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Battle of Lexington and Concord
A battle between Britain and the American colonies. It was a military conflict during the American Revolutionary War, the first official battle. Took place on April 19, 1775 in the village of Lexington in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay. "Shot fired heard round the world" relates to the first shot that was fired of the battle, signaling to the world that the American colonies were officially at war with England. -
Declaration of Independence
A document that was created to write the colonists reasoning for independence. The authors were Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston. It was declared on July 4, 1776. Written in the Independence Hall, Philadelphia, PA. It was created to explain to the foreign nations on why the colonies chosen to separate from British rule. It was drafted by Thomas Jefferson and the members of the committee appointed to draft the document, Congress as well. -
Battle of Saratoga
Another battle between the American colonies and Britain. British General John Burgoyne led a large invasion army southward from Canada in the Champlain Valley to meet a similar British force marching northward. Another British force marching eastward, and Burgoyne was soon surrounded by American forces. Took place on September 19, 1777. The Battle of Saratoga was the climax of the Saratoga campaign, giving a victory to the Americans in the American Revolutionary War. -
Articles of Confederation
The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, but it was authored by John Dickinson. A written document that established the functions of the national government of the US. Ratified in March 1, 1781 and Created in November 15, 1777. Signed in Maryland & Revised in Philadelphia. It was created to be the first constitution of the new nation giving the states more power than the central government. Approved by the Second Continental Congress & sent to the states for ratification. -
Battle of Yorktown
It was between the combined force of American Continental Army troops led by General George Washington and French Army troops led by the Comte de Rochambeau vs. a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis. It took place on September 28, 1781 in Virginia.The last major battle of the American Revolutionary War. (On land) It was a significant victory and it disheartened the British. It encouraged the Americans & French and prompted negotiations to end the war. -
Northwest Ordinance
Authored by Nathan Dane & Rufus King, outlined by Thomas Jefferson. An ordinance that created the first organized territory of the US. Enacted on July 13, 1787. By the Second Continental Congress. It provided rules for governing the Northwest Territory: north of the Ohio River & west of the Allegheny Mountains. It was the response to multiple pressures such as, westward expansion of American settlers, tense relations with Great Britain & Spain, weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, etc. -
Constitution
James Madison wrote the Constitution. It was a statement of basic principles and laws of a nation, state, or group. Drafted on July 24th, 1787 and Finalized on September 17, 1787. Created at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was written because the Articles of Confederation was a failed attempt at government structure. The Constitution was considered a combination of many opinions just like the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. -
Bill of Rights
It was Introduced by James Madison and backed by Thomas Jefferson. The first 10 amendments to the US Constitution. The rights that all citizens have and cannot be taken away by the government. Drafted on September 25, 1789 & went into effect on December 15, 1791. Announced in Pennsylvania, PA. It protects the rights of the People from being violated by the federal government. The Bill of Rights was basically strongly influenced by the Virginia Declaration of Rights and English Bill of Rights. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
Four bills passed by the Federalist 5th US Congress, signed into law by President John Adams. An act created to allow the President to imprison & deport non-citizens who were either seemed dangerous or from a hostile area, restricted freedom of speech as well . All acts were enacted through June and July of 1798. Made it harder for immigrants to become US citizens. Designed to protect US citizens of enemy powers & prevent weak govt. -
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Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
Written by James Madison & Thomas Jefferson. These political statements argued that the states had the duty & right to declare unconstitutional acts of Congress. (not approved by the Constitution) The Kentucky Resolutions were introduced in November 1798 & the Virginia Resolutions were introduced in December 1798. Adopted in Kentucky & Virginia. Virginia & Kentucky legislatures took the position that the Alien & Sedition Acts was unconstitutional, since the Acts were not authorized by Congress. -
Marbury v. Madison
An Issue that was resolved between a Midnight Judge, William Marbury, & the Secretary of State, James Madison. A case that established the principle of judicial review. Started on February 11, 1803 & Ended February 24, 1803. Took place in the District of Columbia. James Madison wrongly tried to prevent William Marbury from taking office as justice of the peace for Washington County. Helped the govt of federal courts receive power to declare legislative & executive acts as unconstitutional. -
Louisiana Purchase
A decision made with the United States & France. President James Monroe signed the Louisiana Purchase Treaty in Paris. This made a land deal to double the size of the US & pave the way for the nation's westward expansion. Negotiated on April 30, 1803 and Implemented in December of 1803. Signed in Paris, France. It gave the US control of the Mississippi River & the port city of New Orleans used for farmers to ship their crops and get profit. The US and France made a land deal for this land. -
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War of 1812
A war between the United States and the United Kingdom. It was caused by British restrictions on US trade and America’s desire to expand its territory. It started up on June 18, 1812 and ended on February 18, 1815. US took on the country with the greatest naval power, which was Great Britain. It demonstrated to the American public, that vital importance of an effective naval force for national defense. It validated early policy decisions to implement cutting-edge technology for our warships. -
