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Jamestown
Jamestown was established as an attempt to settle the "New World." Having suffered from multiple problems, the settlement finally started earning profit on tobacco also grown by the local Native Americans. The Headright System was set up in order to draw in more settlers and workers for the colony. It included 50 acres of land for new colonists, 100 acres for colonists already living there. -
Mayflower Compact
This document created by 41 male passengers of the Mayflower established a civil government, also stating their loyalty to the British King. Occured before stepping foot at Plymouth Rock. -
Halfway Covenant
Established by the New England Puritans, it allowed children who were not converted to the Purtian religion to attend church. Their parents had to be Puritans, however, Major Figure: Solomon Stoddard. Helped draft the Covenant. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Caused by problems such as economic difficulties afftecting Virginia and harsh weather damaging life in the colonies. The Viginian colonists saw the local Indians as the scapegoats, and became fighting with them. -
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Great Awakening
A time of renewed interest in religion, Religious ideals were changing, such as predestination shifting to doing good things to save oneself in the afterlife. Ministers such as Johnathin Edwards, and George Whitfield set about the colonies spreading the new ideals and successfully converting slaves and some Native Americans. -
Proclamation of 1763
Parliament established an imaginary line after the French and Indian War to prevent future conflicts with the Native Americans living past the Appalachian mountains. The colonist ignored the proclamation, thus angering Great Britain. -
Sugar Act
Established in attempt to squish out the illegal sugar trade between the colonies and the French and Spanish West Indies. -
Currency Act
This Act demanded that the colonies stop issuing paper money and to stop accepting paper money already in circulation. Paper money was widely used during the Revolutionary War. -
Stamp Act
Biggest Act passed by Parliament imposed taxes on most paper goods. Included marriage certificates, newspapers, almanacs, licenses, deeds, and wills. -
Tea Act
Allowing for the East India Company to avoid taxation when selling tea to the colonies that were often imposed on colonial merchants doing the same. Angered by this, colonists boycotted the less expensive tea. Patriots in Boston attended the Boston Tea Party, dumping crates of tea into the harbor. -
Declaration of Independence
Declaring independence from Great Britain, Congress approved the document two days later. The passing is now known as the 4th of July. Written mostly by Thomas Jefferson with the aid of Ben Franklin and John Adams. -
Articles of Confederation
Accepted by Congress in order to set up some type of government in the new country.Not fully ratified among the former colonies until 1781. It was weak, not doing much in favor of establishing a strong base to work from. -
Revolutionary War
During the Revolutionary War, France began to aid the colonies fight against its rivals in the fight for freedom. The foreign aid was crucial to the colonists in the fight as they were in dire need for supplies and weapons. Without France's aid, the war would have fallen to the British. -
Hamilton's Financial Plan
1) The government is to assume any left-over state war debts and pay it at face value.
2) The government should protect new businesses on home soil and collect revenue by placing high tariffs on imported goods.
3) Build a national bank for government money to be stored and print banknotes as a stable currency.
