper article. -
Frederick Douglass Publishes His Slavery Narrative
Frederick Douglass publishes Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, which prompts outcries against slavery. -
Texas Becomes a State
John Tyler has Texas annexed in a failed attempt to save his political career. -
Seneca Falls Convention
Women's Rights advocates meet at Seneca Falls and sign the Declaration of Sentiments, a document outlining grievances and resolutions concerning Women's Rights in America. -
Henry David Thoreau Publishes Civil Disobedience
Thoreau, a Transcendentalist, publishes Resistance to Civil Government in 1849 -
Compromise of 1850
A national crisis over the admission of California to the Union sparks the Compromise of 1850, an attempt to heal the divides between North and South. -
Harriet Beecher Stowe Publishes Uncle Tom's Cabin
Stowe publishes Uncle Tom's Cabin, an anti-slavery novel, in 1852, sparking controversy. -
Dred Scott Decision
Scott v Sandford, the infamous Dred Scott decision, says that black Americans cannot be citizens of the United States. -
Raid of Harper's Ferry
John Brown raids Harper's Ferry in attempt to spark a Civil War over slavery in the South. -
Lincoln Elected President of the United States
Abraham Lincoln is elected in 1860, sparking the chain of events leading to the Civil War. -
First Confiscation Act
Congress declares escaped slaves as captured contraband and no longer property of Southern slave owners. -
The South Fires on Fort Sumter
The Civil War begins after General P.G.T. Beauregard fires on the Union Fort Sumter. -
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Civil War
The American Civil War occurred between the Northern (Union) states and the seceding Southern states from 1861 to 1865. -
South Carolina Secedes
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Duel at Hampton Roads
The first Ironclad-to-Ironclad ship battle in history occurred near Hampton Roads, Virginia. -
Second Confiscation Act
Congress declares slaves under Union control free. -
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh was the single costliest battle in American until that point, with over 23,000 casualties. -
Battle of Antietam
The first major battle on Union soil. Generals McClellan and Lee engaged in the single costliest day of battle in American history with over 20,000 casualties. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, which frees all slaves, goes into effect. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville occurred from May 30 to April 6 and was a Confederate victory, but resulted in the death of "Stonewall" Jackson. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was General Lee's final incursion to the North. -
Battle of Vicksburg Ends
Vicksburg, the last Southern holdout in the West, falls July 4, 1863 -
Sherman Captures Atlanta
General Sherman captures Atlanta, Georgia in September of 1864 -
Lincoln Re-elected President of the United States
Lincoln defeats former General Andrew McClellan in the election of 1864 -
Thirteenth Amendment Passed
The 13th Amendment legally abolishes slavery in America. -
General Lee Surrenders
Lee surrenders to the Union at Appamatox -
Lincoln Assassinated
John Wilkes Booth assassinates Lincoln at Ford's Theater. -
Grant Elected President of the United States
Former General Ulysses S. Grant defeats Andrew Johnson and is elected President. -
Fourteenth Amendment Ratified
The 14th Amendment is ratified, which guarantees birthright citizenship to black Americans and gives them equal protection under the law.