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Battle of Lexington and Concord
They were the first battles of the Revolutionary War. These battles happened in April of 1775. They happened because the British commander in Boston had heard of supplies of powder and weapons being kept by Patriots in the towns of Lexington and Concord. -
Declaration of Independence
A document written to severe ties from Great Britain. The document was also written to further the reason to go to war with Great Britain, and addressed loyalist to leave the King. It also said that the people hat the right to abolish the government if it did not do it's job and defined natural rights. -
Battle of Saratoga
This was a turning point in the Revolutionary War because it helped boost the morale of the colonist and also created a foreign relation with France. -
Articles of Confederation
Was written to address the issues the colonists had under British rule, giving most of the power to the states. Which cause there to be a weak federal government with it only consisting a unicameral house which was Congress. -
Battle of Yorktown
Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington as French and American forces trapped the British at Yorktown. The British surrender at the Battle of Yorktown ended the American Revolutionary War. -
Northwest Ordinance
It established a government for the Northwest Territory, outlined the process for admitting a new state to the Union, and guaranteed that newly created states would be equal to the original thirteen states -
Constitution
The US Constitution is the supreme law of the land whose main writer is James Madison. The purpose was to fix the problems of the Articles of Confederation. It established the basic rights of the citizens.(bill of rights). Also gave more power to the federal government and created three branches executive, judicial, and legislative. -
Bill of Rights
Written to persuade anti federalist to ratify the constitution. The bill of rights included 10 amendments that protected the rights of the people and limited the power of the government. -
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
Written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. This was in response to the Alien and Sedition acts. Stating that the acts were unconstitutional and that the states were trying to nullify a federal law. -
Alien & Sedition Acts
Federalist placed restrictions on citizenship on citizenship and political speech. Also restricted the freedom of speech in result of the XYZ affair and to stop false malicious writing about the government. -
Marbury V. Madison
William Marbury was appointed a judge right before the end of John Adams presidency. But Marbury was unable to get his commission causing this case. At the decision it also gave more power to the federal government adding judicial review. Which allowed the judicial branch to decide whether a law was constitutional or not. -
Louisiana Purchase
Was purchased for fifteen million dollars from France. we wanted it to add more states to the nation and gain control of the Mississippi river. -
War of 1812
Conflict fought between the United States and Great Britain over British violations of U.S. maritime rights. -
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans was the last major battle of the War of 1812. It happened on January 8, 1815 under the command of General Andrew Jackson, American forces successfully repelled the invading British army. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was the legislation that provided for the admission to the United States of Maine as a free state along with Missouri as a slave state, which maintained the balance of power between North and South in the United States -
Monroe Doctrine
Delivered by James Monroe to warn European powers to not colonize territories in the western hemisphere and South America. This had little effect though because most European powers had no interest in colonizing. Only Great Britain offered naval power to keep trade relations. -
Nullification Crisis
This was the scene in 1832, when South Carolina adopted the ordinance to nullify the tariff acts and label them unconstitutional. Despite voices from other Southern states, South Carolina found itself standing alone. -
Texas Annexation
Was wanted to end border disputes with Mexico. Was gained through the conclusion of the Mexican-American War in 1848, which ended with the signing and ratification of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in 1848. -
Declaration of Sentiments
Written in Seneca Falls NY based off the American Declaration of Independence. Women declared equality with men before the law in education and employment. -
Mexican Cession
Wanted this land to full-fill manifest destiny. Gained after the conclusion of the Mexican-American War in 1848, which ended with the signing and ratification of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in 1848. -
Compromise of 1850
called for the admission of California as a free state; the strengthening of the Fugitive Slave Law, popular sovereignty in Utah and New Mexico concerning the question of slavery, the abolition of the slave trade in D.C.,and the federal assumption of Texas's debt. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe to show the life of slavery and change the perspective people have on African Americans. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The popular sovereignty clause of the law led pro- and anti-slavery elements to flood into Kansas with the goal of voting slavery up or down, resulting in Bleeding Kansas -
Oregon Territory (treaty)
Gained from Great Britain after the signing the Oregon Treaty of 1846. This piece of land was found after the Louisiana purchase. -
John Brown’s raid at Harper’s Ferry
An effort by armed abolitionist John Brown to initiate an armed slave revolt in 1859 by taking over a United States arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia. (failed) -
Bleeding Kansas
A Border War of a series of violent civil confrontations in the United States between 1854 and 1861 which emerged from a political and ideological debate over the legality of slavery in the proposed state of Kansas. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
The first battle of the Civil war and was a Confederate victory. -
Battle of Bull Run
First major battle of the civil war which was a decisive Confederate victory. -
Battle of Antietam
Bloodiest single day of the civil war. This was a union victory and in effect the Emancipation Proclamation was written. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Signed by Abraham Lincoln, it was written to persuade rebelling states to rejoin the union. By stating that slaves were to be freed in all rebelling states of the Union. -
Battle of Gettysburg
General E Lee's first tactical defeat and was a turning point in the war as it was a Union victory. -
Battle of Vicksburg
Confederates lose control of the Mississippi river. -
Gettysburg Address
A speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln as dedication of Soldier's National Cemetery, a cemetery for Union soldiers killed at the Battle Of Gettysburg during the American Civil War and to fight for the union that all men are created equal. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
Union General William T. Sherman led some 60,000 soldiers on a 285-mile march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. The purpose of Sherman's March to the Sea was to frighten Georgia's civilian population into abandoning the Confederate cause.(Used Total War) -
Presidential Reconstruction
10% of the Confederacy had to take oath to rejoin the union and had to emancipate slavery. -
13th Amendment
Signed by Abraham Lincoln and emaciated slaves and made slavery illegal. -
Freedman’s Bureau
They provided food, housing and medical aid, established schools and offered legal assistance to newly freedman. It also attempted to settle former slaves on land confiscated or abandoned during the war. -
14th Amendment
Grants citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the United States, which included former slaves who had just been freed after the Civil War. -
15th Amendment
Guarantees voting rights to all American males of all races. -
Congressional Reconstruction
Created by radical republicans and they wanted to punish the south. By making the south divide into 5 military districts. -
Plessy V Ferguson
It upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation laws for public facilities as long as the segregated facilities were equal in quality. Allowing segregation as long it was separate but equal.