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Period: 500 BCE to
Beginnings to Exploration
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476
Fall of Rome
Poor leadership, declining economy, and attacks by German tribes were reasons for the declining. Aurelius' successor Commodus was cruel and wasted money. After Commodus, rulers called the Severans ruled Rome. They paid the army well but ignored problems of crime and poverty. Because of a bad economy, people paid less in taxes. The government had the same expenses so, to pay the soldiers, the Roman government began to put less gold in its coins. In 476, Odoacer overthrew emperor Romulus Augustus. -
1095
The Crusades
The main purpose of the Crusades were to gain control of Palestine and Jerusalem being a sacred city for Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Christians managed to control Jerusalem for some time before being overtaken by Muslims. Then Nobles lost power to the kings, many had to sell their lands and free their serfs, but there was a growth of the Catholic church's power in Europe. Crusades led to widespread attacks on Jews, created stronger central governments, and paved the way for new nation states. -
1347
Black Death
The Black Death, or Bubonic Plague, killed 1/3 of the population in Europe during the 1300s. It had originated from Eastern and Central Asia through trade as rats also traveled in cargo ships. The disease was transmitted through ships when they dock and unload, the rats jump off and enter the city, or the fleas would leave the rats and land on humans biting and infecting them. People would move out of the cities and into the countryside and spread it there as whole villages killed by the plague. -
1440
Invention of Printing Press
Johannes Gutenberg was the inventor of the printing press. Before, people had to write books by hand, which made the books very expensive. But after, the printing press had helped make mass production possible, making books affordable! It had bridged a gap between the rich and the poor as the poor could buy books and learn so they can get jobs. Millions printed within first 50 years, ideas spread faster, poems and novels were created, and it had divided the world into literate and illiterate. -
Aug 3, 1492
Columbus sets sail from Southern Spain!
Columbus had set sail for the Indies, funded by Queen Isabella, and discover a faster route to Asia, but instead they landed off the coast of Florida in the Bahamas. Columbus made a total of four voyages and he named the land "West Indies". Columbus believed that he was called by God to take the Gospel across the ocean and convert the people in the Indies. Columbus died believing he had reached Asia. It took about thirty years to discover that they had reached a new continent instead of Asia. -
Aug 21, 1521
Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
Conquest of the Aztecs started as exploration for riches to reduce the desperate state of the Colonial Caribbean formed under Columbus. But once Hernan Cortez led an expedition into Mexico, exploration turned to brutal conquest. Cortez formed alliances with the natives who were against Aztec hegemony to defeat their rulers and to reap the rewards falsely promised them by Cortez. The Aztec ruler had surrendered and the Spanish tortured him by burning his feet as an attempt to uncover hidden gold. -
Dec 13, 1577
Sir Francis Drake circumnavigates the world
Drake was acknowledged in his life for one outstanding feat after another. His greatest was his circumnavigation of the Earth, the first after Magellan's. He sailed from Plymouth on Dec. 13, 1577. The expedition was financed as a joint venture, the investors being high officials. After, on April 4, 1581, Elizabeth had Drake knighted, on the occasion of a visit to the Golden Hind. Drake's own journal, which he had narrative and paintings, was immediately placed by him in the hands of the Queen. -
Founding of Jamestown
1607 was the date when the first permanent English settlement was made. It was called Jamestown named after King James. John Smith was an early leader of Jamestown and also created the rule "No Work, No Food." Pocahontas was the daughter of the Powhatan leader. She was important in making peace between the Native Americans and Jamestown and married John Rolfe. He was a Jamestown settler who saved the colony by developing a new strand of tobacco that they could sell, which Jamestown thrived on. -
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English Colonial Societies
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Charles I dissolved Parliament NC
Charles dissolved parliament three times between 1625 and 1629. In 1629, he dismissed parliament and resolved to rule alone. This forced him to raise revenue by non-parliamentary means which made him increasingly unpopular. At the same time, there was a crackdown on Puritans and Catholics and many emigrated to the American colonies. Charles was trying to create an absolute monarchy. For example, Charles had sent a messenger to Parliament to inform the Commons that they were to end their session. -
Navigation Acts of 1660
The Navigation Acts were passed to ensure that only england benefitted from colonial trade. Two ways that the Navigation Acts regulated trade was that only things could go to england and the colonies and only certain products could be shipped to England. Great Britain benefited from this as England became a prosperous ship building center and there were many new job opportunities. The American Colonies benefited from this as Colonial merchants didn't have to compete with foreign merchants. -
