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Settlers Arrive in Plymouth - Unit 1
In September of 1620, one hundred English men and women set sail for the New World aboard the Mayflower. The place where they landed, Plymouth, became the first permanent settlement by Europeans in New England. It later became part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691. This is significant to settlement because it was the first permanent European settlement in New England. -
Lexington and Concord - Unit 2
The battles of Lexington and Concord were the official beginning to the Revolutionary War. Tensions between the American colonies and the British had been rising for years, especially in Massachusetts. A confrontation on the Lexington town green started the fighting and this is where the first gunshot of the Revolutionary War occurred. These battles are significant to conflict because they started the Revolutionary War, in addition to being conflicts themselves. -
Embargo Act - Unit 3
The Embargo Act, passed by Congress and signed by Thomas Jefferson, stopped all trade between America and foreign countries. Congress hoped the act would stop France and Great Britain, who were currently at war with each other, from restricting American trade. The act backfired and caused Americans to suffer, it was repealed in 1809. This is significant to diplomacy because it dealt with foreign countries and showed the importance of trade with those countries. -
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Abraham Lincoln - Unit 6
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, saw the country through the Civil War. Lincoln ran for president in 1860, promising to prevent the spread of slavery to new territories, but not touch slavery where it already existed. Lincoln was assassinated by a Confederate sympathizer, John Wilkes Booth, at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. Lincoln is significant to leadership because he was in a position to lead America through the war and was a strong leader when he did. -
Sewing Machine - Unit 4
Elias Howe is credited with the invention of the sewing machine. At first no one was interested, even after his machine won a competition against the best hand-sewers in the country. Eventually his machine became popular and Howe died as a millionaire because of its' success. This is significant to progress because the sewing machine made it easier and more efficient to make clothing, aiding the growing textile industry and helping to shape America's economy. -
Compromise of 1850 - Unit 5
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 a solution to avoid conflict between these states white admitting California. The compromise resulted in California being admitted, the Fugitive Slave Act being amended, and the Washington D.C. slave trade being abolished. This is significant to compromise because both sides made concessions, but everyone got what they wanted in the end. -
Homestead Act - Unit 7
In May of 1862, Abraham Lincoln encouraged the settlement of western territory by signing the Homestead Act. The act said any American, even ex-slaves and women, would be given 160 acres of land to develop for 5 years. At the end of the 5 years, the settlers would receive the title to the land. The Homestead Act is significant to the American dream because it gave everyone equal opportunity to start a new life in the West and prosper through hard work and determination.