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Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author best known for his works titled "Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle". During his lifetime he was well known around the world for his short stories and biographies, and his fame continues today. In addition to writing, he served as an ambassador to Spain and fought for better copyright laws. He is significant to the American dream category because he was one of the first well-known American authors, contributing to nationalism within the country. -
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James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper was an American author best known for his work "The Last of the Mohicans". This work was part of a collection of frontier adventure stories titled "The Leatherstocking Tales". Fenimore is significant to the American dream category because he was one of the first great American authors; some of his books are considered classics. In addition to this, his stories were set in an American landscape, something that was a new concept and important to American pride. -
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Horace Mann
Horace Mann was an American educator, reformer, and U.S. representative. He believed education should be available to everyone and paid for by the public. He understood the country could not be at its best until education was common.He was secretary of the Massachusetts board of Education and was responsible for the first teacher-training schools, an important concept. Mann is significant to the reform category because of his prominent role in education reforms. -
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Dorothea Dix
Dorothea Dix was a prominent leader in the reform of mental hospitals. She fought for better treatment of mentally ill patients, as well as state-funded care facilities. Her first act for the cause was securing a court order to heat the East Cambridge Jail, a woman's prison. She campaigned for new asylums or specialized wings to be built for the mentally ill. She is significant to the reform category because she played such a prominent role in the reform of mental healthcare. -
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Nathanial Hawthorne
Nathanial Hawthorne was an American novelist best known for his works "The Scarlet Letter" and "The House of the Seven Gables." Nathanial Hawthorne was fascinated by his Puritan heritage and explored the religion in some of his stories. In the years leading up to his death, Hawthorne attempted to continue his writing, but it resulted in only unfinished drafts. He is significant to the American dream category because he was one of the first great American authors, and people still read his work. -
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William Lloyd Garrison
William Lloyd Garrison was a publisher and social activist in the fight against slavery. He is likely most recognized for is his publication called "The Liberator", which was an anti-slavery newspaper that published accounts told by slaves. He helped form the New England Antislavery Society and founded the American Antislavery Society, which both worked toward abolition. He is significant to reform because he was a prominent player in the fight for abolition. -
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Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author and poet known for his works of horror and mystery. His poem "The Raven" is considered one of the best-known in American history. Many consider him to be the father of the modern-day detective story. Poe died under mysterious circumstances, but his legacy lives on through his works, which are no considered classics. He is significant to the American dream category because he was one of the first great American authors, which contributed to nationalism. -
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Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was an author and orator, as well as an escaped slave. He fought for the abolition of slavery, while evading capture to be taken back to his own master. Douglass was educated by a slave-owner's wife, then continued his own learning by reading and observing white children. Douglass spoke many times on his experiences as a slave, and eventually wrote an autobiography. He is significant to the reform category because he fought so hard for the abolition of slavery. -
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Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman was an American poet, best known for his work "Leaves of Grass". He worked as a nurse during the Civil War and his work "Drum Taps" was inspired by the stories of soldiers he met. Whitman established his only style of poetry, veering away from the traditional styles people had come to love. ":Leaves of Grass" continued to be expanded, with the last edition holding 300 poems. Whitman is important to the American dream category because his new style of poetry was uniquely American. -
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Herman Melville
Herman Melville was an American author and poet best known for his work titled "Moby Dick". Though "Moby Dick" is a well-known book now, Melville did not see the success of his most famous novel. The novel, unlike those before it, sold poorly as did the several that followed and Melville gave up on his writing career. He is significant to the American dream category because he was a great American author, who was read around the world. -
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Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman escaped slavery to become a prominent abolitionist. She returned to slave territory numerous times to help other slaves escape along the Underground Railroad. During her time as a guide, she helped some 300 slaves escape to the north. During the Civil War, she aided the north by working as a spy, a nurse, and other things. After the war she took up the job of caring for impoverished ex-slaves. She is significant to reform because she was important to the abolition movement. -
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Hudson River School
The Hudson River School was a group of American artists characterized by the realistic landscape paintings and their desire to paint distinctly American scenes. The group was mostly active from around 1825 to 1880, creating numerous American paintings. This is significant to American dream because these artists were some of the first to show a desire to create art depicting the American landscape, something that contributed to a sense of nationalism. -
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso was introduced to resolve the slavery issue in the territories acquired by the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). Pennsylvania Congressman, David Wilmot, suggested the newly acquired territory remain slave-free, as it was when Mexico controlled it. The suggestion was eventually shot down by southern slave states, but it brought the controversy of slavery to a new high. This is significant to conflict because it is another conflict of slavery between the North and South. -
Webster-Ashburton Treaty
In April of 1842, a British diplomat arrived in the U.S. to meet with Secretary of State Daniel Webster. This meeting was intended to resolve issues between the two countries. One of the major disputes this treaty resolved was the Canadian-American boundary line. This treaty is significant to conflict because it resolved past issues between the two countries and prevented future conflicts by officially resolving the issue. -
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was established by fur traders and other woodsmen between 1811-1840. In 1843, the first major wagon train headed west using the trail. The trail was a hard, and sometimes fatal, journey for everyone who took it. Sickness, bad weather, food shortages, and Indians were just some of the problems faced by pioneers heading west. This is significant to expansion because so many people headed west using this trail, it was a major part of westward expansion. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American war peacefully. The treaty acknowledged Texas as a U.S. state and allowed the United States to purchase the land west of Texas for $15 million from the Mexican Republic. This land would later make up parts or all of California, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming. This is significant to expansion because it gave Americans lots of new territory to expand into, and they certainly did. -
Mexican Cession
The Mexican Cession was a result of the Mexican-American War. The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. The treaty acknowledged Texas as a U.S. state and allowed the United States to buy a large chunk of the land owned by the Mexican Republic for $15 million. This land included what would become California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. This is significant to expansion because it gave Americans plenty of land to expand into. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention, organized by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, was the first women's rights convention held in America. Two hundred women gathered for the convention and heard the reading of the Declaration of Sentiments and Grievances. The declaration described the problems inflicted on women and set out the new rights they wanted to gain. The Seneca Falls Convention is significant to reform because it was a turning point for the women's rights movement. -
Gold Rush of 1849
In January of 1848 James Wilson Marshall discovered gold in the American River in California. This discovery sparked the 1849 Gold Rush and a flood of people moved to the area. Men from all over the country made the move west to hunt for gold - these men are known as 49ers. By the end of 1849, the non-Indian population of California was estimated at 100,00, compared to 20,000 at the end of 1848. This is significant to expansion because so many people moved west during this time. -
Compromise of 1850
When California asked to enter the Union as a free state, Congress was worried the balance between free and slave states would be upset. Henry Clay offered solutions to avoid a conflict between these states while admitting California. The Compromise resulted in California being admitted, an amendment to the Fugitive Slave Act, and the Washington D.C. slave trade being abolished. This is significant to conflict because it delayed a slavery-related conflict between the north and south.