-
Second Great Awakening Began
This was a strong religious movement throughout the US that gave rise to many different denominations being created. As a result, smaller, more isolated societies began to pop up throughout the US. -
Eli Whitney Patented the Cotton Gin
This was significant, because this seriously reduced the amount of labor that was required to process cotton. Soon, cotton became a necessity instead of a luxury. Thus, the economy of the Southern United States became focused on cotton. -
Gabriel Prosser Slave Revolt
This was a planned slave revolt that never took place. A traitor among the participants alerted white authorities about what was happening, and the weather also caused confusion. -
Thomas Jefferson Elected President
The election of Thomas Jefferson is significant because it marked a large shift in America's political ideology. Previously, John Adams was a Federalist. Jefferson was a Democratic-Republican. -
Louisiana Purchase
This was a deal between the United States and France in which the US purchased a great deal of land west of the Mississippi River for $15 million. -
Marbury vs. Madison
This was the first time that judicial review was used. Judicial review is a check on Congress by the Judicial branch. They can declare an act of congress unconstitutional, and it will be undone. -
Beginning of Lewis and Clark Expedition
This was the first expedition by Americans that crossed the Western end of the US. It was commissioned by Thomas Jefferson, following the Louisiana Purchase. -
Embargo Act
This act was signed by Thomas Jefferson. It prohibited American ships from trading with France and Britain because of the Napoleonic Wars. -
Chesapeake-Leopard Affair
This was a naval skirmish between a British ship and an American one. The commander of the British Ship boarded the American ship looking for deserters from his own command. -
James Madison Elected President
Madison was a Democratic-Republican, and he started the War of 1812. His Presidency was not generally considered to be beneficial to the country at that time. -
Non-Intercourse Act
This replaced the ineffective Embargo Act, and lifted restrictions on American trade ships to only stop them from trading with France and Britain. -
Rush-Bagot Treaty
This was the treaty that ended the War of 1812. It set the stage for a peaceful boundary between the land of British America and the US. -
Beginning of Manifest Destiny
This was the belief that American citizens were destined to expand their country. This gave rise to an age of westward expansion. -
Death of Tecumseh
This is significant because the death of Tecumseh marked the end of organized Indian rebellion in the Eastern United States. -
End of the War of 1812
The end of the War of 1812 was significant because it was the second time that the US had withstood the British, and it marked the beginning of more peaceful relations with them. -
The British Burn Washington DC
During the Battle of 1812, a small force invaded the capital city and burned large portions of it. Their force was not large enough to occupy Washington, DC, so they intended to do as much damage to it as they could. -
Treaty of Ghent Ratified
This was a treaty between Britain and the US. It marked the end of the War of 1812. -
Francis Cabot Lowell Smuggled Memorized Textile Plans from Manchester, England
This brought the new power loom to America from Great Britain. It was illegal to distribute plans for making power looms, but Francis Cabot Lowell spied on British manufacturers. -
Hartford Convention
This was a secret meeting with delegates from some of the states that were dissatisfied with the way President Madison was conducting economic affairs, as well as the War of 1812. -
Battle of New Orleans
This was the last major conflict of the War of 1812. It was fought after the Treaty of Ghent had been signed, technically ending the war. -
James Monroe Elected President
This event was significant, because it marked the beginning of the first time when the US was doing well in most aspects of life. -
Anglo-American Convention
This settled border disputes between British and American territory. The 49th parallel was founded here. -
Adams-Onis Treaty
A treaty between the US and Spain in which Florida was given to the US, and boundaries between the US and Spain were cleared up. -
McCulloch Vs. Maryland
Maryland attempted to impose a tax on the Second Bank of the US, and the Bank appealed to the Supreme Court. Maryland lost the case. -
Panic of 1819
This was an event which was a result of the economy falling. This took place after the economy was soaring following the War of 1812, and suddenly, it was no longer stable. -
Dartmouth College vs. Woodward
This was a court case that involved the policies regarding private and public corporations and funding. -
Missouri Compromise
This was a dispute over whether or not slavery should be legal in Missouri. The compromise involved allowing slavery in Missouri, but prohibiting it in Maine, which was formerly a part of Massachusetts. -
Denmark Vesey Slave Revolt
This was a planned revolt that was intended to take over the city of Charlestown, South Carolina. It was discovered, and Denmark Vesey, the leader, was hanged along with many of the other leaders. -
Monroe Doctrine
This was a declaration made by James Monroe that the US would not allow any more European colonialism in the United States. -
Gibbons vs. Ogden
This case ended by giving a 20-year monopoly over sea navigation to Robert Livingston and Robert Fulton. -
John Quincy Adams Elected President (Corrupt Bargain)
John Quincy Adams was accused of having a corrupt bargain after being elected, because he was not nearly as popular as his rival, Andrew Jackson. -
Erie Canal Completed
This canal connected the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. This was significant, because it increased the distance with which water trade could be conducted. -
Era of Good Feelings
This was a decade of increasing nationalism, unity, and a sense of purpose among US citizens. It was brought on mostly by the end of the War of 1812. -
Charles B. Finney Leads Religious Revivals in Western New York
This series of revivals was part of a larger movement known as the Second Great Awakening. Charles Finney was one of a new group of Evangelists who taught differently than previous ministers did. -
Robert Owen Founded the New Harmony Community
This was a community that was meant to be based on the model of utopia. It evolved from previous New England ideas about unity (town hall meetings, etc.). -
