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Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 prohibited settlement west of the Appalachian mountains. It was made to control the colonists and allow the Natives to have their own land. It also secured fewer Native attacks and calmed the natives' anxiety. This made the colonists angry and upset because they couldn't expand their colonies in open land. Some colonists protested in response. -
Sugar act of 1764
The Sugar Act increased the taxes on sugar and cut the taxes on molasses, it also forbid the importation of foreign rum. This allowed the British crown to gain lots of money off of foreign goods and it would put an end to the smuggling within the colonies. The colonists objected and disagreed with the act because they would be compelled to buy British goods because they could no longer buy foreign goods. This also hurt many of the colony's businesses and they lost lots of money. -
Currency Act of 1764
The Currency Act prohibited paper currency within the American colonies. The government did this to make the colonists buy from England and because the colonists had no currency which allowed for no trade. The colonists protested and were upset because they were put in a trade with Britain. -
Stamp act of 1765
The Stamp Act taxed all papers and documents in the American colonies. The Parliament was forcing the colonists to stamp their papers or documents without the colonists having a say. The government did this to pay off expenses from the war. The colonists were angry and upset that they had to pay for something they used every day and that had no reason to be taxed. Some colonists refused to pay the absurd tax. It was taxation without representation. -
Quartering Act of 1765
The Quartering Act required the colonists to house and support the British soldiers. This act was made to help pay off the seven years war which lead to lots of debt within Great Britain. The government used its advantage to force the colonists to help them support the soldiers the Parliament couldn't afford. This made the colonists angry, many refused to pay for them because they were forced to take care of people that were irrelevant to them and they didn't even know. -
Declaratory act
The declaratory act allowed the parliament to make laws binding the colonies. They did this because of the failure of the stamp act so parliament could still have control over the colonists. The colonists ignored the act and were upset that the British were trying to gain more control of them again. -
Townshend revenue act of 1767
The Townshend revenue act placed taxes on certain imports of the American colonists. This act was placed to help pay off the expenses of the American colonists. The colonists boycotted and protested until the act was repealed. They were angry because they were forced to pay for certain items from England that the colonists needed. -
Boston Massacre
The soldiers arrive in the colonist's town. The colonists start calling the soldiers names and throwing ice and snow at them. The soldiers start losing their patience. The troops hear a false "fire!" and start shooting. 5 colonists died and many were injured. -
Tea act of 1773
The Tea Act allowed the tea to be shipped straight from the East India Co. to the colonies in America. Although the colonists would have a cheaper product, Great Britain would be getting money from the Co. and Townshend act. This made the colonists protest (Boston tea party) and some colonists destroyed the tea. The colonists thought it was destroying their society. -
Boston Tea Party
The colonists had been upset about the many laws the British parliament had made as well as the taxation without representation. To show their anger, protesters dressed up as natives and snuck onto the Boston harbor. They got onto a boat and took 342 crates of tea and threw them into the ocean. This was because the British East India Company had lowered their tea prices to reduce colonists from trading with the Dutch. Although it was cheaper tea, the colonists still had to pay tax on the tea. -
Intolerable acts of 1774
The Intolerable acts were made of many different acts. The Boston Port act, which closed the Boston harbor, the Massachusetts government act, the Administration of Justice act, which punished a criminal or wrongdoer, and last, the Quartering act, which prohibited soldiers from living in peoples homes. The British made the intolerable acts to have another attempt of gaining control of the colonies. The colonists protested because they were angry that Britian was gaining more control of them. -
Lexington & Concord battle
The colonists had many weapons that were stored just outside of Concord which allowed for easy access. British were scared of the colonist's past knowledge about the Boston Tea party and Massacre. they did not want the colonists to have access to these things. The soldiers secretly decided to seize the weapons from the colonists. The colonists hear about it and go to Concord to prepare for the British. Soldiers were surprised. The soldiers shoot, leading to many deaths. The colonists won. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
British wanted to claim a hill (bunker) near the road so they can overlook the land. Colonists did not want the considers to take this hill. They prepare for the British by getting on the hill before them. They ended up choosing the wrong hill (breeds) which resulted in the British getting the right hill. The British attacked the colonists 3 times in an attempt to win the battle/hill. The first 2 times the colonists win but the soldiers win the last attack by using ships to attack the colonists. -
