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Northwest Ordinance
This area made it easier to admit new states into the union. It was an act passed by congress. It helped establish a government for the northwest territory and many other new states. It helped lay basic rights of government and a compromise for other states and individual territories. -
Louisiana Purchase
During Thomas Jefferson's presidency, he purchased territory through the Louisiana purchase territory from France. He sent explorers Lewis and Clark to explore the territory in search of the Northwest Passage. Jefferson had a strict interpretation of the constitution and worried the purchase was unconstitutional. The purchase secured power over the Mississippi river which could help with marketing. It also provided the additional government which helped new states enter the union. -
Missouri Compromise
In 1819 there were an equal amount of slave and free states. However, Missouri wanted to be admitted as a slave state which would disrupt the balance. The Missouri compromise was later established admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. This compromise created the Mason Dixon line which outlawed slave states north of the 36'30 line. It also keeps the balance. -
Monroe Doctrine
In the early 19th century wars about liberation in South America ended the mercantilist relationship with Spain. Great Britain later developed strong trade with Latin American countries. Great Britain encouraged the U.S to support the re-establishment of colonial claims in Latin America. President James Monroe issued the Monroe Doctrine to warn the European countries from recolonizing Latin America. It later became the basis for future presidents' involvement with Latin America. -
Nullification Crisis
The federal goverment passed a high protective tariff which upset the South. John C. Calhoun tried to nullify the tariff stating South Carolina wouldn't pay. Andrew Jackson wanted the federal government to maintain stronger than the states but he didn't want to lose support from the south. The tariff was lowered and South Carolina was forced to pay by threats however South Carolina didn't give up their right to nullify acts of congress. This caused states' rights issues. -
Texas Annexation
When Mexico outlawed slavery, Texans revolted and won their indepence; Mexico refused to acknowledge texas indepence and texas could not be admitted as a new state because of border disputes and the slavery issues. Balance of free and slave states was very important. Texas remained an independent republic for almost a decade while slavery was ironed out. Texas was later annexed by congress after James Polk was elected. The annexion caused most sectionalism and divided the country. -
Oregon Treaty
The Oregon terriorty was occupided by American, British, and Spanish. The Americans and British came to a conflict and decided to establish the British-American border. Americans wrote "54'40 in their newspapers supporting the war over territory with Britian. After a negotiation in 1846 the Oregon Treaty granted the U.S control of the south 49 parallel to prevent war. -
Mexican Cession (Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo)
The Mexican Cession contained territories that made up the rest of the southwest. The United States gained this with the treaty that also ended the Mexican American war (The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo) These new acciqured territiors helped give the U.S control over the land from the Atlantic to the Pacific which also helped complete the manifest destiny. -
Compromise of 1850
This compromise consisted of five laws there was the introduction to popular sovereignty, slavery in the Mexican cession would be decided by popular sovereignty, California was admitted as a free state, the slave trade was banned in Washington D.C., and a new fugitive law was passed. The fugitive law required slaves to be returned to their owners, even if they were in a free state. This compromise overturned the Missouri Compromise and was a cause of the civil war. -
Kansas- Nebraska Act
Popular sovereignty was proposed by Stephen Douglas to help decide whether a state would be free or slave. The Kansas-Nebraska act overturned the Missouri compromise which created the Mason-Dixion line by allowing popular soveregtiny North of the 36'30". Both sides sent support to sway the votes. The competition of pro-slave and anti-slavery later turned violent which led to Kansas being known as bleeding Kansas -
Bleeding (Bloody) Kansas
When the Missouri compromise was overturned by the Kansas-Nebraska act citizens were given the right to choose if they wanted to be free or slave states. People from both sides were sent to sway the votes. These disagreements between pro-slave and anti-slave caused mini battles that killed many landing Kansas with the name of bleeding Kansas. Kansas later became a free state but the battles affected the U.S politically and can be seen as the first battles of the civil war. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
This was the first battle of the civil war. It took place in Fort Sumter near charleston South Carolina. Confederate forces fired the Union and held garrison. The garrison commander surrendered on April 13th and was evacuated the next day. The Civil War depended upon the economic resources of the North and the South and the geographic factors of each side helped influence their strategies. -
Battle of Bull Run