Glorious Revolution
In 1688 when William of Orange and Mary his wife, were asked to overthrow James II for the sake of protestantism, when Will came with his Army and James fled, it was called the Glorious Revolution. The Glorious Revolution of 1688 was significant because it established British Parliament's authority over the monarchy and had no bloodshed whatsoever during this transition of authority. The Revolution also further established the supremacy of the Anglican Church over Catholic interests in England. -
English Bill of Rights signed
The Bill was signed after the overthrow of James II in glorious revolution and was signed by William of Orange. The Bill was full of freedoms; freedom from royal interference with the law freedom from taxation by royal prerogative without agreement by parliament, freedom to petition to king freedom to bear arms for self defense, freedom to elect members of parliament, freedom of speech in parliament, freedom from cruel and unusual punishments freedom from fines and forteitures without trial. -
Triangular Trade System
The Triangular Trade System had began in the late 1600's through the early 1700's. It consisted of trade between the Americas, Europe, and Africa. It was the prominent trading cycle between the Americas, Europe, and Africa; trade from America to Europe consisted of raw materials, crops, etc., trade from Europe to America consisted of finished products, trade from Europe to Africa consisted of slave traders and trade from Africa to America consisted of slaves. -
Act of Union
Many people thought that the conference between the commissioners of the two kingdoms, which opened at Westminster on April 16th, 1706, would end in failure as its people had ended up in failure in the past. But by July 22nd agreement had been reached, and on May 1st, 1707, after each parliament in turn had passed the Act of Union, and the two kingdoms were to be united, the Protestant succession was adopted, and trade was to be free and equal throughout Great Britain and its dominions. -
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Colonial America
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Divided Carolina
The people of Carolina felt as though the aristocrats from Virginia and the Charles Town area looked down their noses on them. Northern Carolina, like Rhode Island in the North, drew the region's division. As the two regions developed separately and as their differing geographies and inhabitants steered very different courses, a formal split emerged. In 1712, North and South Carolina became distinct colonies. Each prospered in its own right after this peaceful divorce took effect. -
Molasses Act
The Molasses Act was designed to protect the position of British suppliers in American market against cheaper Spanish and French goods. The British government wanted to force the American colonists to only buy molasses from the British West Indies rather than the French West Indies. It had increased the price of sugar and rum in the colony and curtailed American trade with French colonies that were also buyers of American goods, but also led to widespread bribery and smuggling of goods. -
Great Awakening begins
Puritans were required to practice religious tolerance and could no longer limit voting privileges to members of their own church. The Great Awakening was a chain of religious revivals wanted to restore the intensity and dedication of the early Puritan church throughout the colonies. Preachers had traveled throughout villages holding meetings and giving sermons, stirring people to rededicate themselves to God. Colonists had renewed religious feelings and challenged the authority of churches. -
Benjamin Franklin proves lightning is a form of electricity
Many people say that this occurred as a legend, or myth as it couldn't have possibly happened. The story goes a little like: As rain began to fall and lightning threatened, he decided it was the perfect time to go fly a kite. He wanted to demonstrate the electrical nature of lightning, and to do so, he needed a thunderstorm. Franklin wasn’t the first to demonstrate the electrical nature of lightning. A month earlier it was successfully done by Thomas-François Dalibard in northern France. -
First clock is constructed!
Like a lot of early inventors, Benjamin Banneker was primarily self-taught. The son of former slaves, Benjamin worked on the family tobacco farm and received some early education from a Quaker school. Benjamin borrowed a pocket watch from a wealthy acquaintance, took the watch apart and studied its components. After returning the watch, he created a fully functioning clock entirely out of carved wooden pieces. -
Fort William Henry Massacre
French general Montcalm and 7,000 troops move to William Henry, and they had promised natives great rewards. French and Indians surrounded the fort, and British run out of supplies and send a messenger, so the French intercepts the messenger, and British general Monroe surrenders. The French win but deny the natives their rewards. Natives began to kill retreating British and the French has to stop natives, and resulted in Fort William Henry being burnt to the ground. -
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The Revolutionary War
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Treaty of Paris ends French and Indian War
