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Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny is a term introduced in the mid 1800s that fueled the belief of Americans' God given right to expand coast to coast. The belief i what would spark the commencement of the removal of Native American territory and the Mexican American war--both which concluded in the victory of the U.S. The phrase was brought up by John L. O'Sullivan in a published article on the annexation of Texas. -
Annexation of Texas
The congress of Texas votes toward the annexation to the United States and admitted as the 28th state. This original demand of expansion was influenced by president James K. Polk which would eventually buried tensions between Mexico to reach its surface. -
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The Expansion of U.S Power
The U.S would gain recognition and respect in the perspective of foreign neighbors. However, the new nation would have to suffer battle within itself. Much conflict occurred between the Native Americans and American settlers which resulted in U.S inheritance of Native American territory. Additionally, the U.S would spread further toward the South-West and receive territory that is known as the Mexican Cession. Finally, the Union (the North) would succeed in the civil war conquering the south. -
The Mexican-American War
Although several factors such as the annexation of Texas, for example, would lead to the outbreak of the Mexican-American War.However, the election of James K. Polk and his desire to push the United States to the Southwest would be the last straw. The commander in chief moved his 4000 troops to the U.S-Mexican border, this would become the first American war to be fought on foreign soil and concluded to a U.S victory. -
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The Origins of the Civil War 1846-1861
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John Fremont's Rebellion
In 1846, John Fremont led a rebellion in California against Mexico to proclaim independence of the land. This would lead to the Battle of The Plains of Mesa in which a combined army of Native Americans and Mexicans would be defeated by the United States. -
California Gold Rush
Gold was first discovered in California by James Marshall in what is known as Sutter's Mill. Word eventually spread and people would travel to search, they were called the Forty-Niners. the Forty-Niners came from all around the world, including Mexico, China and Europe. Due to the mass discovery of gold, town would become abandoned due to lack of resource and then the next town would be discovered, wiped out, and abandoned. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was introduced revolving around the dived opinion of whether territory of the Mexican Cession should have slavery or not. The laws within this compromise would admit California as a free state, end slave trade in Washington D.C, and settle a Texas-New Mexico border dispute and introduced a new version of the Fugitive Slave Act. -
The Gadsden Purchase
The Gadsden Purchase was an agreement between the United States and Mexico in which the U.S agreed to pay 10 millions dollars to Mexico for a portion of land which would later become Arizona and New Mexico. The purchase was very necessary for a southern transcontinental railroad and attempt of solving the tense conflict between the two countries. -
Treaties of Tianjin
The Treaties of Tianjin was a collection of treaties that involved nations and empires such as, The Qing Empire, Russia, Second French Empires, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The treaties, however, were unfair due to Chinese ports being completely exposed to foreign trade, permitted foreign legations, Christian missionary activity, and legalized the import of opium. These treaties did end the first phase of the Second Opium War. -
Confederate Forces Take Fort Sumter
In 1861, Lincoln sent an unarmed naval force to resupply Fort Sumter, a federal fort in Charleston, South Carolina. On April 11, Charleston military commander, General Beauregard, issued Major Anderson with a demand to surrender the fort, feeling that since it was in Confederate territory, it should belong to the South. Anderson refused, and in response Confederate forces began to fire shots at Fort Sumter on the morning of April 12. Anderson surrendered Fort Sumter the following day. -
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Civil War and Reconstruction
With the South trying to keep its lifestyle, and the North trying to bring Southern territory back into the Union, the two sides fight a four year long battle. After the South surrenders, the Union claims to victory. For the next twelve years the United States struggles to reconstruct the nation. With new amendments added to the Constitution, to the Southern states slowly being readmitted into the Union, the Reconstruction era finally ends with the Compromise of 1877. -
Merryman Case
John Merryman was a Maryland politician who had been involved in riots to stop US troops from getting to Washington DC, cutting the city from the rest of the nation. As a result, Lincoln suspended habeas corpus in Maryland. John Merryman was placed under military arrest for his role in organizing resistance. Merryman appealed to Judge Roger B. Taney to issue a writ of habeas corpus and get him released. The suspension of habeas corpus in Maryland prevented this from happening. -
The Border Slave States
In June 1861, the border slave states of Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, and Missouri decided to remain loyal to the Union during the Civil War. Northern politics and the economy affected these states more than the south had. These states gave the Union an advantage in population and an increase in factories to create materials. With these border states loyal to the Union, Washington DC was protected from the Confederacy. The border states were crucial for the Union’s success in the Civil War. -
The Battle at Bull Run
In Virginia on July 21, 1861, Lincoln pushed General Irvin McDowell, commander of the Union army in Northern Virginia, to attack the Confederate forces led by Beauregard. The goal was to defeat the army and end the war. To their dismay, the Confederacy defeat the Union. The Union defeat foreshadowed a long and costly Civil War. Lincoln replaced McDowell with General McClellan, who set out to retrain the troops. -
Jefferson Davis is Elected President of the Confederacy
