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The Alamo
150 soliders defending the Alamo against Santa Anna's army. In the end all of the defenders were executed. It was a military defeat, but a pscyhological victory - eight Mexican soliders were killed for every 1 defender killed. -
Texas Gains Its Independence from Mexico
Sam Houston defeats General Santa Anna's army and forces him to give Texas its independence from Mexico -
Gag Order
Southern members of the House pushed through a gag order that prohibited the discussion of slavery in the House until 1844 in response to the Nat Turner revolt. -
Preemption Act
The only important legislation during the Tyler administration where squatters in new territorties were given first dibs to buy the land once it was put on the market. -
The Webster-Ashburton Treaty
After ongoing conflict with Great Britian, Daniel Webster created this compromise where they settled the Maine-Canada dispute, Great Britian apologized for buring thr Caroline, and they both agreed to patrol African seas to prevent slave trading. -
Annexation of Texas
President John Taylor signs off on the annexation of Texas into the union. -
The Mexican War
After antagonizing Mexico, Polk finally gets his war with Mexico after General Arista sends Mexican troops across the Rio Grande to meet the American troops Polk ordered to the Rio Grande. Many did not support the war and accused the president of provoking it. -
The Oregon Treaty
The U.S. and the British reached a compromise on the Oregon border dispute. The existing US-Canada border extended westward to the Pacific and east of the Rockies. Many Northern Democrats were angry that Polk hadn't failed to secure all of Oregon. -
Annexation of California
California ia annexed in the midst of the Mexican War, ending th Bear Flag Revolt. -
The Gold Rush
Gold is discovered at Sutter's Mill near Sacramento, California. The population soared in the next year as people rushed into California. -
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican War. It included the cession of California, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada -
The Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions
The beginning of the modern feminist movement starts at the Seneca Falls Convention in Seneca Falls, New York. Women attended in droves -
The Compromise of 1850
Henry Clay proposed a compromise consisting of: California being admitted as a free state, New Mexico would settle its land dispute with Texas, land gained in the Mexican Cession would use popular sovereignty to settle the slavery issue, slave trade would be abolished in D.C., a tougher Fugitive Slave Act would be enacted, the federal government would pay off Texas' debt, slavery was promised to not be abolished, and Congress wouldn't interfere with interstate slave trade. -
Opening of Japan to America
Matthew Perry sailed to Tokyo Bay to reestablish a relationship with Tokyo. They signed the Treaty of Kanagawa the next year that created the first foreign naval bases. -
The Gadsen Purchase
A strip of land in modern day New Mexico was purchased to create a transcontinental railroad that was never funded. -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
Stephan A. Douglas proposed a provision that the status of slavery in the new territories be decided by popular sovereignty. -
Dred Scott vs. Sanford
Dred Scott lived in the free state of Illinois with his owner for a few years and then in a free territory. He was encouraged to sue for his freedom, but the Supreme Court ruled that he was not a citizen, just a slave and had no right to sue. They also ruled that any slave is a slave wherever they go in America. -
The Freeport Doctrine
In response to Lincoln questioning Douglas on the Dred Scott Decision, he said that people of any territory could just choose not to pass laws that protected slavery. -
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln defeated Thomas Douglas, John Breckinridge, and John Bell with 40% of the votes and basically no southern votes.