The Treaty of Paris ends French&Indian War in 1763. Some things that had resulted from the treaty was that Canada and all the land east of the Mississippi River is given to Britain by France, Spain must give Florida to Great Britain, Great Britain must give Cuba and Philippines to Spain, Great Britain gives up the islands of Martinique and Guadalupe to France, and that Britain had gained control of lots of the land in North America. Natives have lost an important trading partner in the French. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was issued October 7, 1763, by King George III following Great Britain's acquisition of French territory in North America after the end of the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War. The purpose of the proclamation was to organize Great Britain's new North American empire and to stabilize relations with Native North Americans through regulation of trade, settlement, and land purchases on the western frontier. It set a boundary because they didn't want to upset natives -
Revenue Act
Passed by parliament in April 1764, updated Sugar and Molasses Act of 1733. The American colonists objected to the act as "taxation without representation", since their delegates sat in the colonial legislatures, and not in Parliament. They were trying to bring the colonists in line with regard to the payment of taxes because of Britain's large national debt. It was the first attempt to recoup the costs of the French and Indian War, and the costs of maintaining British troops in North America. -
Stamp Act passed by British Parliament
The Stamp Act is an act that requires a tax which was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. Ship's papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, other publications, and even playing cards were taxed. Great Britain had passed the Stamp Act because they had to pay a debt of about 30 billion dollars resulting from the French and Indian War. But, colonists rebelled and stated unfair because "No Taxation without Representation." -
Quartering Act goes into effect
The Quartering Act is an act put in place by the British Parliament that allows British soldiers to live in the colonist's homes. This means that the colonists would have to pay for them to live in their own houses; the American colonies had to provide the British soldiers with any needed accommodations and housing. British felt that they were losing control of American colonies so they thought if they send troops then the colonists would settle down. -
Townshend Act put into effect
The Townshend Acts of 1767 were a series of laws which set new import taxes on British goods including paper, lead, glass and tea and used revenues to maintain British troops and to pay the salaries of some Royal officials who were appointed to work in the colonies. Charles Townshend introduced the series of laws, referred to as the Townshend Acts, to impose import taxes on some British goods sent to America. He followed the Townshend Act with others to make it possible to collect the duties . -
Boston Massacre occurs
Prior to the Boston Massacre the British had instituted a number of new taxes on the American colonies, the Townshend Acts. The colonies did not like these laws. They felt these laws were a violation of their rights. Just like when Britain imposed the Stamp Act, the colonists began to protest and the British brought in soldiers to keep order. The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770 when British soldiers in Boston opened fire on a group of American colonists killing five men. -
Boston Tea Party gets wild!
The Boston Tea Party was a protest by colonists in Boston against the Tea Act that had been passed by the Parliament. The colonists, dressed as Mohawk Indians, raided three British ships in Boston harbor and dumped 342 containers of tea into the harbor. The dumping of the tea in the harbor was the most destructive act that the colonists had taken against Britain. Governor Hutchinson, angered by the colonists’ disregard for authority and disrespect for property, left for England. -
Shot heard round' the world! (L&C)
The Battles of Lexington and Concord, began the American Revolutionary War. Tension had been building for many years between residents of the colonies and the British. On the night of April 18 1775, hundreds of British troops marched from Boston to nearby Concord in order to seize an arms cache. Confrontation on the Lexington town green started off the fighting, and soon the British were hastily retreating under intense fire. The first shot influenced the term, "Shot heard round' the world". -
Congress adopts Declaration of Independence
This declaration stated to all the people of the world that the 13 American Colonies are free from British rule and any political connections with Great Britain. It also serves appeal to the people of the world to understand the reasons why this separation is necessary. The Declaration of Independence is important because it inspired many revolutionary efforts throughout the world, sparking many movements, and factored in contribution to American's understanding of their values as a new nation. -
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The Constitution
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Articles of Confederation ratified
The Articles of Confederation was the first government of the United States. It established a weak central government where the states held most of the powers. The strengths of the articles were that it had the ability to declare war, the ability to make treaties, and the authority to operate post offices. The weaknesses of the articles were that each state only had one vote in Congress, gave no ability to tax, and no court system to settle disputes between the states. -
University of Georgia founded!
