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Battle of Lexington & Concord
This was the first battle of the war as it included the shot heard around the world. It took place in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. This happened between the British soldiers and minutemen of the colonists. The shot heard around the world has an unknown origin of who fired it but it made the decision for both sides to begin the war. As the British marched, there were colonists of all kinds trying to fight and stop them. The colonists hid behind fences, rocks, trees, and building. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is a document that declared U.S. independence from Great Britain. It was written to further the cause of the colonists' fight. It addressed those people who remained loyal to the King or the ones who were undecided. It is based on the concept of limited government which is from the mind of John Locke. This meant that Americans could now enter alliance with other nations. This allowed them to become allies with France, a known enemy of Britain. -
Battle of Saratoga
This battle is considered the turning point of the American Revolutionary War. This was the battle that convinced the French to send aid to the colonists. It also lifted the colonists' spirits. It ended the threat of Britain in New England because the colonists had taken over the Hudson River. It showed the French that the Americans had the potential to actually beat their enemy. It gave a lot of help to the colonists that would ultimately help them win the war. -
Articles of Confederation
This was a document that was adopted during the Revolution. It was adopted by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. The Articles were basically a firm league of friendship, which is not good when you need to run a country. It had a weak central government that had no executive branch. It had one house and Congress. This Congress, however had little power to enforce decisions. One good thing was the land ordinances. They decided how new states would enter the Union. -
Battle of Yorktown
This was the final battle of the war. It was the surrender of the British by General Cornwallis. The colonists were led by George Washington and the French were led by Comte de Rochambeau. There were 500 British casualties, 80 American casualties, and 200 French casualties. There were still 6,000 British troops left to surrender. This event led to the Treaty of Paris and the official end of the American Revolution. This allow the Americans to truly be independent from Great Britain. -
Northwest Ordinance
It is considered the most significant achievement under the Articles of Confederation. It set the basis for how new states would enter the Union. The rules were set and states had to be accepted under equal terms. They were required to achieve a certain number of residents before they could apply for statehood. In any northwest territory, slavery was considered and declared to be illegal. This was the first evidence of the new government to prevent slavery. This promoted sectionalism in states. -
The Constitution
It is the supreme law of the United States. It consists of a preamble, 5 articles, and amendment. The first article is about the Legislative Branch. The next article is about the Executive Branch. The next article is about the Judicial Branch. The next article is about interstate relations. The last article is about making changes to the document. The amendment page consists of 27 amendments that have made changes to the U.S. -
The Bill of Rights
It is the first ten amendments of the Constitution. The first is the right to the freedom of speech, religion, etc. The second allows for people to have firearms. The third stops the quartering of troops. The fourth prohibits unlawful search and seizure. The fifth is the double jeopardy rule. The sixth guarantees the right to a speedy trial. The seventh guarantees the right to a jury. The eighth prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. -
Alien & Sedition Acts
This was when the Federalists of Congress placed restrictions on citizenship and political speech. These things were called the Alien and Sedition Acts. The Alien acts restricted what foreign people could do and if they could become a citizen. The Sedition Act restricted freedom of speech. This is blatant violation of the First Amendment. This act was done in response to the XYZ Affair. -
Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions
In response to the Alien & Sedition Acts, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison wrote the Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions. They said that the Alien & Sedition Acts were a violation of states' rights, making it unconstitutional. This led to them nullifying the law because it was unconstitutional. -
Marbury v. Madison
It is regarded as one of the most important court cases of all time. It was judged by Midnight judge John Marshall. The ruling would lead to the idea of judicial review. This gives the Judicial Branch the right to declare a law unconstitutional. In order to rule the case, John Marshall and co. had to search and find the meaning of the Constitution in order to declare if it was really unconstitutional. -
Louisiana Purchase
This was a huge territory purchased from France in 1803. The U.S. paid today's equivalent of $15 million for this territory. This would help double the size of America and open the Mississippi River trade route. The U.S. got 15 states out of the deal. Afterwards, Lewis and Clark were sent on an expedition to find a passage route. They didn't find it, but it led them into finding the Oregon territory. -
War of 1812
