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Lexington and Concord
The shot heard round the world. One of the first militia based battles of the revolutionary war, and the first one that really drove Boston toward the revolutionary cause. It started the American revolutionary epoch. -
Battle at Bunker Hill
It was earlier in the American Revolutionary War when this battle took place. The battle is named after Bunker Hill, which was involved in the battle and was the original objective of both colonial and British troops. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Olive Branch Petition was adopted by the Continental Congress so that they could avoid war with Great Britain. The petition stated that America remained loyal to Great Britain but was rejected; leading to the rebellion formed by the colonies. -
Common Sense
Written by Thomas Paine and stated that the American colonists had an argument against British rule during the time of confusion about independence -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They managed the colonial war effort, and adopted the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which stated that the thirteen American colonies were no longer a part of the British Empire and presented themselves as independent states -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of Britain's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days in Saratoga, New York. -
Articles of Confederation
An agreement among the 13 founding states that established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution. It resulted as mainly a failure except the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown, taking place on October 19, 1781, was a victory by a combined force of American Continental Army troops led by General George Washington and French Army troops. -
Treaty of Paris
This treaty ended the American Revolutionary war between Great Britain and the United States. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements that reflected off of the treaty. -
Shay’s Rebellion
An armed uprising named after Daniel Shays who was also a veteran of the American Revolutionary War and was one of the rebel leaders. It was caused by several factors such as, financial difficulties by a post-war economic depression, a credit squeeze caused by a lack of hard currency, and harsh government policies. -
Constitutional Convention
The meeting of state delegates in 1787 in Philadelphia called to revise the Articles of Confederation. It instead designed a new plan of government, the US Constitution. -
Compromise, and 3/5 Compromise
A compromise between Southern and Northern states reached during the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 in which three-fifths of the population of slaves would be counted for enumeration purposes regarding both the distribution of taxes and the apportionment of the members of the United States House of Representatives. -
Northwest Ordinance
It was an act of the Congress of the Confederation of the United States, passed on July 13, 1787. The main effect of the ordinance was the creation of the Northwest Territory that let them spread the country more towards the west. -
Judiciary Act
In 1789 Congress passed this Act which created the federal-court system. The act managed to quiet popular apprehensions by establishing in each state a federal district court that operated according to local procedures. -
Marbury v. Madison
The 1803 case in which Chief Justice John Marshall and his associates first asserted the right of the Supreme Court to determine the meaning of the U.S. Constitution. The decision established the Court's power of judicial review over acts of Congress, (the Judiciary Act of 1789). -
Chisholm v. Georgia
Two citizens of South Carolina brought suit against Georgia to recover British-owned property which had been confiscated by Georgia during the Revolutionary War. State officials refused to appear in court and vigorously denied the Court's jurisdiction. The Court's decision provoked widespread criticism, and two days later the Eleventh Amendment was proposed in Congress -
Whiskey Rebellion
In 1794, farmers in Pennsylvania rebelled against Hamilton's excise tax on whiskey, and several federal officers were killed in the riots caused by their attempts to serve arrest warrants on the offenders. In October, 1794, the army, led by Washington, put down the rebellion. The incident showed that the new government under the Constitution could react swiftly and effectively to such a problem, in contrast to the inability of the government under the Articles of Confederation to deal wi -
XYZ Affair
An insult to the American delegation when they were supposed to be meeting French foreign minister, Talleyrand, but instead they were sent 3 officials Adams called "X,Y, and Z" that demanded $250,000 as a bribe to see Talleyrand. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
These consist of four laws passed by the Federalist Congress and signed by President Adams in 1798: the Naturalization Act, which increased the waiting period for an immigrant to become a citizen from 5 to 14 years; the Alien Act, which empowered the president to arrest and deport dangerous aliens; the Alien Enemy Act, which allowed for the arrest and deportation of citizens of countries was with the US; and the Sedition Act, which made it illegal to publish defamatory statements about the feder -
Gilded Age
A name for the late 1800s, coined by Mark Twain to describe the tremendous increase in wealth caused by the industrial age and the ostentatious lifestyles it allowed the very rich. The great industrial success of the U.S. and the fabulous lifestyles of the wealthy hid the many social problems of the time, including a high poverty rate, a high crime rate, and corruption in the government. -