The University of Georgia is the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive educational institution in Georgia. Chartered by the Georgia General Assembly in 1785, University of Georgia was the first public university in America to be created by a state government. Abraham Baldwin, a lawyer and minister educated at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, wrote the charter that created the University of Georgia. The charter asserted that an educated citizenry is essential to a free government -
Treaty of Hopewell
On November 28, 1785, the first Treaty of Hopewell was signed between the U.S. representative Benjamin Hawkins and the Cherokee Indians. The treaty laid out a western boundary for American settlement. Choctaws, Chickasaws, and Cherokees were granted American settlement rights in the Southwest. -
Shays' Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion was caused by the government of Massachusetts when they decided to raise taxes to pay off it's debts. The taxes fell most heavily on farmers in the western region. The militia defending the arsenal opened fire, four farmers died in the fighting. The next day, Lincoln's troops arrived and ended the rebellion. People with greater income and social status tended to see the rebellion, as well as inflation and an unstable currency, as signs that the republic itself was at risk. -
Constitutional Convention
Shays' Rebellion led to the Constitutional Convention showing the need for a strong national government. The meeting of state delegates in 1787 in Philadelphia called to revise the Articles of Confederation as Congress lacked power to collect taxes, the government could not control trade between the states, and without national courts, there were no means of interpreting laws or carrying out justice. It instead designed a new plan of government, the US Constitution. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was created in 1787, a method for admitting new states to the Union, with three stages and a law that described how the Northwest Territory was to be governed, as it had many democratic rights. The land must be a territory meaning it was simply land owned by the US, when the population of the specific area reached 60,000 people it could be presented to Congress to become a state and receive all of the privileges as the 13 original colonies, and the last was statehood. -
Federalists Papers published
The Federalists Paper's essays were published in the New York newspapers over course of 2 years, which consisted of 85 total essays. Authors of these essays consisted of James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton. James Madison had written twenty nine essays, Jay wrote six, and Hamilton who wrote fifty one, which adds up to eighty five essays. The papers promoted the ratification of Constitution, as opposed to the Anti-Federalists who supported the AOC. -
First President is George Washington
Washington's greatest quality was his leadership. Because of his outstanding leadership capabilities, Washington was elected to be a representative at Virginia House of Burgesses, and as a leader in the House of Burgesses Washington, he was against British taxation policies. During the Revolutionary War, Washington also served as the commander-in-chief. At the Constitutional Convention after Shays' Rebellion, Washington was asked to be president. -
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New Republic
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First Bank of U.S chartered!
The First Bank of the United States was founded by Alexander Hamilton in 1791. Alexander Hamilton was the Secretary of Treasury and founding the bank was controversial because the constitution did not specifically allow the bank to be chartered. He wanted to relieve the whole of Revolutionary war debt, arguing that it would increase trust in the national government and then the government can get credit from wealthy business men and foreign governments, so he created the National Bank. -
Bill of Rights go into effect
BOR was the first ten amendments to the US Constitution consisting of freedoms of religion, speech, press, and petition, right to keep and bear arms in order to maintain a well regulated militia, no quartering of soldiers, freedom from unreasonable searches, right to due process of law, freedom from self-incrimination, right to a speedy and public trial, right of trial by jury in civil cases, freedom from excessive bail and cruel punishments, rights of the people, and powers reserved to states. -
Cotton Gin invented
After the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney, raw cotton doubled each decade after 1800. By midcentury America was growing three-quarters of the world's supply of cotton, most of it shipped to England or New England where it was manufactured into cloth. During this time tobacco fell in value, rice exports at best stayed steady, and sugar began to thrive, but only in Louisiana. At midcentury the South provided three-fifths of America's exports, most of it in cotton. -
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion was a rebellion against taxes in 1791. After the tax was placed on whiskey, a direct result from this would be that the colonists HATED it. Thousands of farmers from Pennsylvania attacked tax collectors and tried to take over the city of Pittsburgh as they were protesting the Whiskey Tax. However, George Washington led 13,000 troops to stop the rebellion and scared the insurrection army away. This displayed the power that the government has to make sure people paid the tax. -
Pinckney's Treaty
Pinckney's Treaty established intentions of friendship between the United States and Spain. Before the treaty, the western and southern borders of the United States were a source of tension between Spain and the US. The United States' border extended to the Mississippi River. A request was sent to negotiate a new treaty. US agreed not to threat Spanish territory, and border of Florida is settled by the treaty. Pinckney's Treaty encouraged Americans to continue expansion westward. -
John Adams elected as second president
In 1797, John Adams is nominated for president by the Federalists and he becomes president, and Thomas Jefferson became vice president. A direct result from this election was that political parties became part of election process. During Adams' presidency, he passed the Alien and Sedition acts that allowed the government to imprison or deport enemies of the United States, also anyone who criticized the govt. or an official and this was considered unconstitutional, violating the first amendment. -
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The Age of Jefferson
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Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was signed in 1803, Jefferson who decided that he would buy the land from Napoleon. This was not originally planned but Napoleon had to prepare for war with the British, so land was sold to the United States. The purchase price of the land was $15M. The area that came with the purchase was the West of Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and also included the Port of New Orleans, which was 828.000 square miles of land. This nearly doubled the size of the United States. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition!
