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Period: to
1750-1900
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American Revolution (1775-1783)
The American Revolution was caused by Great Britain's overtaxing the thirteen colonies as well as their limit on frontier exploration for the colonies. The war was ended in 1783 when the British signed the Treaty of Paris, which granted unconditional independence and new boundaries for the colonies.This revolution led to the creation of the United States of America. -
John Fitch invents steamboat
Fitch's steamboat was demonstrated for some delegates of the Constitutional Convention. It was patented on August 26, 1791. His was the first steamboat to be invented in the United States. -
Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821)
It was caused by Napoleon's invasion of Spain, which weakened their power. The revolution was led by Miguel Hidalgo a parish priest known for his "Cry of Dolores." After exico won their independence, it became an empire under the power of Colonel Agustin de Iturbide, a loyalist commander. He was overthrown in 1823 and it became a republic. -
War of 1812
The war was caused by a seizure of American ships, impressment of American sailors into the British Navy, and restriction of trade between France and US. The English burned down the Whitehouse and the Capitol building in their raid of the Capitol. The poet Francis Scott Key wrote the USNational Anthem "Star-Spangled Banner" to commemorate England's siege of Fort McHenry. -
Trail of Tears
This was declared by Congress as the Indian Removal Act. It was because of America's desire for land that all Native American tribes, including the Cherokee, Creek, and Choctaw, were forced to move west of the Mississippi river. This is a good example of the mistreatment of the natives by the US. -
Invention of the Telegraph by Samuel Morse
Samuel Morse invented the system called Morse Code, which uses a system of dots and dashes that could be transmitted over a single wire. The railroad companies were among the first to use them because the telegraph companies strung the wires along the tracks. This made trains safer because their arrivals at stations could then be announced. -
Idea of Manifest Destiny in America
The phrase was coined supposedly by newspaper editor John O'Sullivan the 1845 July-August edition of the magazine United States Magazine and Democratic View. The idea was that America was destined to expand westward through Providence. At the time, Americans thought it was their moral right to expand their democratic institutions throughout North America. -
Mexican American War (1846-1848)
This war was caused by Texas rebelling against Mexico and becoming a US state. Mexico fought to maintain control of Texas. One famous battle is the Alamo, where Davy Crocket fought for Texas's freedom. -
American Civil War (1861-1865)
The civil war was caused by South's want of slavery. After Lincoln's inauguration, many southern sates seceded from the Union, leading to civil war. The war was ended on April 7, 1865. This is known as the bloodiest war in American History because it had the most casualties. -
Slavery Ended in America
Slavery is officially ended in the US after the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution. President Abraham Lincoln declared all slaves in the Confederate states free on January 1, 1863 in the Emancipation Proclamation. However this was more of a symbolic gesture, since it wasn't approved by Congress.
