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Thomas Jefferson Inaugurated
Thomas Jefferson is inaugurated as the third U.S. President. -
Cane Ridge Revival
The Cane Ridge Revival, a revival in Cane Ridge, Kentucky during the Second Great Awakening, evokes a strong spiritual response from many Protestant denominations. -
Marbury v. Madison
Justice John Marshall establishes a precedent by declaring the Judicial Branch's right to determine constitutionality through his decision on the case Marbury v. Madison. -
Louisiana Purchase
The United States under Thomas Jefferson purchases the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon Bonaparte after the loss of the colony of Haiti to its enslaved population forces the emperor to reconsider the territory's value to France. -
James Madison Inaugurated
James Madison, the fourth U.S. President, is inaugurated. -
War of 1812 Begins
The War of 1812, a result of American resistance to British impressment and other forms of aggravation, begins. -
USS Constitution Battles HMS Guerriere
The USS Constitution, nicknamed "Old Ironsides" for its unyielding resistance to cannon fire, soundly defeats and essentially destroys the HMS Guerriere. -
Francis Scott Key Writes "The Star Spangled Banner"
During a naval battle at Fort McHenry, poet Francis Scott Key writes "The Star Spangled Banner", which will become the country's national anthem. -
Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Ghent ends the War of 1812, essentially returning the countries' relationship to its original state. -
General Andrew Jackson defeats British at New Orleans
General Andrew Jackson defeats the British at New Orleans, both sides unaware that the war has already ended. Although unnecessary, the victory was well celebrated by Americans. -
James Monroe Inaugurated
James Monroe is inaugurated as the fifth U.S. President. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise temporarily quells the issue of slavery by allowing Missouri to enter as a slave state and Maine to enter as a free state and mandating that no new states below the Mason-Dixon line could allow slavery. -
Monroe Doctrine
President Monroe issues the Monroe Doctrine, which warns Europeans from further colonization in the Americas. -
John Quincy Adams Inaugurated
John Quincy Adams, the sixth U.S. President, is inaugurated. -
Erie Canal Completed
The Erie Canal, a canal connecting the Great Lakes and the Hudson River, is completed. -
Andrew Jackson Inaugurated
Andrew Jackson, the seventh U.S. President, is inaugurated. -
Book of Mormon First Sold
Joseph Smith publishes the Book of Mormon, a supposed divine revelation of what will become the doctrine and history of the Mormon faith, and sells it in a bookstore in Palmyra, New York. -
Indian Removal Act of 1830
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forces Native Americans out of lands east of the Mississippi River, allowing Anglo Americans to settle there instead. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion Ends
Nat Turner, an enslaved preacher, leads an ultimately unsuccessful rebellion against white enslavers that results in many deaths on both sides. -
Texas Revolution Begins
American settlers in Texas begin a revolution against the Mexican dictator Santa Anna. The war begins in Gonzalez. -
Treaty of New Echota
The Cherokee sign the Treaty of New Echota, in which they give up their lands in Georgia for 5 million dollars. Martin Van Buren will later use this treaty to forcibly drive the Cherokee west on the Trail of Tears. -
Texians Defeated at the Alamo
Santa Anna defeats Texian forces at the Alamo, killing many important figures, such as Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett. -
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto, the last battle in the Texas Revolution, results in a victory for the Texians. -
Treaty of Velasco
The Treaty of Velasco ends the Texas Revolution. Texas becomes its own nation. -
Martin Van Buren Inaugurated
Martin Van Buren, President Andrew Jackson's successor, is inaugurated as the eighth U.S. President. -
Panic of 1837 Begins
The Panic of 1837, an inflation-induced economic panic resulting in an economic depression, begins with runs on New York banks. -
William Henry Harrison Inaugurated
William Henry Harrison is inaugurated as the ninth U.S. President. His inaugural address is the longest in U.S. history. -
William Henry Harrison Dies in Office
William Henry Harrison becomes sick, possibly due to delivering his long inaugural address out in the cold, misty weather. He dies after 31 days in office. -
John Tyler Inaugurated
John Tyler, President William Henry Harrison's Vice President, is inaugurated as the tenth U.S. President. -
James K. Polk Inaugurated
James K. Polk is inaugurated as the eleventh U.S. President. -
Frederick Douglass Publishes Autobiography
Frederick Douglass, an escaped slave and abolitionist, publishes his autobiography. -
Texas Becomes a State
John Tyler is pressured to admit Texas as a state. He finally does, a day before James K. Polk's inauguration. Texas accepts and is admitted as the twenty-eighth state. -
Mexican-American War Begins
Mexico, unwilling to recognize Texas as a separate state and angered at its admittance to U.S., begins a war with America by attacking U.S. troops in Texas. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Mexican American War ends with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The U.S. gains much Mexican Territory. -
Seneca Falls Convention Begins
Woman's rights activists Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton hold the first woman's right's convention in Seneca Falls, New York. -
Zachary Taylor Inaugurated
Zachary Taylor, an important general in the Mexican-American War, is inaugurated as the twelfth U.S. President. -