The expedition led by Lewis and Clark was two years long which its goal was to find the most direct and practicable water communication across the continent, for the purposes of commerce, for business or trade. They had met about 24-50 Native tribes out there. They had encountered a girl who they would definitely need named Sacagawea. She was a translator, guide, person who could work people with Indian relations, and kept peace with the people on the expedition and all of the Indian tribes. -
War of 1812 sparks
The War of 1812 was a military conflict, lasting for two and a half years. It had been fought by the United States of America against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, its North American colonies, and its Native American allies. Some would have considered this to be our "second war of independence". The treaty of Ghent was signed on December 24, 1814 in the city of Ghent, was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain. -
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Industrial Revolution
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Second Bank chartered
The Second Bank of the US was chartered in 1816 with the same responsibilities and powers as the First Bank. However, the Second Bank would not have the limited success of the First Bank. Although foreign ownership was not a problem, owning 20% of the bank's stock, the Second Bank was plagued with poor management and fraud. People disliked the factors of the bank so there have been 2 attempts to shut it down. In McCulloch v Maryland, the Supreme Court voted the Second Bank as constitutional. -
Rush-Bagot treaty is signed
In 1817, the Rush-Bagot Treaty had demilitarized the Great Lakes region in which where the British forts were at. It also laid the basis for a safe boundary between the British and the Americans, and improved the relations between the two nations after the War of 1812. -
Panic of 1819
The Panic of 1819 was the collapse of a quickly growing western american economy. It began with many people wanting to move west for more land to acquire. This had resulted in the price of land in increasing, people get less land and land avail isn't as good. The corn prices also go down, so overall, people pay more for less, bad land, and corn prices dropping (so they won't make as much money selling corn from their new land). -
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Nineteenth Century Cultural Changes
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Missouri Compromise passes in US Congress
The Missouri Compromise was an agreement in 1820 between pro-slavery and antislavery in the United States that originally was whether or not Missouri was going to enter as a free or slave state, but ended concerning slavery into new territories in general. Henry Clay came up with the compromise, which stated Missouri would be a slave state, but Maine would become free. States within the Louisiana purchase north of Missouri would not allow slavery, and any state south of it would allow slavery. -
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Jacksonian America
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John Quincy Adams elected as 6th president
John Quincy Adams had served terms from March 4, 1825 to March 4, 1829. He used tariffs and funding to help create roads, banks, and colleges. He thought these things were needed to create a better country. This impacted the country because this is when we started to expand and add things that we now see everyday. John Quincy Adams believed that the federal government should promote economic growth. His father is John Adams and just like him he served only 1 term. -
Jackson elected as 7th president
Election of 1828 resulted in Andrew Jackson having many more votes due to being the "common man" candidate and he was elected the 7th President. Andrew Jackson, also known as "Old Hickory" was the seventh President of the United States from 1829 to 1837. He was a military hero during the War of 1812 and the Seminole Wars. He supported full democratic rights for all white men, Indian removal, and a limited federal government. -
Rachel Jackson passes away
Rachel had lived to see her husband, Andrew Jackson, win the Election of 1828. However, she was not looking forward to being the First Lady. She would say, "I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than to live in that palace at Washington." During the campaign, Rachel was much subject of ridicule because of her alleged adulterous affair with Andrew before her divorce was final, and all the slander did not help her poor health. She passed December 22, 1828. -
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints founded
Joseph Smith born in 1805 in Virginia, visited by the angel Moronai, the angel had instructed him to visit a forest and find a buried manuscript, which was translated by Smith from gold plates in reformed Egyptian. According to Joseph Smith, the story that is within the Book of Mormon described a lost tribe of Israel that had traveled to New World in 600 BCE. They believed in significance of family, dietary restrictions (avoid alcohol, caffeine, drugs, tobacco), and no premarital sex. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was supported by Andrew Jackson, 7th President of the United States. There were Three ''official'' reasons for Removal as it would provide land for white Americans, improve the security against foreign invaders, and encourage the civilization of Native Americans. But the real reasons were that there would be more land available for white Americans, source of Gold from the North Georgia mountains, and to get back at fugitive runaway slaves. -
The "Liberator" is published
The Liberator was a weekly newspaper that was published by William Lloyd Garrison in Boston, Massachusetts. The Liberator was a mighty force from the beginning and became the most influential newspaper in the antebellum antislavery crusade. After 35 years and 1,820 issues, Garrison had not failed to publish a single issue. He spent the final 14 years of his life campaigning for woman’s suffrage, pacifism and temperance. He died in New York City on May 24, 1879. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner's Rebellion was a 48 hour slave rebellion in which a group of slaves unsuccessful attempt to overthrow and kill planter families. Whites feared another slave rebellion could happen again. As a result of Nat Turner's Rebellion life for slaves in the south got worse. After the Civil War, laws limiting African Americans were passed. These laws originated after Nat Turner's Rebellion which were known as the "Black Codes". -