Declaration of independence
The Declaration of Independence was made so the colonists could separate and become one country apart from the British. Within the declaration, there were three goals, to gain foreign allies, regroup the soldiers, and form a new country. After suffering from the many crimes of the king, the people decided they had enough and could not deal with it any longer. -
Battle of Trenton
This was the first battle of the revolution. This battle was George Washington and his troops against the Hessians which were german troops hired by the British. The Hessians were crossing the frozen Delaware river while the colonists were hiding and fired a few shots from behind trees. The Americans won and they learned new battle tactics while also boosting morale. -
Battle of Saratoga
In this battle, it was the British v.s the Americans. The colonists decided to use a new battle plan called guerrilla warfare. It ended up working and the Americans won that battle. They gained French allies to support them throughout the revolution and become a new country. -
Valley Forge
The British had just taken over Philadelphia so the colonists had to move elsewhere. They settled in a camp still near Philadelphia. There was no battle because of the harsh weather and lack of resources killing many Americans. -
Battle of Yorktown
This was the last battle of the revolution. This was the first ever battle studied to have the Americans completely surrounding the British by land and water. Because of this trap, the British were forced to surrender, leading the Americans to a final win. -
Abolitionism
Abolitionism was a movement that lasted five years. It was a protest against slavery 30 years before the Civil War. Abolitionists formed antislavery societies and groups that discussed and organized protests. They also created petitions and sent them to congress and gave speeches to prove their points. Over time, the movement became larger and larger. This separated the nation by dividing the states and people into proslavery and antislavery groups which created conflict within the states. -
Treaty of Paris
This treaty was signed and confirmed by the leaders of America. It was made up of many articles that presented the idea of peace, also stating the end of the revolution and that the Americans had won. It held the rights of the new nation, America. After the treaty was signed and confirmed, it made the colonists free and independent. -
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Westward Expansion
Westward expansion was the act of the people in the east migrating over to the west. They did this for many reasons such as a poor economy, forced removal, and fresh starts. Events also led to westward expansion, like the California Gold Rush, Indian Removal Act, the concept of Manifest Destiny, etc. Westward expansion led to the strength of the states. As the nation grew larger, there were more states that had their own opinions and thoughts. They wanted their own power and voice. -
3/5 Compromise
The 3/5 compromise was a compromise that allowed every 3 out of 5 slaves to count as an extra vote for congress or president but also for additional taxes. This way, the northern (free states) wouldn't have to pay additional taxes while the southern states (slave states) get to have an extra say in government but would have to pay additional taxes. This led to sectionalism between the states because it divided them into either free or slave states which led to them having different opinions. -
The Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion is when George Washington had to create a way to pay off debt from the war. He decided to tax whiskey. This made many colonists angry about this tax and said Washington was becoming a tyrant. Over time, colonists became angrier and angrier. Eventually, the protesters went over to the tax collector's house in Pennsylvania and attacked the guards who were protecting him. When Washington heard he was furious and decided to send a large militia to show his dominance and power. -
States Rights (Amendment 10)
The States Rights, also known as the 10th amendment, was the amendment that gave power to the states. It stated that if a power is clearly not given to the federal government, it is given to the states and the people. This amendment was used for when states could decide if they wanted to be free or become a slave state. This divided the nation because it gave a voice to the states and let them decide certain things that helped the states grow individually. -
XYZ Affair
The XYZ affair was when the French had been attacking American ships and the Americans went to go see what was going on. They had thought they were allies. President Adams sent three representatives to meet with the minister and negotiate peace. The king sent three anonymous representatives to talk with the Americans. The French demanded money. The Americans were insulted, the french did not respect them at all! Soon people wanted to be at war with France. -
Alien & Sedition Acts
Because the Americans feared European countries siding with France and attacking, two acts were passed. The first one was called the Alien act. It allowed the president to imprison or import anyone who seemed dangerous. The second act was the Sedition act. It stated that it would be considered a crime if anyone speaks, or publish, anything against the government. -