Jefferson demanded that Hamilton revise his plan as some states had already paid off the war debt -
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Shay's Rebellion
Daniel Shay, former captain for the Continental Army, demanded paper money, tax relief, relocation of state captial to interior, and a moratorium on debts. Followers sabotaged debt collections -
Land Oridinance of 1785
Based on Thomas Jefferson's proposal. The west was divided into ten self-governing districts. Once they gathered a population of around that of the smallest existing state, then the district could petition for statehood through Congress. -
Land Ordiance of 1787
Congress set up a system that surveyed and sold western lands. Any northern territory north of the Ohio River would be surveyed into rectangular townships. Revenue generated from the sale of this land went to fund public schools. -
The Constitution
Most important contributer was James Madison. Constitution stated that niether state nor national government shall be sovereign, and use a system of checks and balances to avoid corruptions. In order to help ratify the Constitution, Congress added a Bill of Rights. Helped set up the government structure. Federalists were in favor, while the Anti-Federalists strongly opposed. BIll of Rights were to ensure that the people's rights would be protected and provided for them. -
Bill of Rights
Congress accepted 12 amendments, an additional ten to be added before the year is out. The first nine limit Congress' ability to infringe on specific rights of the American people. Those rights included the freedom of speech, religion, and the press. Rights to a trial by jury, immunity from arbitrary arrests, and more. -
Washington's Neutrality Proclamation
George Washington declared that the United States of America should avoid foreign affairs. He personally believed that if the country was to get involved with Great Britain and the other European countries across the ocean, the country would be forced to form alliances, thus leading to war. It also states that American ships are not to supply war material to either side of the ongoing war of the time period. He was right. -
The Cotton Gin
Improved the rate of cotton production on the plantations in the South. Slavery was on the decline before the invention was patented, and after the cotton gin got around, the slave trade exploded as the need for more workers brought slavery back to where it was before. Eli Whitney's creation also inspired the useage of interchangable parts, meaning that if the machine broke down, new parts could be added to keep production going. -
Washington's Farewell Address
In his farewell address, George Washington warned the people of the United States that forming political parties would only lead to problems in the government. He also warned not to get involved with foreign affairs yet again as it leads to debt in the nation and alliances that lead to wars. We didn't listen. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The residency requirement for citzenship was increased from five to fourteen years. The president was also allowed to imprison or deport any "alien" that was deemed dangerous to the country.They also prohibited speech that was critical of the United States government, which was a violation of the first admendment. -
Kentucky and Virginia Resolves
The ResolvesAuthorized by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, the resolves were made in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts. They felt that Congress was using powers not assigned to them by the Constitution. The Virginia Resolution says just this. However, the Kentucky Resolution, authorized by Jefferson, declared that states are allowed to nullify federal laws as long as they were seen as unconstitutional. Nullification had no mention in the Virginia Resolution. -
Election of 1800
The Election of 1800 had a peaceful transition of power changing the hands of political parties. The government went from the Federals to the Democrats/Republicans. As Jefferson was the second president who did not want the VP that he did not want, the 12th Admendment was added to the Bill of Rights. It states: "Electors must specify which person they want for President and VP on separate ballots so there would not be a tie." -
The Louisiana Purchase
Jefferson wanted the land he purchased through Napolean as by adding the huge expansion of land added to the country, Jefferson's vision of a truely agrarian society could come true, -
Marbury v. Madison
This court case established the judicial review, declared laws unconstitutional, and states that if the Constitution conflicts with an act of legislature, then the act is deemed as invalid. -
War of 1812
Caused by the British impressment of American sailors, eyes on Canadian land, the Chesapeake Affair, and War Hawks demanding a war to end the impressment. -
Hartford Convention
26 delegates from the New England area gathered to discuss the notion of secession due to the War of 1812 and its effects on merchantilism. In return for not seceeding, the delegates demanded compesation from the Embargo Act, new admendments, less presidential terms, not allow canidates be from the same state during a presidential election. This lead to the death of the Federalist party. -
Compromise of 1820
Also known as the Missouri Compromise. Declared that Missouri could be a slave state as long as Maryland was a free state to keep the balance of free and slave states in the country. Set up the 36-30 line across the middle of America. The Dred Scott court case later ruled the 36-30 line unconstitutional. -
The Monroe Doctrine