Worcester vs Georgia
Worcester argued that the Georgia statute that prohibited non-native Americans from being present on Native American lands w/o a license from the state was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court and Chief Justice ruled in favor of Worcester stating that Indian nations were "distinct political communities having territorial boundaries within which their authority is exclusively guaranteed by the United States". This case marked that the federal government was authority to deal with Indian relations. -
Nullification Crisis
In 1828, the tariff of abominations was passed. John Calhoun gave a theory that states can pass an ordinance of nullification, finding a law unconstitutional, which the Southerners had supported. But a new Tariff Law is passed, slightly lowering the duties. This shows a strong growing influence of the North, which angers the south. South Carolina passes the ordinance of nullification and Calhoun and Clay work out compromise in congress with gradually lowering Tariffs, SC repeals nullification. -
American Anti-Slavery Society founded
American Anti-Slavery Society was an organization of abolitionists with a goal of emancipation. The society was founded by William Lloyd Garrison, Theodore Weld, and others. These people were abolitionists, religious, and both black&white. Their goal was to convince others to push for emancipation. Weld and Grimke sisters (Angelina and Sarah) came together to publish, "American Slavery as It Is: Testimony of a Thousand Witnesses" in 1839, exposing horribly violent true stories of slavery. -
New York Female Moral Reform Society
The New-York Moral Female Reform Society (NYFMRS) was founded in 1834, the third in a line of female societies in the city. The purpose of the New-York Female Moral Reform Society was to educate and warn others, especially young women, to avoid those who took part in this. They hoped to reform the "abandoned women" (the prostitutes) of New York City. The society also had pamphlets and info regarding the state of affairs in that city to gain more middle-class support for their cause. -
Ralph Waldo Emerson publishes Nature
Ralph Waldo Emerson was a philosopher, writer, and poet who became a central figure in the Transcendalist movement in American. Emerson had published a book in 1836 which was named "Nature". Its primary focus on nature & to a degree, its focus on individualism. In his book, he states he is a "transparent eyeball", meaning you can see right through him as he becomes apart of his surroundings but at the same time, he can see outside of himself. -
An Appeal to the Christian Women of the South published
In 1836 Angelina published a 36-page booklet titled An Appeal to the Christian Women of the South. The booklet was deeply religious and included many Biblical passages to show the immorality of slavery.Her strategy was a direct approach to religious leaders in the South who had been using scripture to argue that slavery was actually God's plan for the United States, and that slavery was essentially blessed. The reaction in South Carolina was intense, and Angelina was threatened with prosecution. -
Telegraph
The telegraph was invented by Samuel Morse in 1838. This invention had revolutionized long distance communication. Instead of sending a message by foot, you can now send messages in a matter of seconds from place to place. The telegraph also had transformed how wars were as, for example, Lincoln had implemented this invention for use in communication to and from the front lines of battle, which had helped them win. -
Trail of Tears
The "Trail of Tears" was a direct effect from the Indian Removal Act Congress had passed in 1830. Andrew Jackson was the President of US at the time who decided to make Cherokee move. The Cherokee were Native Americans who lived in Georgia. There were about 15,000 Cherokees that were forced to move and about 4,000 Cherokees who had died on the trail and did not make it all the way. The name, "Trail of Tears", was what the trip from Georgia to Oklahoma was named because of so many Cherokee dying. -
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Westward Expansion
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First major wagon train on Oregon Trail takes off!
Oregon Trail was a historic land route to what is now the Western United States. The trail had begun at Independence, Missouri and had ended Oregon City. Oxen were used to help pull the wagons as they were inexpensive and easy to take care of. People travel all the way to Oregon as there's free land in the west. There were also dangers along this trail as you could've encountered Natives. If they were friendly, you could trade with them, but if they were not friendly, they would steal cattle. -
Texas annnexed into US and Union
Texas was well suited to production of the cotton plant, so it would surely be admitted as a slave state. The issue of admitting Texas to the union first came before President Andrew Jackson. Jackson knew that the admission of Texas would be strongly opposed by the slave free states of the North, so he did not press the issue. Texans approved of the popular bill which was signed by President James Polk on December 29, 1845, admits Texas in as the 28th state of the Union by joint resolution. -
Concept of Manifest Destiny introduced
It was the idea that it was God's will that the US expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Economically, it meant new land for farmers, new trade routes and markets, and new opportunities to start a business. There are lots of land and good soil, adventure and new starts that were awaiting them, and religious freedom, spreading the gospel. This would result in the expansion of our nation's borders and territory, also expanding slavery, which is why southerners want to expand westward the most. -
Sewing Machine invented!
