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The Shakers
Called “Shakers” for their lively dance worship, they emphasized simple, communal living and were all expected to practice celibacy. First transplanted to America from England by Mother Ann Lee, the Shakers counted six thousand members by 1840, though by the 1940s the movement had largely died out. -
Cotton Gin
It was Eli Whitney’s invention that sped up the process of harvesting cotton. The gin made cotton cultivation more profitable, revitalizing the Southern economy and increasing the importance of slavery in the South. -
The Second Great Awakening
It was a religious revival characterized by emotional mass “camp meetings” and widespread conversion. Brought about a democratization of religion as a multiplicity of denominations vied for members. -
Tariff of Abomination
It was noteworthy for its unprecedentedly high duties on imports. Southerners vehemently opposed the Tariff, arguing that it hurt Southern farmers, who did not enjoy the protection of tariffs, but were forced to pay higher prices for manufactures. This tariff increased tensions between the North and South, on the factors of the Civil War -
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The Trail of Tears
It was a forced march of 15,000 Cherokee Indians from their Georgia and Alabama homes to Indian Territory due to the Indian Removal Act. Some 4,000 Cherokee died on the arduous journey. -
Woman’s Rights Convention at Seneca Falls
It was a gathering of feminist activists in Seneca Falls, New York, where Elizabeth Cady Stanton read her “Declaration of Sentiments,” stating that “all men and women are created equal. This was a massive stepping stone for equal rights for women.