Revolution of
Jefferson's name of 1800 election; signaled changed from Federalists to Jeffersonians -
Second Great Awakening
A series of religious revivals based on Methodism and Baptism. Stressed a religious philosophy of salvation through good deeds and tolerance for all Protestant sects. The revivals attracted women, Blacks, and Native Americans. -
Louisiana Purchase
1803 purchase of the Louisiana territory from France. Made by Jefferson, this doubled the size of the US. -
Embargo Act
This act issued by Jefferson forbade American trading ships from leaving the U.S. It was meant to force Britain and France to change their policies towards neutral vessels by depriving them of American trade. -
Nonintercourse Act
A law passed in 1809 replacing the Embargo Act, allowing Americans to carry on trade with all nations except Britain and France -
Macon’s Bill No. 2
1810 - Forbade trade with Britain and France, but offered to resume trade with whichever nation lifted its neutral trading restrictions first. France quickly changed its policies against neutral vessels, so the U.S. resumed trade with France, but not Britain. -
Fletcher v. Peck
1810 - A state had tried to revoke a land grant on the grounds that it had been obtained by corruption. The Court ruled that a state cannot arbitrarily interfere with a person's property rights. Since the land grant was a legal contract, it could not be repealed, even if corruption was involved. -
War of 1812
a war (1812-1814) between the United States and England which was trying to interfere with American trade with France -
Treaty of Ghent
Treaty ending the War of 1812, signed on Christmas Eve, 1814; agreed to a halt in the fighting, the return of all conquered territory to the previous owner, and recognition of the boudary between Canada and the US. Did not address matters which led to the war (impressment, blockades) -
Second Bank of United States
Chartered in 1816, much like its predecessor of 1791 but with more capital; it could not forbid state banks from issuing notes, but its size and power enabled it to compel the state banks to issue only sound notes or risk being forced out of business -
Election of 1816
(beginning of Era of Good Feelings)
Election when Rufus King (federalist candidate) was brutally defeated by Monroe. Rufus King was a strong advocate for the abolition of slavery. His loss signified the 'death' of the federalist party -
McColluch v. Maryland
(1819) Supreme court upheld power of the national government and denied right of a state to tax the bank. Court's broad interpretation of necessary and proper clause paved way for later rulings. -
Dartmouth College v. Woodward
1819--New Hampshire had attempted to take over Dartmouth College by revising its colonial charter. The Court ruled that the charter was protected under the contract clause of the U. S. Constitution; upholds the sanctity of contracts. -
Johnson v. McIntosh
(1823, Marshall). Established that Indian tribes had rights to tribal lands that preceded all other American law; only the federal government could take land from the tribes. -
Election of 1824
In this election, four candidates from the same party competed for the nation's highest office. In the end, Andrew Jackson received the most popular votes and the most electoral votes but he was not elected. Because no candidate won a majority of electoral votes, the election was thrown into the House of Representatives. Speaker of the House Henry Clay steered the election toward John Quincy Adams. When Adams then appointed Clay to be Secretary of State, Jackson and his supporters leveled charge -
Gibbons v. Ogden
This case involved New York trying to grant a monopoly on waterborne trade between New York and New Jersey. Judge Marshal, of the Supreme Court, sternly reminded the state of New York that the Constitution gives Congress alone the control of interstate commerce. Marshal's decision, in 1824, was a major blow on states' rights. -
Election of 1828
"Jacksonian Democracy"- , Jackson defeats John Quincy Adams in this election, becoming our 7th President (belief that the "common" man- King Mob should be able to participate in his government) -
Indian Removal Act
Ordered the removal of Indian Tribes still residing east of the Mississippi to newly established Indian Territory west of Arkansas and Missouri. Tribes resisting eviction were forcibly removed by American forces, often after prolonged legal or military battles. -
Nullification Crisis
South Carolina nullified the federal law requiring an increase of protective tariffs. This is an example of conflict over states vs federal rights. -
Texas Independence
t solved the military conflict between the government of Mexico and Texas colonists that began in 1835 and resulted in the establishment of the Republic of Texas. -
Webster-Ashburton Treaty
A treaty resolving several border issues between the United States and the British North American colonies. -
Election of 1844
Henry Clay and Martin Van Buren ran for president hoping to cloud the impending issue of annexing Texas. However, President Tyler, lacking support from either party, attempted to build support by backing the annexation of Texas. -
Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American War was a dispute over the Mexican-American border and also the United States wanted to purchase California and New Mexico. Mexico lost the war and it resulted in the United States gaining New Mexico and Southern California. -
Wilmot Proviso
