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Creation of Cotton Gin
Eli Witney creates the Cotton Gin, a machine that revolutionized cotton production and immensely sped up the production and cleaning process for cotton. In turn, the cotton gin would end up greatly increasing the demand for slaves, and made cotton immensely profitable for slave owners. Rapid expansion of slavery ensured in the US. -
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Second Great Awakening
A religious revival in the US, during which religious meetings, gatherings, and other instances of people getting together for religious purposes would take place all across the country. As a result, many churches experienced increases in members, movements like the womens rights movement and temperance movement appeared. The Womens Rights movement / emancipation of women is still an important topic today. -
Louisiana Purchase
United States purchases the French territory of Louisiana from (Napoleonic) France for $15 million. This massive territory doubled the size of the US, and led to massive increases in the countries economic and production strength, and acted as a motivator for further US expansion. -
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American Industrial Revolution
The transformation of labor in the US from mostly manual and farm oriented to mostly machinery & industrial labor domination. Resulted in a large growth spurt for the US economy and revolutionizing methods & machines for production. Had widespread effects on the entire country, such as an increase in slavery, the urbanization of the country, and many huge technological advancements. -
Missouri Compromise
Federal legislation which made Missouri a slave state and Maine a free state in exchange for slavery to be prohibited north of the 36 30 parallel line in the Louisiana territory. This line was called the Mason Dixon line, and this compromise avoided the problem of having an unequal amount of slave and free states in the US. -
Nat Turners Rebellion
A rebellion of enslaved Virginians in Southampton country, Virginia. Led by Nat Turner. This rebellion was very important, as it completely destroyed the myth of the happy slave, which was a belief held by some at the time. The rebellion ultimately fell in, and led to an increase of harsh slavery laws, tightening the grip the government had over slaves. -
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Nullification Crisis
A confrontation between the federal government and South Carolina over tariffs. South carolina tried to declare the imposed tariffs null, however the federal government didn’t allow it and eventually came out on top by the end of the crisis. This would reduce the effectiveness of the nullification doctrine, a constitutional theory that states had the right to nullify decisions imposed upon them by the federal government. -
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Mexican-American War
An armed conflict between the US and Mexico, stemming from the United States’ annexation of The Republic of Texas. The US won, and resulted in the US purchasing 500,000 square miles of land from Mexico, including most of what is now California, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado. This war left Mexico much worse off than before the war. -
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California Gold Rush
A mass migration of 300,000 people to California due to the discovery of massive amounts of gold in the territory. Due to the massive influx of settlers in the territory, California eventually would request to become a state, and they became one. However, they were a free state, which opened up more problems in the US for slavery, and tensions would keep steadily increasing in the country. -
Compromise of 1850
A legislature that abolished the slave trade in Washington, d.c., amended the fugitive slave act, allowed California to become a state, and allowed Utah and New Mexico to implement popular sovereignty as a method to vote on the matter of slavery in their state. -
Harriet Beecher Stowe writes(publishes) Uncle Toms Cabin
Author Harriet Beecher Stowe writes an Anti Slavery novel called Uncle Toms Cabin. This novel was monumental in the US, as it changed many peoples perspective of slavery and what it was like to be a slave. It is still the most widely read anti slavery novel in the US. -
Frederick Douglass gives July 4th Speech
Frederick Douglass gives a speech about rights, justice, racism, and citizenship for black people. Douglass spoke about the brutal exploitation of slaves, the irony of the so called American values of liberty, citizenship, and freedom. Today, this speech is widely taught in many english and history classes. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
Repeals the Missouri compromise, creates 2 territories allowed for popular sovereignty over the matter of slavery; Nebraska and Kansas. This act would spark Bleeding Kansas. -
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Bleeding Kansas
A 4-year period of violent warfare and outbreaks between pro and anti slavery forces. During this period John Brown’s raid and the beating of Charles Sumner happened. In the end 56 people died during Bleeding Kansas. This period greatly increased tensions between the North and South, and led to even more instability in the nation. -
Charles Sumner gets attacked
Senator Charles Sumner is viciously beaten by representative Preston Books with a cane on the Senate floor while Sumner was giving a speech on slavery, and criticized Democrats, Republicans, and congressman Andrew Butler. This leads to government officials, representatives and senators arming themselves. Brooks was praised by southern democrats for the attack and Brooks was sent more canes. This violence on the senate floor increased tensions between the north and south. -
Dred Scott v. Sanford Supreme Court Case
Supreme court case of Dred Scott, an enslaved black man sueing for his freedom. He lost the case 7-2, and as a result did not gain his freedom. This court case was very significant for the matter of citizenship for black people and people of African American Descent. What the Missouri Supreme court essentially said was that because Dred Scott was of African descent, he was unable to become a citizen. -
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Raid of Harpers Ferry
On October 14th, 1859, John Brown led a raid on a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. The raid failed and John Brown was executed for treason, but the raid increased tensions between the north and south even more, to the brink of civil war. -
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Southern States Succession
The struggle for southern succession that started in 1860 that would eventually cause the civil war, finally ended in 1865. The final turning point that determined what would happen in the following months was souther secession. Now that the southern states had attempted to secede, the writing was on the wall already. Civil war was not a if, but a when. -
Election of 1860
Presidential Election of Abraham Lincoln. Despite losing the popular vote, Abe won the majority of electoral votes, thus making him president. Many southerners and people who did not vote for Abe were outraged. This election increased civil war tensions even more. -
Start of Civil War
Shots were fired at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. Union troops stationed at the fort were attacked by the South Carolina militia. Union troops lost the fight and surrendered the fort to the Confederate militia. This fight would kickstart the 4 year spree of violence and war between the Confederates and the Union known as The Civil War. The Confederacy eventually lost the war, and as a result the 13th amendment was passed.