Becoming president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis had military experience, participating in the Mexican-American War. However, he did not politically govern well. Davis tried to get the Confederacy to be centralized. He wanted to control all of the South by himself. Davis refused to accept cabinet members and a vice-president. Jefferson Davis could not establish an effective strategy for the Confederate army to succeed in the Civil War. -
The Trent Affair
The Trent Affair threatened a war between the Union and Great Britain. Fortunately, Britain was neutral during the Civil War. On November 8, Captain Charles Wilkes, a US navy officer, seized two Confederate delegates, Murray Mason and John Slidell. Departing from South Carolina, Jefferson Davis sent these two men to get Confederate support from France and Britain. They were aboard the Trent, a British ship. Great Britain accused the US of violating British neutrality. -
DC Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862
Under the DC Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862, signed by Congress and Abraham Lincoln, slavery was abolished in Washington DC. Slave owners were paid for releasing their slaves. Slaves had had a major impact on the development of the nation’s capitol, constructIng many public and private projects, including the White House. Seeing slavery as morally wrong, Lincoln called for an end to it in Washington DC. This abolishment led to future full emancipation of African Americans. -
South Establishes Conscription
The South introduced conscription as a way to gather sufficiently large troops. Able-bodied white males between the ages of 18 and 35 were required to serve in the Confederate army for three years. However, some wealthy men could hire substitutes. This caused the South to see the war as a 'rich man's war but a poor man's fight.' Conscription was extremely unpopular, but it did expand the army by more than one third. That was, however, not enough, and substitution was abolished. -
The Homestead Act
The Homestead Act was signed for the purpose opening settlement in the western part of the United States which would allow Americans, including freed slaves to claim up to 160 acres of federal land. This would benefit the economy by giving granted land to small farmers however many voted against it due to fear of political influence in the western territory. -
The Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest single day battle in US history. This Maryland battle led to 23,000 deaths. Under Union General McClellan, the North defeated the Confederates, led by General Lee. The battle ended in a draw, but the Confederacy retreated. This was the first war the Union could call a victory, allowing Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Procalamtion. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Issued on September 22, 1862, the Emancipation was passed and put into action on January 1, 1863. This freed the slaves in states rebelling agains the US. The proclamation did not apply to the border slave states that had stayed loyal. As the Union army advanced, freed slaves were eligible as soldiers. African Americans would fight for the Union or would act as spies. Lincoln used his war powers as commander in chief to bypass Congress's rule, providing a moral cause for the war. -
Northern Conscription Acts
Almost a year after the South, the North began implementing conscription. The North had a much larger population to draw from, and had to use tactics to raise troops without having to conscript them. All male citizens between the ages of 20 and 45 had to enroll in the army. Those who were called to serve could hire a substitute. They could also pay a fee of $300 to gain exemption. Conscription was as unpopular in the North as it was in the South. 7% of those who were drafted joined the army. -
The Vallandigham Case
Clement Vallandigham became a leading opponent of the Civil War, wanting an early peace with the South. He addressed a crowd in Ohio, breaking a military order that prohibited sympathetic speeches to the South. He was later arrested. Vallandigham was tried by a military court, applied for a writ of habeas corpus but was refused as it was suspended, and was sentenced to prison until the war was over. Responding, Lincoln exiled Vallandigham to the South, until he later escaped to Canada. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg, fought in Pennsylvania, led to nearly 50,000 casualties. After a major Confederate victory at Chancellorsville, Robert E. Lee sought to try to invade the North. Unable to defeat the Union, Lee retreated. This innovation led to a major Union victory, led by General Meade. It proved that the South could not overtake the North. Four months later, Lincoln dedicated the site where the battle had occured by giving his Gettysburg Address. -
Sherman's March
Union General Sherman led 60,000 soldiers from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. The purpose was to frighten civilians into abandoning the Confederate cause. Sherman's soldiers stole food and livestock. They burned houses and barns of those who tried to fight back. Sherman's troops captured Atlanta on September 2. This victory was important, as Atlanta had many factories and railroads. Its fall led some Confederates to believe that they would not be able to win the war. -
The Milligan Case
Lamdin Milligan was a lawyer and Peace Democrat. In Indiana, Milligan and four others were arrested and charged with treason. They were alleged to have planned to liberate Southern prisoners of war, undermining the North's war effort. They were sentenced to death. However, days before the men were to be executed, Andrew Johnson commuted their sentence to life in prison. While in prison, Milligan petitioned the Supreme Court for a writ of habeas corpus. This was granted, and Milligan was freed. -
Freedmen's Bureau
In March 1865, Lincoln and Congress introduced the Freedmen's Bureau. It was in place for one year after the Civil War was over in order to help former slaves in a variety of ways. The Freedmen's Bureau provided advice on education and employment for former slaves. It helped establish schools for African American children in the South. -
Appomattox Court House
Confederate General Lee surrendered his troops to Union General Grant on April 9, 1865 in Virginia. Days before, Lee had abandoned the Confederate capital of Richmond, hoping to escape with his army to meet up with more Confederates in North Carolina and continue fighting. When Union forces cut off his final retreat, Lee was forced to surrender, finally ending the Civil War. -