In 1846 David Wilmot proposed a bill that forbid any slavery in the previous owned Mexican territories. His bill the Wilmot Proviso , passed the House twice but it was defeated in Senate. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican -American war in 1848. The treaty had the following; Mexico would recognize the Rio Grande as the southern border of Texas and United States would take possession of the previous Mexican provinces of New Mexico and California for 15 million dollars. -
Ostend Manifesto
Americans wanted to purchase Cuba from Spain , but Spain refused. The United States wanted Cuba so bad that three American diplomats met in Ostend, Belgium where they came up with a plan to secretly buy Cuba from Spain. The Ostend Manifesto that the diplomats created was leaked into the American’s press. Many anti-slavery members of Congress were angered and President Pierce was forced to drop the scheme. -
Gadsden Purchase
Purchased by the United States in a treaty signed by James Gadsden. The purchase added a large area to the United States consisting of lands south of the Gila River and west of the Rio Grande. -
Panic of 1857
A financial panic in the United States caused by the declining international economy and an over-expansion of the domestic economy. -
Alaska Purchase
Secretary of State William H. Seward agreed to purchase Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. The addition of Alaska would increase America’s size by around 20%. Not long after, the discovery of gold was made. -
Horizontal integration
absorption into a single firm of several firms involved in the same level of production and sharing resources at that level -
J.P Morgan
Finance, stock market @ wallstreet becomes important: The volume of stocks traded increased sixfold in the years between 1896 and 1901 -
Ulysses S. Grant
Being a virgin to politics, he became the first president to be in office after the Civil War. He was previously a Union General who defeated General Lee at Appomatox Court House, which ended the Civil War. During Grants presidency, several scams passed through Congress. Grant was never proven to be involved with any of them. Also, the Panic of 1873 (overspeculation) came about in his reign. he served out two consecutive terms and was not renominated to run for a third. -
John D. Rockefeller
Best product at the price, eliminate competition, forms trusts, Standard Oil -
Civil Rights Act of 1875
Gave blacks the privilege of American citizenship and denied states' the right to restrict blacks of their property, testify in court, and make contracts for their labor. Johnson vetoed this, but Congress voted to override the veto. -
Farmers' Alliance
Powerful farm organization formed in 1877 that lobbied to help farmers economically and politically -
The Dawes Act
An act that removed Indian land from tribal possesion, redivided it, and distributed it among individual Indian families. Designed to break tribal mentalities and promote individualism. -
Interstate Commerce Act
Prohibited rebates and pools, required railroads to publish rates, forbade discrimination against shippers, and outlawed charging more for short haul than for a long one over the same line. Established ICC (Intermediate Cat Council). -
Wounded Knee Massacre
Mass killing by U.S. soldiers of as many as 300 unarmed Sioux at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in 1890 -
Homestead Strike of 1892
Homestead, Penn
The final result was a major defeat for the union and a setback for efforts to unionize steelworkers. Andrew Carnegie Steel company -
Spanish-American War
Conflict between the United States and Spain that ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas and resulted in U.S. acquisition of territories in the western Pacific and Latin America. The war originated in the Cuban struggle for independence from Spain. -
U.S.S. Maine
USS Maine, a second-class battleship was sent to Havana in January 1898 to protect American interests during the revolt of the Cubans against the Spanish government. In the evening of 15 February 1898, Maine sank when the ship’s forward gunpowder magazines exploded. Nearly three-quarters of the battleship's crew died as a result of the explosion. People needed someone to blame for the explosion, so they blamed the Spanish for it. -
Teller Amendment
An amendment sponsored by Republican senator Henry M. Teller. It authorized the use of U.S. military force to establish Cuban independence from Spain. -
Open Door Policy
A concept in foreign affairs, allowing multiple Imperial powers access to China, with none of them in control of that country. -
Election of 1900
The Election of 1900 was between Republican President McKinley and democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan. Bryan attacked Imperialism with a negative manner. Most Americans disagreed and saw that the new territory acquired during the war was an accomplished fact so President McKinley got re elected. -
Boxer Rebellion 1900
A group of Chinese rebels that decided to rid their country of foreigners. They also persecuted and killed Christians, be it Chinese or foreign Christians, they were all slaughtered. The rebellion weakened China’s Chi’ing dynasty and led to China becoming a republic. -
Platt Amendment
It created the conditions for the withdrawal of United States troops remaining in Cuba at the end of the Spanish-American War. The Amendment ensured U.S. involvement in Cuban affairs and gave legal standing to U.S. claims to certain territories on the island including Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. -
Panama Canal