Battle of New Orleans
British troops led by General Edward Pakenham and American forces led by General Andrew Jackson. It was an engagement fought on January 8, 1815. It took place in the present-day town of Chalmette, Louisiana. It was considered the final major battle of the War of 1812, and the most one-sided battle of that war. General Andrew Jackson commanded the American forces in defeating the invading British army from seizing New Orleans. -
Missouri Compromise
The 16th United States Congress passed the legislation and President James Monroe signed it. It was a federal statue devised by Henry Clay. It was passed on March 9, 1820 and signed on May 6, 1820. The legislation that provided for the admission to the United States of Maine as a free state along with Missouri as a slave state, this maintained the balance of power between North and South. -
Monroe Doctrine
This doctrine was passed and written by John Quincy Adams President James Monroe. It was considered to be a U.S. foreign policy. It was issued on December 2, 1823. John Quincy Adams wrote the Monroe Doctrine after receiving threats from European powers to recover colonies in Latin America. It stated that the newly independent United State would not tolerate European powers interfering with the nations. IF the European powers did interfere, the United States would react with war. -
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The Nullification Crisis
It occurred during the presidential period of Andrew Jackson. It was a confrontation between South Carolina and the federal government. Ensued on November 24, 1832. It occurred in the United States. The crisis happen after South Carolina declared that the federal Tariffs of 1828 and 1832 were unconstitutional and therefore null and void within the sovereign boundaries of the state. -
Texas Annexation
James K. Polk was elected the United States president, promising to annex Texas. Before He assumed office, the outgoing president, John Tyler, entered negotiations with Texas. The 1845 annexation of the Republic of Texas into the United States of America, it was admitted after Texas gained independence from Mexico. Admitted on December 29, 1845. Dealt with in the Republic of Texas. The annexation took place because the manifest destiny of the US was to spread from the Atlantic to Pacific Ocean. -
Oregon Treaty
This treaty was between the United Kingdom and the US. It was an agreement to place a boundary line between the United States and Canada at the 49th parallel west of the Rocky Mountains, veering around Vancouver Island and then proceeding through the Strait of San Juan de Fuca. It was signed June 15, 1846 in Washington D.C. This treaty was created to settle a border dispute between the US and Britain. The US received the territory South of the parallel and Britain got the land North of that. -
Declaration of Sentiments
Elizabeth Cady Stanton authored this document. It was made to outline the rights that American women should be entitled to as citizens. Written at Seneca Falls Convention in New York in July 1848. This document was for women to express their beliefs that women deserved & were entitled to equality under the law. Signed by 68 women & 32 men, 100 out of some 300 attendees at the first women's rights convention to be organized by women. -
Mexican Cession (Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo)
Two countries, United States and Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. The treaty recognized Texas as a U.S. state, and ceded a large chunk of land to the United States, land that somewhat belonged to the Mexican Republic for $15 million. The treaty was signed on February 2, 1848 in Villa de Guadalupe Hidalgo. To expand the United States westward by receiving parts or all of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was signed by President Millard Fillmore and written by a man named Henry Clay. It was a package of 5 separate bills passed by the United States Congress. It was written in September of 1850 and passed on September 19, 1850. It put off the secession of the South for at least a little while. It gave the North’s economy enough time to become so industrialized and powerful that the South had little chance. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Is Published
The novel was authored by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It was an anti-slavery novel that centers on the life of a slave called 'Uncle Tom'. Written on March 20, 1852. It was published to give out a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U.S. It was also issued to make sure that people knew that African Americans helped lay the "groundwork" for the Civil War. -
Bleeding Kansas
The violent hostilities between pro and antislavery forces. It was a mini civil war that involved series of violent civil confrontations in the United States. It took place on May 1854 and ended in 1861 in the Kansas territory. It emerged from a political and ideological debate over the legality of slavery in the proposed state of Kansas. Involved electoral fraud, raids, assaults, and retributive murders carried out by anti-slavery "Free-Staters" and pro-slavery "Border Ruffians". -
Kansas - Nebraska Act
Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois wrote the bill that became the Kansas-Nebraska Act. It was created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. It written in 1854 and passed on May 30, 1854. It allowed people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery within their borders. The initial purpose was to open up thousands of new farms and make feasible a Midwestern Transcontinental Railroad. -
John Brown’s raid at Harper’s Ferry
Led by an armed abolitionist named John Brown. It was an attempt to start an armed slave revolt. It took place on October 16, 1859 and ended October 18, 1859 in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. He led the raid to destroy the institution of slavery. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
The main generals who fought in the battle of Fort Sumter were General Robert Anderson who led the Union and General Pierre T. Beauregard who led the Confederacy. It took place on April 12, 1861. It was the bombardment of Fort Sumter near Charleston, South Carolina by the Confederate States Army. The Battle of Fort Sumter was the first battle of the American Civil War and signaled the start of the war. The Confederate forces won the Battle of Fort Sumter. -