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions were the response to the previous Alien and Sedition acts. It was written by democratic-republicans who thought the acts were an abuse of power and unconstitutional. The Kentucky Resolutions also stated that any state could nullify laws that are found unconstitutional. Although the acts did not immediately go away, they expired at the end of the presidents term. -
Embargo Act
The embargo act was when America completely stopped sending and receiving ships for trade. This was done to weaken the British and French economies and hope they stop attacking them. Although this was hurting the British and French, it also hurt America and many shipping merchants. The three countries considered this a game to see who could chicken out first and who was the weakest. -
The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a movement that involved abolitionists who helped about 100,000 slaves escape. The people helping the slaves escape included white and free blacks who worked in a network to travel the slaves to places where slavery was illegal. This included the states up north and Canada. This movement separated the nation by helping many slaves escape which angered the southern states soon leading to the Civil War. -
War of 1812
The war of 1812 was a war fought by the Americans against the British. The Americans had been angry about Europe constantly recking their ships. So they first attempted to negotiate peace, then passed the alien and sedition act, and lastly, they stopped ships for trade which harmed both economies. There were many opinions to not go to war because of many possible casualties but the consensus was they should go to war because the British had been ignoring them and they needed to take a stand. -
McChulloch v.s Maryland
McCulloch v.s Maryland was when congress decided to have a national bank. But, they weren't sure if it followed the constitution. They had the ability to borrow money on the credit of the U.S. and lay taxes and duties. Many thought this shouldn't be allowed and that it was not constitutional. people thought the government was getting too strong and that they could survive with local banks. Maryland was one of those people. The decision was made and showed that there should be a national bank. -
The Compromise of 1820
The Compromise of 1820 was when there were more slave states than free states. To solve this issue, Missouri was made a slave state and Maine was made free. But there was another problem that came into play. What would they do with the land of the Louisiana Purchase? Well, the Compromise Line was created and everything north of the line became free and whatever was south of the line became a slave state. This led to sectionalism because of its ability to divide the states between slave and free. -
Harriet Tubman
Tubman was an escaped slave who became an abolitionist. She died on March 10th, 1913. In her lifetime, she helped enslaved people escape in a movement called the Underground Railroad. She led 13 missions and risked her life to help these people. Tubman was known to be the "conductor" of the Underground Railroad. Because of what she did, sectionalism was brought within the U.S. The act of the Underground Railroad and her leadership was one thing that led to the Civil War which divided the U.S. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine is when America closed off the Western Hemisphere for European colonization. This was because America had recently gained independence and did not want to risk it being taken away by associating with other countries. Without any possible conflict or problems with Europe, the U.S. would not be interfered with in any way. Europe found this annoying and felt like America was weak and scared of them. -
Nat Turners Rebellion
Turners Rebellion was when a group of enslaved rebels killed whites to show how they felt towards slavery. The revolt ended in at least 55 whites being killed. It was the deadliest slave revolt in the U.S. The leader of this revolt was Nat Turner, an enslaved man who brought the rebels together. This revolt led to southerners being more arrogant and greedy about slave laws.The revolt led to the separation of the U.S by angering the pro slave states, leading to conflict between north and south. -
Compromise of 1850
This was when the U.S declared California as free, the land from the Mexico Cession was divided into two parts, NM and UT. They could either permit slavery or prohibit it depending on what the state wanted, not the nation. The fugitive slave law was also passed and the D.C slave trade was banned. This divided the nation by making UT and NM stronger and giving them the right to chose if they wanted to be a slave state or be free. CA also became their own free state which gave them power. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This act repealed the Missouri Compromise and made two different territories. The people of these new territories were then allowed to vote if they wanted to have slaves or not. This created a violent outbreak with people who supported slavery and people who didn't trying their best to either make these new territories free or not. This divided the nation because of the conflict between proslavery and antislavery people when it came to voting for what they believed was right. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was when President Abraham Lincoln made a proclamation that freed more than 3.5 million slaves in the entire nation. This proclamation occurred during the Civil War. This brought the nation together by ending the feud between northern and southern states when it came to slaves and which states should be what. Now that majority of slaves were freed, the nation could come back together as one again.