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Lord Dunmore's "Emancipation Proclamation"
This proclamation granted freedom to any slavery who deserted his master and fought for the British during the American Revolution. Some 5,000 slaves took Dunmore up on this offer. -
Abolition of Slavery in all States North of Maryland
All states north of Mayland abolish slavery. This provides a safe haven for slaves, making the North a safe area for African Americans. As a result, many runaway slaves attempt to go to a northern state for freedom. It took 27 years for all states north of Maryland to abolish slavery. -
Battle of Yorktown
American troops defeated the British, led by General Charles Cornwallis in this key battle in the South. this was the last major battle in the South. The surrender of Cornwallis and the capture of both him and his army led the British to end the conflict. This battle was won over the Articles of Confederation. -
Shays' Rebellion Begins
Farmers closed the courts to prevent the government from foreclosing their farms. The state militia was able to control the rebellion. This showed that the Articles government had to go. It also showed that too much democratic liberty, threatened property. -
Constitutional Convention
A constitution is written in Philadelphia. 55 rich, educated white men agreed that there should be three branches of government; the judicial, legislative, and executive branches. They also agreed that they should be Republican with representatives. George Washington was unanimously elected president of the Convention. -
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
Perhaps the biggest accomplishment o f the Articles of Confederation, the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 set up a process to create 5 new states between the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. This new Ordinance acknowledged that American Indians had a claim to the land. It also outlawed slavery in all 5 of the new states. -
The Great Compromise
A new form of government that gave the government two houses: the House of Representatives, whose number of reperesentatives are proportional to each states population and a Sentate with two members from each state. Representatives held office for two years and senators held office for six years. This method of representation led to a problem when it came to whether or not a slave counted as a perso. This led to the three-fifths compromise. -
The Invention of the Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney creates the cotton gin. This leads to a major profit in cotton due to the increased rate of production. This made the south even more dependent on plantations and slaves. By 1860, the south is providing 2/3 of the world's cotton supply thanks to the cotton gin. -
The Steamboat
Robert Fulton's steamboat, the Clermont, first sailed from New York to Albany in 1807. This showed the potential of steamboat transportation. By 1811, there were steamboats in use on the Mississippi River. -
Missouri Compromise
Missouri had enough people to become a state, however, due to the fact that there were already a lot of slaves in Missouri, they could not allow any more slaves into the proposed state. Missouri was allowed to enter the union as a state as long as Maine was made a state in order to maintain the balance between slave and non-slave states. This compromise stated that no state above the 36-30 line of latitude was allowed to have slaves. -
The Railroad
The most important new transportation. The first commercial railroad the Baltimore & Ohio was begun in 1828. By 1860, there were more than 30,000 miles of rails in the United States. This made transportation much faster and much more efficient than the old method of sailing around the continent. -
Congress Passes the Tariff of 1828
The Tariff of 1828 is passed by congress, with the support of Andrew Jackson. This tariff protected industry in the northern United States by raising prices on imported manufactured goods, such as wool and iron. This enraged South Carolina because it forced them to pay more for wool and iron goods. The South Carolina legislature threatened to nullify it. Congress passed a new tariff in 1832 which lowered the tariffs, but South Carolina nullified it. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was passed by Congress with the support of President Andrew Jackson. The Southern states wanted more land and Jackson supported their "needs". The Act provided funds to relocate Cherokee, Chickasaws, Choctaws, Creek, and Seminole Indians from their homes. In response, the tribes sued the government. -
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was an economic collapse due to massive inflation and land speculation. Jackson had created a bank policy which had money dispersed into local banks, preferably banks that were on his good side. Jackson rewarded these banks by awarding government offices. These banks began printing paper money which led to massive inflation and the Panic of 1837. Many people believe it is the most disastrous fiscal policy in American history. This depression lasted until 1843. -
Steam-powered Factories
Perhaps the most important innovation of the Market Revolution., factories made production much faster and more efficient. After 1840, when steam power was introduced, factories didn't need to be built near a water source, such as a river for power. Payment used ot be regulated by the amount of product yu produced, however, it was soon changed to consist of an hourly wage. -
Manifest Destiny
A widley held belief in America that America settlers were destined to expand across the continent. During the Manifest Destiny, which occurred throughout th e19th century, there was great expansion and migration to the West of the United States. Moving out West was a key aspect of American freedom, which led ot Manifest Destiny.