There are many versions of the sewing machine before the Industrial Revolution. However, Elias Howe improved previous models and invents the Lock-Stitch Sewing Machine. At a time when people had to make their own clothes at home or pay someone else to sew them by hand, Elias Howe invents the sewing machine. Clothing was now to be made in large factories, factoring into the mass production of clothes. -
Battle of Palo Alto
The battle took place on May 8, 1846, shortly before the United States formally declared war on Mexico, General Zachary Taylor defeated a superior Mexican force in the Battle of Palo Alto. The battle took place north of the Rio Grande River near Brownsville, Texas. Taylor’s victory, along with a series of consistent victories against the Mexicans, made him a war hero. -
Battle for Mexico City is fought
Santa Ana relied on fortification of the city to defeat Scott. President Polk wanted one last chance to reach a peace agreement but was turned down. Captain Lee had discovered an unguarded path and began to approach the city. Ana attempts to flank them but they had failed. In two days of fighting Americans lost 139 dead and 876 wounded. The Mexican lost 4,000 killed and wounded plus 3,000 captured. This battle was the last battle of the war, being ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe. -
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Sectionalism
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California Gold Rush
James Marshall was the worker who discovered gold in 1848 while building a sawmill for John Sutter. Sutter tried to quiet the news of gold fearing it would threaten his wealth in the area but word leaked out. People from all over the world who came to California in search of gold did not get rich quick finding it. During this rush of people coming from everywhere, lots of crime had occurred so basically gold was free for the taking. Natives and Africans were negatively impacted by the Gold Rush. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe was signed and it ended the U.S.-Mexican War and transferred 500,000 square miles of land from Mexico to United States ownership. As a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, most of the people who remained in the territory acquired by the United States became United States citizens. The US had agreed to pay Mexico $15M for the land they acquired.This also resulted in the diffusion of Spanish language, traditions, and Mexican culture spread through the United States. -
Seneca Falls Convention Begins
Event was held in Seneca Falls, NY. It was organized by two women named Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. This convention was a direct opposition towards the World Anti-Slavery Convention held in London in 1840 which women weren't allowed to directly participate. The Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions was a result from the convention. It was a document that detailed beliefs about social injustices towards women which was written and signed at the Seneca Falls Convention. -
Zachary Taylor wins presidential election of 1848
The election centered around the issues of the Mexican cession and the Wilmot Proviso. Taylor wanted to create a civil government in California to organize the gold rush and to ensure no foreign interference in California. He additionally encouraged Californians to write a state constitution and for congress to admit California and New Mexico as free states as soon as possible. Taylor had won the election as he did not mention slavery during the period of time, as he is also a plantation owner. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was designed by Henry Clay to avoid war, and sectionalism. The ways that the North had benefited from this compromise was that California was officially a free state (skipped state requirements), the slave trade was banned in D.C, but slavery was still legal, and tipped the balance of free vs slave states. The was that the South had benefited from this was that an effective Fugitive Slave Act was passed and $10 million was given to Texas for the construction of a railroad. -
Fugitive Slave Law passed by congress
Part of Henry Clay's famed Compromise of 1850 was a group of bills. This new law forcibly compelled citizens to assist in the capture of runaway slaves, which required the return of runaway slaves. It sought to force the authorities in free states to return fugitive slaves to their masters. This policy was known as the Fugitive Slave Act. This further angered many northern abolitionists. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin is published
Uncle Tom's Cabin was a novel that was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Its underlying themes consisted of slavery, women's rights and Christianity. It had a great political impact as even Lincoln had acknowledged the novel. It sparked powerful emotions throughout many people on slavery as it turned millions of people against slavery. Harriet was well-known as the "women who started the civil war". -
Kansas-Nebraska Act becomes law
The act allowed people to choose if they wanted their region to be in state of either a slave state or a free state. It affected the North because their territory was now open to popular sovereignty. It affected the south by letting them people choose if they wanted their area to become a slave state or a free state. They passed the Kansas-Nebraska act on May 30, 1854 and thereby the territories of Kansas and Nebraska were legally created. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
The debates featured Lincoln, a republican, against Stephen Douglas, a democrat. Lincoln believed that restricting slavery to states was better then having it at all. They were both running for the Senate seat in Illinois. During summer and fall of 1858, Lincoln and Douglas debated seven times throughout the state. Most people say that Lincoln won the debate, but Douglas won the election. However, Lincoln's good showmanship paved the way for him to run for president in 1860. -
John Brown is hung for treason due to leadership of insurrection