This battle and three others are the most important battles from the civil war. This battle happened at Bull Run Creek outside of Manassas, Virginia. The unions general was Irvin Mcdowell and the confederacy general was Thomas Jackson. Although Union troops had the upper hand in the beginning, the Confederacy was triumphant. Those who hoped the war would end quickly and those who were unprepared for the carnage modern warfare would produce were shocked. -
Battle of Antietam
This battle happened at Antietam Creek, Sharpsburg, Maryland. This was the South's first invasion into the North. It was the single bloodiest day of the war and 23,000 soldiers lay dead or wounded. Although the union suffered more Lee (the confederate general) retreated and Abraham Lincoln took that opportunity to move forward with the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln feared the border states, which allowed slavery, would secede if he pushed for the abolition of slavery throughout the Union. Lincoln announced his intention to issue a proclamation in the fall and not making it effective until Jan. 1. Lincoln gave the south one last chance to join the union and keep their slaves but they refused. The emancipation proclamation did not free slaves but it did always African Americans to fight in the civil war and the 13th amendment was later passed. -
Battle of Vicksburg
This battle happened in Vicksburg, Mississippi. After multiple attempts to capture the city Ulysses S., Grant laid siege but Lincon insisted the capture of Vicksburg would help bring an end to the war. The war later came to a turning point when the confederacy was split into two which helped give the union control of the Mississippi River. -
Battle of Gettysburg
General Robert .E. Lee, the confederate general, planned to go to Pennsylvania to take some union ground. It had seemed that the confederate was victorious up until the night. With swift thinking, the union had an advantage and won the battle. Lee retreated with nearly 1/3 of his soldiers wounded or dead. This was also the South's second and last, invade into the North. -
Gettysburg Address
In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during the civil war President Abraham Lincoln delivered a speech and dedicate a cemetery to all the fallen soldiers. He spoke about equality and fighting to preserve the union. He praised the soldiers who gave their lives to fight for the union and those who were injured in the process. The speech made many Americans realize they were a united nation. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
William Tecumseh Sherman "Uncle Billy" followed a total war strategy. He and his troops marched from the Tennessee-Georgia border to savannah Georgia. His soldiers burned buildings, destroyed railroad tracks, and trampeld the country side. Sherman destroyed everything in his path. He captured savannah georgia but destroyed the south while trying. -
Presidential Reconstruction
This was the first part of the reconstruction known as the presidential reconstruction or the 10% plan. The 10% plan was established by President Abraham Lincoln before he was assassinated. This plan only needed 10% of southern voters to take an oath to the union and accept the emancipation terms. After Lincolns' assassination, Johnson wanted to continue but plan congress felt the plan was too lenient to the south and he was impeached but not removed from office. -
13th Amendment Passed
During the reconstruction era, three amendments were passed that benefited African Americans. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments gave African Americans the rights they never had before. The 13th amendment officially ended slavery. The emancipation is known for "freeing slaves" but it didn't actually free anyone. The emancipation was intended for borders states/states in rebellion. Before the south could form governments, they had to recognize the 13th amendment which later leads to black codes -
Congressional Reconstruction
This was the second plan of reconstruction. After Johnson became powerless due to his impeachment Radical republicans began to push their plan forward. Their main goal was to punish the south for the civil war. In addition to the presidential reconstruction, Congress also required the south to ratify the 14th amendment and grant African Americans the right to vote. Congress also passed the military reconstruction act of 1867 to help protect freedmen. -
14th Amendment Passed
This amendment gave birthright citizenship. So if you were born in the U.S you were considered an American. This amendment turned the Dred Scott decision. The Dred Scott decision was made by the supreme court claiming that African Americans were only considered property and not humans. This right also gave equal protection to all citizens under the law and due process. -
15th Amendment Passes
This amendment gave the right to vote to all male citizens regardless of their race, color, and or previous servitude. So if you were previously a slave you still had the right to vote. Now it wasn't that simple because southerners didn't like the idea of African Americans voting so they would use unfair and horrifying methods to prevent them from voting. Violence was very popular (lynching), poll taxes, and the grandfather clause were ways southerners tried to prevent blacks from voting -
Plessy V. Ferguson
Segregation became widespread even in the North. In 1896 The supreme court legalized segregation and discrimination after the Plessy v. Ferguson court case when a mixed-race man complained about not being able to ride in the same train car as whites. They claimed it would be "separate but equal". This later brought more jim crow laws and negated equal protection provisions of the 14th amendment.