America was mad because Great Britain kept kidnapping sailors and forcing them to work for the British companies. They tried use economic sanctions under the Embargo of 1807, but that would fail. Britain was actually trying to maintain whatever colonies they had left. This would lead to the infamous Battle of New Orleans where Andrew Jackson was the hero. -
Battle of New Orleans
This was the battle were future president, Andrew Jackson, was considered the hero. He fought Native Americans in southeaster U.S. He would then go on to run for president in 1828. He went on to be the first president elected from the west. He also founded his own party; the Democrats. Common people described him as a champion of the common man. -
Missouri Compromise
A problem was started when Missouri was entered into the Union as a slave state. The problem was that there was a balance between slave and free states and Missouri threatened that. This lead to Maine being entered as free state to balance it out. This also led to the Mason-Dixon line which said that slavery cannot expand beyond 36/30 degrees. -
Monroe Doctrine
A policy made up by President James Monroe. He said that foreign nations are not allowed to colonize Latin and South America. He was worried about the possibility of European colonial expansion. Britain, also, felt that Spain would try and regain their former colonies that had recently gained independence. -
Nullification Crisis
It was started by John C. Calhoun from South Carolina. He didn't like a protective tariff that was passed an attempted to nullify it. He simply said that South Carolina would not pay it. Andrew Jackson wanted to make sure everyone knew that the federal government was stronger than the states government, but he didn't want to lose South Carolina's support. This led to him lowering the tariff and threatening South Carolina to pay it. -
Texas Annexation
It was the gaining of Texas from Mexico after Texas had been independent for 10 years. Texas went independent after Slavery was outlawed in Mexico. At first America didn't want to annex Texas because of internal conflicts, but eventually they did. They got Texas and most of Mexico after the war. -
Oregon Treaty
Was a treaty between Britain and the U.S. over boundary disputes. The Spanish also had control but that ended after the Adams-Onis Treaty was signed. It led to the famous American headline "54'40 or Fight!" which supported going to war with Britain. They didn't have to go to war, however, as a treaty was negotiated for territories south of the 49th parallel. It gave them states like Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. -
Declaration of Sentiments
It was basically about women wanting the same rights as men. They wanted the same unalienable rights that men have. They tried to convince the government that they should think of women as equal to men. It was said that under this government women have suffered and now women are demanding equality which they have rights to have. -
Mexican Cession (Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo)
The U.S. acquired this after the Mexican-American war. The territories gained make up most of the southwestern United States. It also completed the idea of Manifest Destiny by giving America control of the land from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Manifest Destiny is the idea that the U.S. should have land from sea to shining sea. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 did five things. The first thing was it admitted California as a free state. Next, it brought about stronger fugitive slave laws. Another thing it did was promote popular sovereignty in the territories gained from the Mexican Cession. It also made Texas sell their land and the federal government would assume their debt. Lastly, it abolished slavery in the nation's capital. This was all done to advance sectional and moral interests. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
It was a book written by Harriet Beecher Stowe that sold 300,000 in its first year. It depicted slavery in a harsher light than anyone had ever seen it before. It talked about the fugitive slave laws. It also helped to intensify the feelings of the Northern abolitionists. It made them think that slavery was even more of a moral evil than ever before. It also forced southerners to stand their ground and defend their position on slavery. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
It was an act proposed by Stephen Douglas. he proposed the idea of popular sovereignty to decide whether a new state would be a slave state or a free state. This overturned the results of the Missouri Compromise. To bring votes more to their side, people for slavery and against slavery had people in Kansas. This turned everything violent, an event name Bleeding Kansas. It also lead to the creation of the Republican party which were once the Whigs and Democratic Republicans. -
Bleeding Kansas
This is the period of violence while the territory of Kansas was settling. It was led by John Brown who was an abolitionist for anti-slavery. He led anti-slavery fighters in Kansas before his famous raid on Harper's Ferry. They were mad about the Missouri Compromise being overturned by the Kansas-Nebraska act. It had a big impact on the Civil War as it pushed the North and South further apart. -
John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry
This was led by John Brown who was an anti-slavery abolitionist. This was during Bleeding Kansas. John Brown planned on capturing weapons from Harper's Ferry in Virginia. He did this because he wanted slaves to fight for their freedom. They only killed four men but succeeded in capturing Harper's Ferry. He wanted the slaves to arm themselves with weapons but none of them did. In the end he was captured and hung for his crimes. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
