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Attack on Fort Sumter
Considered the start of the Civil War, this was South Carolina's first attempt to separate from The Union, and it succeeded. Major Anderson was the man holding the fort before its bombardment, and stayed in it while it was getting shot at! The seige was commanded by P.G.T. Beauregard, and surprisingly, there were no casualties during the attack. -
Homestead Act of 1862
The Homestead Act was passed by Abraham Lincoln to encourage people to move west. It granted 160 acres of land for anyone who partook in it, however, it failed in a way because of the lack of tools and experience of those who joined in. Single women took advantage of it because of its convenience, it was cheap and allowed them to make a life for themselves. -
Bloodiest Day in the War - Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam is known as the bloodiest day of the Civil War. It was the first attempt by the South to invade the North, however, a Union soldier found the plans of the invasion and so it wasn't a surprise. The Battle was counted as a Northern victory, which gave President Lincoln the confidence he needed to give the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Attack on Fort Wagner by the 54th Massachusetts
This is the most famous engagement the 54th Regiment had during the Civil War. They agreed to go first into Fort Wagner, which was suicide, and they did it with honor. This encouraged other black men to join the North in fighting the South. -
Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction
This was a plan made by Lincoln to promote reconstruction in the south. Out of the three plans (Lincoln's, Johnson's, and Congress's), Lincoln's was the laxest. The jist of his plan was to pardon all southerners (except for high-ranking officers), and when 10% of the population of a southern state agreed to be loyal, it was added back to the USA. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment was passed to completely end slavery in the U.S. and applied to all people except those being punished. It was proposed by a cabinet member in 1860 and was passed after the Civil War ended. This was the first big push into Civil Rights and equality in America. -
Freedman's Bureau
Freedman's Bureau was founded to help former slaves and black men get jobs, food, clothing, and an education. It was opposed by southerners because they saw it as something that made it too easy for black people and they had "plenty to eat and nothing to do." Freedman's bureau opened up schools that helped many receive an education. -
Purchase of Alaska from Russia
America agreed to purchase Alaska from Russia on March 30, 1867, and the check was issued on August 1, 1868. The purchase was made by William Seward, who got a lot of criticism for buying a barren wasteland. Alaska was known as "Seward's Icebox" until gold was discovered about 30 years later, sparking the Klondike Gold Rush, -
The Trans-Continental Railroad
The Trans-Continental Railroad was a huge part in developing the American West, it allowed people to travel across the country in a week instead of several months. It began in 1862 and had two starting points in opposite directions that would eventually meet in the middle. This was a very large project that lasted years and the length of the track needed to be about 1700 miles long. The record for the most track laid in one day is 10 miles, and this took place on April 28, 1869. -
Oklahoma Land Rush
The Oklahoma Land Rush was a government-planned event that allowed people to take land that formerly belonged to Native Americans. People were able to line up at Oklahoma's border, and when the signal was given, they could hurry out and claim plots of land. There was a small group of people now known as "sooners" who went out before the signal was given to claim a desired piece of land. -
Opening of Ellis Island
Ellis Island was an immigration station off the coast of New York that was opened to Process people coming in from places like Europe. It is estimated that 40% of people currently in the US can trace their ancestry back to Ellis Island. Because of Ellis Island, Immigrants started to be processed by the Federal Government rather than the State. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was a court case brought on by a man named Homer Plessy who deliberately sat in a white trolley car and identified himself as black (he was 1/8th so he could pass for white). He was arrested and the trial for his case went to the supreme court. Eventually, the judge for his case came up with the "seperate but equal" predicament, where as long as the facilities or segregation were equal, segregation was lawful. -
Record for most Immigrants Processed at Ellis Island
An average of 5000 people were processed every day at Ellis Island, which is an impressive amount. But on April 17, 1907, an astounding 11,747 immigrants were processed, making it the record. It took about 3-5 hours for a single person to be processed, so this number is extremely impressive. -
Opening of the Panama Canal
Construction of the Canal began in 1881 and was taken over by America in 1904. The US had to pay 10 Million USD with an annual rent of 225,000 USD. The Panama Canal was a big step in limiting traveling distance between the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean, about 8000 miles. America gave the Panama Canal back to the Panamanian Government in 1999, making it the first time Panama had possession of it.