The country feared that Spain would attempt to "gain back its lost empire." The United States felt that it had a duty to protect the newly independent nations in the Atlantic. However, it was more passive than aggressive, merely asking the Europeans not to spread into the Western Hemisphere again. The Roosevelt Corollary was developed in 1904 to aid the Doctrine due to the Venezuelan crisis' attraction of European attention. -
Expansion of Suffrage
Less requirements in order for a person to vote. However, only white males could vote still. However, the number of eligible voters did increase throughout the 1820s. -
Tariff of Abominations/Nullification Crisis
This tariff was meant to protect agriculture in the north and west from the foreign imports. In effect, the tariff raised the price of living for the southerners and cut into New England profits. John C. Calhoun of South Carolina then wrote against the tariff, asking for a nullification. Due to the near constitutional crisis, tensions between the south and north remained steady, perhaps a little raised. -
Indian Removal Act
Withdrew Indians East of the Mississippi River voluntarily for relocation to the West to provide more living space for the American citizens. Forced the Indians to either assimilate into the American culture or leave their homelands for unknown territory. Lead to Trail of Tears. -
Irish Immigration
During the middle 1800's, immigration to the United States was on the rise. Considered the land of opportunity for all who come to its shores, America was a magnet for the poor and people in search of a new start on life. The Irish escaping the Potato famine were willing to work for cheaper wages than those working before them, making them favourable in the employer's eyes. American-born citizens were angered by the increase of competition for jobs in the factories. -
Know-Nothing (Nativist) Party
A political party strongly against immigration, which was the very reason America exists today. Immigration. Membership stemmed from the native Protestants who wanted the naturalization period to be increased to 21 years. The name of the party originiated from saying "I know nothing" when asked about the order or its doings. Popular in the North and South, unlike the Whigs. -
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Manifest Destiny
Americans felt that they had a God-given right to the land that lay west of the original 12 colonies. They moved west in droves of wagon trains to embark on the dangerous trip. Religious people also attempted to convert the Indians as they saw them as "savages" only saved through coversion. After gold was discovered to be in California, the amount of people moving out west increased. The Whigs were strongly against the Westward movements as the industrious North was losing its valuable workforce -
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
The treaty was signed to end the Mexican-American War that spanned from 1846-1848. America gained New Mexico and Northern California. Called the Mexican Cession. In today's terms, the land gained includes Arizona, New Mexico, parts of Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. Texas was also given to the U.S with the Rio Grande set as the southern border. -
Seneca Falls Convention
Elizabeth Stantion and Susan B. Anthony worked in the convention in New York to discuss women's rights. Together, with other feminists, they wrote the "Declaration of Sentiments" that was based off the Declaration of Independence. It claimed that women and men were equal. -
Compromise of 1850
The compromise declared that California was to be a free state. In order to satisfy the South, the Fugitive Slave Law was set in place in the North so that Southerners could "reclaim" their runaway slaves. The law angered the Northerners, especially because they had to help recapture the "slaves". -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Popular soverignty was ruled as to satisfy both the North and South. However, the North were angered and the South was strongly supportive of it. Elections were recounted because of each side of the slavery issue claimed that the other side commited fraud. Led to "Bleeding Kansas". -
Dred Scott Case
Declared that no African American could ever become a citizen of the United States and are unable of sueing anybody through the United States court system. The Federal government was also not allowed to dictate what territories could have slavery, Also ruled the Missouri Compromise as unconstitutional. The North were angered by this decision. -
John Brown at Harper's Ferry
A notorious abolitionist, John Brown and his sons attempted to raid the U.S arsenal at Harper's Ferry in order to gather enough weapons to arm the slaves and start a rebellion. The Northerners saw him as a national hero for trying to fight for the slave's freedom. However, the South saw John as a terrorist to the system that they held dear to their hearts. -
Licoln's Republican Policy on Slavery
Once Lincoln was elected, his ideas on slavery and it's abolishment struck fear into the hearts of Southerners. In retaliation of not getting who they wanted, the first southern state seceeded, which was South Carolina. Other states followed. -
The Civil War
The issue over slavery, Lincoln's election, and the battle at Fort Sumter sparked the Civil War. The North had more rail mileage, telegraph lines, and the sides of the border states contributed to the North's advantages. The South had only a defensive war to win with a bit more support and more familiar territory. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The proclamation was signed in order to free all the slaves within the Confederate territories. The border states did not have to free the slaves that they owned in favor of staying loyal to the Union.