Millard Fillmore Inaugurated
Millard Fillmore, President Zachary Taylor's Vice President, is inaugurated as the thirteenth U.S. President after his predecessor dies in office. -
California Becomes a State
California, belonging to the territory won by the U.S. in the Mexican-American War, becomes quickly populated after the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848 results in the California Gold Rush. It soon achieves statehood. -
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, belonging to the Compromise of 1850, mandates that Northerners must assist in the return of fugitive slaves from the South. It is widely disliked by abolitionists. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Published
Harriet Beecher Stowe's abolitionist novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, is published. It greatly influences anti-slavery sentiments of the time. -
Franklin Pierce Inaugurated
Franklin Pierce is inaugurated as the fourteenth U.S. President. -
Republican Party Organized
The Republican Party, an antislavery and pro-expansion party, rises to challenge the Democratic Party. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act creates the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. It also allows for popular sovereignty to decide slavery, repealing the Missouri Compromise. -
James Buchanan Inaugurated
James Buchanan is inaugurated as the fifteenth U.S. President. -
Dred Scott Decision
With the Dred Scott Decision, regarding a slave whose southern owner brought him to live in a non-slave state, Chief Justice Roger Taney rules that African Americans are not citizens and therefore cannot sue. -
John Brown's Raid
John Brown, an abolitionist, leads a raid on Harper's Ferry, Virginia. His raid is unsuccessful, and he is eventually put to death for his crimes. -
South Carolina Secedes
South Carolina secedes from the Union upon Abraham Lincoln's election to the presidency. It is the first Southern state to secede. -
Abraham Lincoln Inaugurated
Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated as the sixteenth U.S. President. He is the first Republican candidate to become President. -
Confederate States of America Formed
The Confederate States of America are formed of the Southern states that have seceded from the Union. Jefferson Davis is chosen as President, and the capital is chosen to be Montgomery, Alabama and later Richmond, Virginia. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
The Civil War Begins at Fort Sumter, where Confederate forces defeat Union forces stationed there. -
First Battle of Bull Run
The First Battle of Bull Run at Manassas Junction, led by Union General Irvin McDowell, results in a Confederate Victory. -
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee results in a Union victory. It paves the way for the Union's capture of Tennessee. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run, led by Union General John Pope, results in another Confederate victory. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest single day in Civil War History, has inconclusive results. It is the first major battle that takes place within the Union. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, which frees slaves in the states fighting against the Union. It does not, however, free slaves in the Union slave states. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg, the bloodiest battle in the Civil War, Confederate General Robert E. Lee invades Pennsylvania. The battle results in a Union Victory. -
Siege of Vicksburg
In the Siege of Vicksburg, General Ulysses S. Grant completes the capture of the Mississippi River with a Union victory. The Confederacy is now split in two. -
Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln gives his famous Gettysburg Address in order to commemorate the fallen soldiers in the Battle of Gettysburg. -
Grant Appointed as Supreme Commander of Union Army
President Lincoln appoints General Ulysses S. Grant to the head of the Union Army. -
Civil War Ends at Appomattox Court House
After the fall of Richmond to Union forces, the Civil War begins to come to a close. Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee meet at Appomattox Court House, Virginia to discuss the Confederacy's surrender. Grant is very gracious to Lee and his men, giving them rations and allowing them to keep their side weapons and animals. Most fighting ends after the surrender. -
Lincoln Assassinated
John Wilkes Booth, an actor, shoots President Abraham Lincoln in the head as he is watching the performance of a play in a private box. Lincoln dies the next morning. -
Andrew Johnson Inaugurated
Andrew Jackson, President Abraham Lincoln's Vice President, is inaugurated as the seventeenth U.S. President after Lincoln is assassinated. -
13th Amendment
The U.S. ratifies the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolishes slavery. -
First Reconstruction Act
Congress passes the first Reconstruction Act, which divides the former Confederacy (excluding Tennessee) into five military districts. These states would be readmitted once they altered their constitutions to give freed African Americans voting rights. This is the beginning of the Radical Republicans' harsh Reconstruction. -
14th Amendment
The U.S. ratifies the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which denies states the right of secession and ensures equal legal treatment of African Americans. -
Ulysses S. Grant Inaugurated
Ulysses S. Grant is inaugurated as the eighteenth U.S. President. -
15th Amendment
The U.S. Ratifies the 15th Amendment to the Constitution, which ensures that all citizens are allowed to vote regardless of race or former enslavement. It is the last Reconstruction Amendment. -
Rutherford B. Hayes Elected
Rutherford B. Hayes is elected as the nineteenth U. S. President.