Panama was part of the federation and country of Colombia but when Colombia rejected United States plans to build a canal across the Isthmus of Panama, the U.S. supported a revolution that led to the independence of Panama in 1903. The new Panamanian government authorized French businessman Philippe Bunau-Varilla, to negotiate a treaty with the United States. The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty allowed the U.S. to build the Panama Canal and provided for perpetual control -
Roosevelt Corollary
In what came to be known as the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, Roosevelt asserted that European nations should not intervene in countries to the south of the US, however under certain conditions, United States intervention might be justified. -
Gentlemen’s Agreement
The “Gentlemen’s Agreement” was when the United States discriminated against Japanese Americans in California. Japanese Americans were required to attend segregated schools and this was considered a national insult to Japan. This caused major friction between the two countries and Japan secretly restricted the emigration of Japanese workers until the laws were repealed. -
Election of 1908
Republican William Taft and democrat William Bryan were both candidates for the Election of 1908. This election was mainly to see who could lead the Country the best after Roosevelt’s long term as President. William Taft won comfortably after Bryan made the mistake when he called for the socialization of the railroads. -
Founding of the NAACP
1909 by W.E.B. DuBois - rejected Booker T. Washington's policy of gradualism - focused on using courts to strike down Jim Crow laws -
Mexican Civil War (Revolution)
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, and lasted for the better part of a decade until around 1917. Over time the Revolution changed from a revolt against the established order to a multi-sided civil war. -
Election of 1912
The Election of 1912 was between democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson and Roosevelt in the Progressive Party. Roosevelt won the election by supporting women’s rights and supporting tariffs, believing that it would protect wages. -
16th Amendment
Established the federal income tax -
17th amendment
established direct election of US Senators -
Federal Reserve Act
Law passed in 1913 to modernize the US banking system -
Red Summer
A series of 1919 race riots in 25 cities, with several Americans, both black and white, killed and numerous others injured. While they occurred across the country, the worst was in Chicago, where, when one white killed a black who strayed into a "white-only" swimming area, and riots developed between both groups. -
First Red Scare
The social fear of communism taking hold in the United States. Lead to violence against socialists, anarchists, and radicals -
Harlem Renaissance
A period in the 1920s when African-American achievements in art and music and literature flourished. -
18th amendment
Called for the prohibition on alcohol. It would be enforced through the Volstead Act -
Jones Act
The act was passed in response to concerns about the health of the merchant marines, and to establish protection for sailors. The Jones Act established a system of benefits for sailors. -
19th Amendment
Established women's suffrage -
Election of 1932
Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt, beat the Republican, Herbert Hoover, who was running for reelection. FDR promised relief for the unemployed, help for farmers, and a balanced budget. -
New Deal
The historic period (1933-1940) in the U.S. during which President Franklin Roosevelt's economic policies were implemented -
Attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
nuclear attacks during World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States of America at the order of U.S. President Harry S. Truman -
Truman Doctrine
Truman, to contain Soviet aggression, created a policy known as the Truman Doctrine in response to the uprisings led by Communists against the Greek government, and in response to the Soviet trying to control Turkey’s Dardanelles. The Truman Doctrine was created to govern United State’s foreign policies, which eventually led the Soviets to let up on their hopes of Communist ideology spreading across the world. -
Creation of NATO
The “NATO” is an national security organization that formed as a pact between 12 countries in 1949. It set up a mutual defense between the countries and agreed that if anybody attacked a single country that was a part of NATO, they attacked the entire organization. It became both defensive and offensive in through their military. -
Fall of China to Communism
Mainland China was taken over by communist by 1949, and the only place left to go for Chiang and his forced was Taiwan. Chiang continued to get support from the US, however Mao Ze-Dong already ruled Beijing, bringing to fruition the “People’s Republic of China”. Mao Ze-Dongs’ leadership of which was only recognized by the US 30 years later. Stalin and Mao signed the Sino-Soviet pact in 1950. -
Korean War
This conflict marked the first military action of the cold war when North Korean troops invaded the Soviet occupied South Korean territory, and U.S forces soon intervened on South Korea’s behalf. More than being about the specific country of Korea, it was thought of as a war against the concept of communism itself. -
Election of
A race between Dwight D. Eisenhower for the republicans and Adlai Stevenson for the democrats. Eisenhower won in a landslide. -
Andrew Carnegie
Creates Carnegie Steel. Gets bought out by banker JP Morgan and renamed U.S. Steel. Andrew Carnegie used vertical integration by buying all the steps needed for production. Was a philanthropist.