In 1859, John Brown had a plan to invade the South with armed slaves at Harper's Ferry. He tried to take a collection of weapons in the Federal Arsenal to give to the slaves. Firstly, they had killed a free black man who was a watch guard, he and his group waited for reinforcements but no slaves came. Someone had finally shown up, but it was the Federal Army that was led by Robert E Lee. John Brown was later arrested and hanged by the Federal Army. -
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The American Civil War
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1st Battle of Bull Run
Bull Run was a creek located near Richmond, which named the 1st Battle of Bull Run. Ervin McDowell was the Union General for the 1st Battle of Bull Run, and after the Battle he was replaced by McClellan. Stonewall Jackson was a Confederate general, who got his name at the 1st Battle of Bull Run. Many people had knew of the battle and had came down to watch the battle relating it to a sport, with lunches since it was a nice day. -
The Homestead Act is approved
This act had opened up settlement in the western United States, allowing any American, which had included freed slaves, to put in a claim for up to 160 free acres of federal land. By the end of the Civil War, about 15,000 homestead claims had been established, and even more in the following years. This act was one of the most significant events in the westward expansion of the United States. By granting many acres of free land to anyone, it allowed nearly every man or woman a "fair chance." -
Emancipation Proclamation issued
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Abraham Lincoln. They applied to the states that were currently in rebellion. It was a document that freed slaves and allowed Union officers to recruit African American soldiers in the south. Border states that stayed in union were allowed to keep their slaves by the proclamation. The proclamation had ended up freeing about four million slaves in 1863. It kept Great Britain from joining the war on the side of the Confederacy as they disliked slavery. -
Gettysburg Address
Lincoln gave this speech on November 19, 1863. President Abraham Lincoln was invited to speak and give a dedication speech for the soldiers who fought in the war, which later became known as the Gettysburg Address, at the official memorial ceremony for the National Cemetery of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, on the site of one of the bloodiest and most decisive battles of the Civil War. -
Abraham Lincoln proposes 10% plan
Lincoln's goal was complete a unified union. Lincoln's plan caused a great debate on how they would help the south. All Southerners, except high-ranking confederates, and political and military officials, would be pardoned and regain citizenship when they take an oath to support the US Constitution and the emancipations of slaves. When 10% of the voters in a state take this oath they could establish a legal government that would be recognized by the south. -
Mississippi enacts Black Codes
The new southern legislatures began passing repressive "Black Codes." Mississippi passed the first of these laws designed to restrict the freedom of the emancipated blacks in November 1865. The South intended to preserve slavery as nearly as possible in order to guarantee a stable labor supply. -
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Reconstruction
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General Robert E. Lee surrenders to Ulysses S. Grant
Lee surrenders to Grant as he was surrounded on three sides by Grant. There was no way Lee could've stood a chance at Appomattox as his army was completely surrounded and they were running low on ammunition and food because all supply lines had been cut off. Even in the chase, Lee could barely stay ahead of Grant because he had to send out foragers to find food. Ely Parker, who was an Iroquois Native American, wrote the official surrender document that Grant and Lee signed to end the war. -
Abraham Lincoln is assassinated
The assassination had taken place at Ford's Theatre, which was displaying the play "American Cousin", attended by Lincoln and his wife. Lincoln was the first president to be assassinated in US History. The death of the President generated anger and feelings of revenge against the Confederacy and led to a more forceful period of reconstruction. His death also led to Vice President Andrew Johnson assuming the presidency who became the first American President to ever be impeached. -
Civil Rights Act passed
The Civil Rights Acts of 1866 involved the Congress and Native Americans. It was an act that granted citizenship to all persons born in US except Native Americans. Johnson had vetoed the act but the Congress had passed it anyway. This allowed African Americans to own property and stated they were to be treated equally in court. The Federal Government had the right to sue people who violated these rights, which led to the 14th amendment becoming an addition to the US Constitution. -
15th Amendment ratified
The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was one of three changes made to the U.S. Constitution after the Civil War. Collectively, the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments were known as the Civil War Amendments. The purpose of the 15th Amendment was to ensure that states or communities were not denying men the right to vote simply based on their race. The right to vote is known as suffrage. Simply guaranteed voting rights to all American males of all races. -
Panic of 1873
After the war, the rapid growth of railroads and factories had strained the nation's financial resources. Two major fires in Chicago in 1871 and in Boston in 1872 costed the insurance companies 273 million dollars and laid the colossal burden on the financial community. One of the worst in the nation's history was underway. It lasted for 5 years, shutting down mills and factories, bankrupting railroads closing banks, bringing unemployment and starvation to thousands of workers. -
Election of 1876
This was one of the most controversial elections in U.S. history as neither candidate reached number of electoral votes to win. Electoral Commission was created and chooses Republican Hayes to be President. Electoral commission had chosen him to be President because they fear a Democrat being in office. Samuel Tilden wins popular vote, but did not win the electoral vote as he was one electoral vote away from winning the presidency.