It took place at the Charleston Harbor in South Carolina. This was a Confederate victory and the first battle of the war. 500 Confederation attacked 80 Union soldiers and helped to start the war. If they had not attacked then the Confederate states could still exist today because no one would have made the first move. After the battle the South wanted the Union to leave but they refused. Artillery happened and full scale war followed. -
Battle of Bull Run
This was the first major battle of the Civil War. It boosted the South's morale and showed the North that this would be a longer war than anticipated. A confederate spy named Mrs. Rose O'Neal Greenhow told of a Union advancement. This was a battle that was watched by citizens who wanted to watch a real battle. It lead to the Union troops retreating back to Washington while the spectators where forced to flee as well. -
Battle of Antietam
It was considered the bloodiest battle of the war. The Union were able to repel the invasion of the Confederate forces. It also allowed Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. This kept Britain and France on the outside looking in of the battle. It also may have helped Lincoln from losing the midterm election. -
Emancipation Proclamation
It declared all states in the Confederate territory free. It didn't really free anyone because they could not enforce this in the south. It did not free the slaves in the border states because Abraham Lincoln feared in doing so would prompt them to succeed and join the south. Abolitionists were mad that it didn't free all the slaves. The north was mad because they assumed it would lengthen the war. The south hated it because it went against everything they stood for. -
Battle of Vicksburg
It took place between May 16th and July 4th. It had leaders Ulysses S. Grant for the Union and John C. Pemberton for the Confederate. This was a key battle because the Union wanted and did take over the Mississippi river. They wanted to split the Confederate in half. They succeeded as it was one of the most pivotal victories in the war while lasting 48 days. It had 19,000 causalities and ended a day after the Battle of Gettysburg. -
Battle of Gettysburg
It took place between July 1st and July 3rd. A relatively short battle that took place in Pennsylvania at the Maryland border. The Union was lead by Major George Gordon and the Confederate was lead by General Robert E. Lee. It started when Lee was planning his second invasion on the Union. He didn't know, however, that the Union were waiting. They were forced to retreat. -
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Presidential Reconstruction
It was started by President Abraham Lincoln but was taken over by Andrew Johnson after his assassination. It was about Lincoln's 10% plan to join the Union. He said that to join the Union you had to swear oath and give up your slaves. This plan was met with resistance from Congress because of the Congressional Reconstruction that would take place right after the Presidential Reconstruction ended. -
Gettysburg Address
This was the given at the battlefield after the Battle of Gettysburg by President Abraham Lincoln. It was written to encourage people to take action to improve the nation. It was also written to honor those people who had fallen on the battlefield, regardless of side. It was written to reunite the north and the south. He felt that after the battles, the north and south could live together in harmony and peace. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
It was a march to the sea led by General William T. Sherman of the Union. He marched because he cut the railway center supply line for the Confederates. The march concluded at the Savannah, Georgia on the Atlantic coast after starting in Chattanooga. -
Freedmen's Bureau Established
It was organization created by the government to help newly freed slaves. It helped them find jobs, homes, education, and just promoted an overall better life. -
13th Amendment
This is the first of the three civil rights Amendments. This outlawed all slavery and abolished involuntary servitude unless as a punishment for crime. It gave Congress the power to enforce this in all states. It is still upheld to this day and it keeps the freedom of African Americans everywhere. -
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Congressional Reconstruction
It was period started by the Congressional or Radical Republicans. In the period some things happened. One thing that happened was the Military Reconstruction Act. This turned the South into 5 military that were controlled by the US Army. It said that the South must ratify the 14th Amendment which said that all African Americans had equal protection under the law as they had birthright citizenship. It also said that they must grant African American men the right to vote, thus ending suffrage. -
14th Amendment
It was the second of the three Civil Rights Amendments. It granted citizenship to anyone born in the United States. It stated that no state could take away a person's rights to life, liberty or property without due process of law. It also stated that each citizen would be protected equally under the law. If any state tried to stop any MALE citizen from voting, they would lose some representation in Congress. -
15th Amendment
It is the last of the Civil Right Amendments. It granted African Americans the right to vote. It stated that no state or the United States as a whole could prohibit any male citizen for voting on account of race, color, or previous servitude. It still did not allow women the right to vote, especially African American women, and that angered many women's rights groups. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
This is the case that upheld the idea of racial segregation. It led to the separate but equal doctrine. Plessy Ferguson, a 1/8th black man, was accused of sitting in a whites only railroad car. Even though he appeared white, he was still convicted for having any African American in his blood.