Battle of Bull Run
Joseph E. Johnston and P. G. T. Beauregard led the Confederacy. Irvin McDowell lead the Union. This battle was known as the First battle of Manassas and was fought on July 21, 1861 in Prince William County, Virginia. The First Battle of Bull Run was one of the first major battles that resulted in large armies facing one another and serious bloodshed. It shattered the Union's hope of winning the Civil War quick. The Confederates (The South) won the Battle of Bull Run. -
Battle of Antietam
The Confederate forces were led by General Robert E. Lee and the Union forces were led by General George B. McClellan. It was an important battle in the American Civil War. Also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg. The battle was fought on September 17, 1862 in Sharpsburg, Maryland. It was the first major battle in the Civil War that took place North of the United States. The Union won a strategic victory in the Battle of Antietam. -
Emancipation Proclamation
It was issued by President Abraham Lincoln. It was a presidential proclamation or an executive order. It was made on September 22, 1862 but issued on January 1, 1863. The proclamation took place in Washington, D.C. It changed the federal legal status of more than 3.5 million enslaved African Americans in the designated areas of the South from enslaved to free. A war measure that was directed to all of the areas in rebellion and all segments of the executive branch of the United States. -
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Presidential Reconstruction
Andrew Johnson, was president at the time, pro-slavery throughout his career in the Senate and as the Military Governor of Tennessee. It gave the South (whites) a free hand in regulating the transition from slavery to freedom and offered no role to blacks in the politics of the South. It took place throughout the years of 1863 and 1867. This was a way to bring the North and South back together and reconstruct the United States by resolving the social and economical issues. -
Battle of Vicksburg
The Union Army was led by Major General Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate Army was led by Lt. General John C. Pemberton. The Siege of Vicksburg was a major battle of the American Civil War. It took place on May 18 to July 4, 1863 in Mississippi. It was the culmination of a long land and naval campaign by Union forces to capture a key strategic position during the American Civil War. Ulysses S. Grant won the siege of Vicksburg with the Union Army. -
Battle of Gettysburg
General Robert E. Lee led his Confederate troops against the Union forces, who were led by Major General George Meade. It involved the largest number of casualties of the entire war and is known as the Civil War's turning point. The battle was fought on July 1 and ended on July 3 in 1863 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This battle was considered the most important engagement of the American Civil War. Major General George Gordon Meade of the Union won the Battle of Gettysburg. -
Sherman's March to Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea is the name given to the Savannah Campaign in the American Civil War by Major General William Tecumseh Sherman. It was a military campaign of the American Civil War conducted through Georgia. It took place on November 15, 1863 and ended December 21, 1863 from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. The purpose of this march was to frighten Georgia’s civilian population into abandoning the Confederate cause. -
Gettysburg Address
Delivered by President Abraham Lincoln. It was a speech in dedication of the Soldier's National Cemetery. A cemetery for Union soldiers killed at the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. It was written on November 18, 1863 and delivered the next day. It took place in Gettysburg, Virginia. The speech brought the people together at the Civil War. Lincoln was able to put the people at ease in an about 2 to 5 minute speech. -
Freedmen's Bureau established
The Freedmen's Bureau was created by the Radical Civil War Congress. The founder was Abraha Lincoln. It was an agency of the United States Department of War to direct such issues. It was established on March 3, 1865. It was established to help millions of former black slaves and poor whites in the South. Also provided food, housing and medical aid, established schools and offered legal assistance. -
13th Amendment passed
It was passed by Congress and ratified by the required number of states. This amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. Passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, and by the House on January 31, 1865. Ratified on December 6, 1865. 'Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.' -
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Congressional Reconstruction
Congressional Republicans, moderates and Radicals, controlled the occurring Reconstruction in the South. It restricted eligibility for participation in the state constitutional conventions in the South. It took place throughout the years of 1867 and 1877. Congressional Republicans, appalled by mass killing of ex-slaves and adoption of restrictive black codes, seized control of Reconstruction from President Johnson. -
14th Amendment passed
It was passed by Congress and ratified by the U.S. Constitution. It addresses the equal protection and rights of former slaves, and limits the action of state and local officials. It was passed by the Senate on June 8, 1866. It was passed by the House on June 13, 1866. It was ratified by the U.S. Constitution on July 9, 1868. 'All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside...' -
15th Amendment passed
It was passed by Congress, ratified by the U.S. Constitution, and certified by Secretary of State Hamilton Fish. It granted African American men the right to vote. It was passed by Congress on February 29, 1869, Ratified on February 3, 1870, and Certified on March 30, 1870. '...right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.' -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Homer A. Plessy was the petitioner and John H. Ferguson was the defendant in the US Supreme Court case. It was a landmark constitutional law case of the US Supreme Court. It took place on April 13, 1896 and ended on May 18, 1896 in the State of Louisiana. It upheld state racial segregation laws for public facilities under the doctrine of "separate but equal".