Lincoln's Assassination
On April 14, 1865 Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington DC. Booth was a Confederate sympathizer during the Civil War. That day, Lincoln's Vice President, Andrew Johnson, became president. Johnson was a Democrat from Tennessee, a slave state. He believed in the Union and stayed in the US Senate when Tennessee seceded. Johnson was lenient towards the South after the war. He was a great speaker, but he could not govern a nation. -
The 13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment changed the position on slavery. There was now full emancipation across the US, ensured by the law in the Constitution. The Republican electoral success in November 1864 encouraged Lincoln to pass the amendment. Congress approved and by the end of 1865, enough states had approved the Amendment for it to become law. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, unless for punishment for a crime, would be tolerated. -
The 14 Amendment
The 14 Amendment stated that people who were born in the United States or who were naturalized were US citizens. It also gave federal authorities the right to intervene if a state violated its rules. The Amendment was intended on an attack on the South, aimed to injure the white ruling class. All men, regardless of color, would have citizenship as a right. This also meant the right to vote and hold office. In order to get the 14 Amendment passed, the South had to accept its conditions as well. -
The 15 Amendment
Although the 15 Amendment was not aimed at the South, it was intended to have its greatest impact there. This Amendment ensured the right to vote for African Americans, wherever they lived. The 15 Amendment allowed African Americans to be voted into political office. The first African American was voted into Congress was Senator Hiram Revels. Once in office, they passed laws providing schools for all children and allowed people of different races to get married. -
The Great Sioux War
The Great Sioux War would become known as the largest U.S- American Indian war to occur that involved seven subtribes of the Teton and Western Sioux and Northern Cheyenne. It initiated due to Government and commercial interest in the area would cause the conflict. However, the U.S suffered a humiliating defeat killing George A. Custers himself and his men. -
The Compromise of 1877
The Compromise of 1877 was a secret deal between the largely Northern based Republicans and the emerging Democratic Party of the South. The agreement was that if the Relublicans could have the presidency, the Democrats would be allowed to control the Southern States. Federal troops would withdraw and the carpetbaggers would leave the South. This would bring an end to Reconstruction, the Repulican attempt to modernize politics, government, and racial issues in the South. -
The Dawes Act
The Dawes Act would authorize the United State's government to break up tribal lands by implementing into individual lots and would result in Native Americans being granted U.S citizen if they were to comply. The main objective of this act was to influence Native Americans to subsume the traditions and customs of the U.S society. This would result in devastation due to the rapid decrease of diminishing Native American culture and stripping of over 90 million acres of tribal lands. -
Spanish-American War
The first event that would lead up to the Spanish American War is Cubaś struggle for independence against Spain and resulting in U.S intervention due to nationwide American sympathy. Additionally, the still unexplained sinking of the U.S.S Maine would push the U.S to declare war and spread of Anti-Spanish public opinion which contributed to yellow journalism. Spain declared war on the 24th of April and the U.S the 25th. -
The Philippine Organic Act
This act was conducted by Henry A. Cooper in order to provide administration of the affairs of the civil government .It would conclude the Philippine-American war and would consist of the following conditions: the cessation of the insurrection of the Philippine Islands, completion and publication of a census, and two years of peace and recognition of U.S authority. -
The Roosevelt Corollary
The Roosevelt Corollary would basically replace the Monroe Doctrine and stated that the United States would intervene with Latin American affairs to ensure that nations of the Western Hemisphere would follow their obligations and not violate the U.S' exemption of foreign aggression or European influence among the islands. While the Corollary was being practiced, Roosevelt would adopt an increased use of military force in order to restore stability for those regions. -
First World War
The event that would spark the outbreak of the First World War, once known as the Great War, was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist. Europe was divided between the Central Powers (Germany, Austra-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire) against the Allied Powers (Great Britain, France, Russia,Italy, and Japan and later, the U.S). The war consisted of advanced machine weaponry and would result in the death of 9 million soldiers and more than 21 million injured. -
The U.S Enters The First World War
Although the original plan of the United States was to remain neutral, tension with Germany began to arise in result of Germany's intense nationalism and proving by their actions of attempting to convince Mexico to battle us as a distraction. This would eventually be a failure in result of British intervention. April 2, President Wilson would as permission from Congress to declare war and on April 6, we would enter the First World War. -
Fourteen Points
President Wilson was known for his everlasting desire for world peace. Thus, on January 8th, 1918, he would present the Fourteen Points that would be the blueprint on achieving peace throughout Europe and aims of the U.S in the First World War. Evidently, it failed due to the determination of foreign nations to have revenge against enemies. -
Treaty of Versailles
The First World War would eventually end in result of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, however was not effective until January 10, 1920. It would become an achievement by reassigning German boundaries and assigned liability for reparations. Main participants included the Allied powers and little participation from Germany until they were allowed to join in 1926.