Horace Mann Elected Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education
Horace Mann was a Whig, and he began moving up the political ladder with this step taken in Massachusetts. This represents the larger movement of the whigs being taken more seriously. -
Tariff of Abominations
This tariff was meant to protect the trade industry, specifically in the northern US. -
Lyman Beecher Delivered his "Six Sermons on Intemperance"
This was a series of sermons that highlighted everything that was wrong with society at that time. -
Andrew Jackson Elected President
Andrew Jackson originally lost his first Presidential election to John Quincy Adams, in an election that was deemed to be invalid. The fact that he was elected President four years later showed his popularity, and sealed the fate of John Quincy Adams. -
Catherine Beecher Published "Essays on the Education of Female Teachers"
This was a series of suggestions about how to better the education system, which, at that time, consisted of mostly men. -
Indian Removal Act
This was a treaty of sorts between President Jackson and Indian tribes. It allowed them to be forcibly relocated to lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for their lands. -
Joseph Smith Founded the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints
This was a new type of Christianity that was believed to be the correctly reformed one. It quickly grew, and is still around today. -
Worcester vs. Georgia
This case ended by finding Samuel Worcester innocent of trespassing on Indian Lands. -
Nullification Crisis Began
This was a result of South Carolina declaring that the tariffs passed by the federal government were null and void. The tariffs did not appeal to the Southern states, because they were meant to protect the northern economy. -
Black Hawk War
This was a short but bloody war between the US and a group of Indians led by Black Hawk. These Indians did not agree to follow the course of actions that the previously negotiated treaties forced them to. -
Andrew Jackson Vetoed the Re-Charter of the Second Bank of the United States
Jackson argued that the bank was given too much power, and it was not in line with what the constitution said. This was a reversal of actions that had previously been made. -
Creation of the Whig Party in the US
This was a party that was formed in response to Andrew Jackson's Presidency. They did not want him to be president, and nicknamed him "King Andrew." -
Treaty of New Echota
This was a treaty which provided the basis for what would become the Trail of Tears. It allowed for the removal of Cherokee Indians from their own lands in order to relocate west. -
Transcendental Club's First Meeting
This was a group of like-minded intellectuals who met in New England. They invented the concept of transcendentalism, which gave rise to very liberal ideas. -
Texas Declared Independence from Mexico
This was one of the factors that started the Mexican War. -
Battle of the Alamo
This was a significant battle in the Texas Revolution, because the Texan defenders were largely outnumbered, but managed to last for thirteen days before being overrun. This later became the battle cry for the rest of the war. -
Andrew Jackson Issued Specie Circular
This act only let the government accept gold or silver for payment for land. This prevented the working class from buying land. -
First McGuffey Reader Published
This was a new type of teaching tool that began to revolutionize education, making it widely more available to the lower classes. -
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 marked the beginning of a recession that would last through the mid-1840's. -
Martin Van Buren Elected President
Martin Van Buren was one of the founders of the Democratic Party. -
Ralph Waldo Emerson Gave the "Divinity School Address"
This speech was largely influenced by secular ideas, but was also combined with the approach of a sermon. It was a revolutionary speech, and caused the University of Harvard to ban him from their school for 30 years. -
Trail of Tears Began
This was the journey that was taken by the Indians of the Cherokee Nation after they were forcibly told to relocate west of the Mississippi River. -
Webster-Ashburton Treaty
This was a treaty between the US and Great Britain. It settled land disputes in the Northeast, and also allowed for more international cooperation in suppressing the slave trade. -
Treaty of Wanghia with China
This treaty secured rights for American citizens in China that had previously been awarded to European countries. -
James Polk Elected President
James Polk defeated Henry Clay, a Whig. This was a controversial election, because many of the topics that were debated about involved slavery, and the annexation of Texas. -
US Annexation of Texas
This was the event which officially made Texas a territory of the United States. -
Start of the Mexican War
This was a war between the US and Mexico, mostly over the territory of Texas. It was brought on by the concept of manifest destiny. -
Bear Flag Revolt
The was a short-lived movement in California, in which the residents declared it to be independent from Mexico. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
This was a peace treaty between the US and Mexico. It settled land disputes that previously caused the Mexican War. -
John Humphrey Noyes Founded the Oneida Community
This was a society created in order to isolate a new type of Christianity, which was known as Perfectionism. It held that people became sinless when they converted, and should be perfect from that point onward. -
Gold Rush Began in California
James W. Marshall found gold, and then everyone else wanted gold. Therefore, many people migrated to California. -
Henry David Thoreau Published "Civil Disobedience"
This piece brought a new point of view to debates regarding how laws should be created and interpreted. Thoreau argued that law can be immoral, and, instead of blindly following the laws, everyone should do what they think is right. -
Commodore Matthew Perry Entered Tokyo Harbor, Opening Japan to the US
After this occurred, Japan was forced to trade with the US. Essentially, this asserted the military dominance that the US had, and Japan could not compete with it. -
Gadsden Purchase
This was an agreement between the US and Mexico, in which the US bought Arizona, New Mexico, and other areas around there. -
Kanagawa Treaty
This was the official treaty between Japan and the US that allowed the US to trade with Japan.
