US History

  • Proclamation of 1763

    Proclamation of 1763
    The Proclamation of 1763 stated that colonists cannot settle west of the Appalachian Mountains. The British wanted to make peace with the Natives living there. Even though they declared this act, colonists still moved west since they didn't like the idea of Parliament putting laws on the from so far away.
  • Sugar Act

    Sugar Act
    The Sugar Act regulated that colonists had to pay 6 pence per gallon on all the molasses they imported. The British government did this to pay debt from the war. The colonists reacted badly to sugar act and began smuggling molasses and not buying British exports because they felt that it was an infringement of their rights.
  • Currency Act

    Currency Act
    The Currency Act prohibited colonists to print their own money and their own currency. Parliament passed this act because they wanted to stop inflation and protect financial creditors from financial ruin. The colonies believed that it was infringement on their self governing policy and shouldn't have orders from other places.
  • The Stamp Act

    The Stamp Act
    The Stamp Act put taxes on all paper and documents because the government needed more money to even out for the maintenance they pay to the colonies. The colonists reacted violently and did not want to pay the taxes because they felt that Parliament shouldn't be ordering them around.
  • The Quartering Act of 1765

    The Quartering Act of 1765
    The Quartering Act regulated that the colonial governments must feed, supply and house British troops so that the military has more money and that the colonies don't abandon Britain. The colonists were enraged because they wondered what punishments they would get for other things they didn't do.
  • Declaratory Act

    Declaratory Act
    The Declaratory Act said that Parliament can bind the colonies to the laws they make and legally make them all subjects of the king. The colonists were not too bothered because they believed that they had the British succumbed to their will.
  • Townshend Revenue Act

    Townshend Revenue Act
    The Townshend Act put taxes on glass, lead, painter's colors, paper and tea that was imported. This act raised around £40,000 which was used to pay royal government officials to make them independent of colonial governments. The colonists were unsure how to respond and some thought that Parliament acted within their bounds even if they were raising money.
  • Boston Massacre

    Boston Massacre
    The Boston Massacre was when British soldiers killed 5 colonists. The fight started as colonists throwing snowballs at a soldier but escalated when more people joined in and began threatening the soldiers until 100s of people were present. When that happened, British soldiers thought they heard someone yell fire and shot 5 people
  • Tea Act

    Tea Act
    The Tea Act regulates that the British East India Company can sell their tea directly to the colonies. Parliament wanted to aid the British East India Company since they were going bankrupt. Some colonists objected to this act like smugglers and merchants who weren't given tea and got their jobs taken away. During the Tea Act, colonists poured the East India tea into the Boston harbor.
  • Boston Tea Party

    Boston Tea Party
    The Boston Tea party was when the colonists poured 342 boxes of tea into the Boston Harbor. The act limited colonists to only buy tea from the East India Co. A revised Tea Act was passed where there was a lowered cost on the tea, but colonists still felt they shouldn't support something they don't believe in so they tossed the tea into the harbor. This act was led by the Sons of Liberty who were violent patriots. They dressed as Indians and threw the tea overboard.
  • The Intolerable Acts

    The Intolerable Acts
    The Intolerable Acts were 4 acts called the Boston Port Act, The Massachusetts Government Act, the Quartering Act, & Administration of Justice Act. These acts were about closing off the Boston Harbor until all the money is payed back to the East India Co, having a royal governor who could hold more power and ban town meetings, British soldiers could live in people's homes, & British officials crimes were judged by Parliament. Colonists were angry because it felt like invasive laws on them.
  • The Battle of Lexington and Concord

    The Battle of Lexington and Concord
    The Battle of Lexington and Concord was when the colonists in Boston had a large amount of gunpowder and weapons and 700 British soldiers were sent to check on them. When the soldiers arrived, there were around 70 patriots waiting for them. 8 minute men died. Then the fight came to Concord where more Americans joined and the Americans won. 93 Americans died and 300 British soldiers died during this battle.
  • Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed's Hill)

    Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed's Hill)
    The Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed's Hill) was when colonists learned the British planned to seize land in Boston to gain control of the Boston Harbor. When colonists heard this plan, they fought back on the hill called Breed's Hill where they had hastily constructed a fort. Even though the colonists had the upper hill, the British ended up winning though they lost around 900 soldiers and it proved the colonists were stronger than expected.
  • Declaration of Independence

    Declaration of Independence
    The Declaration of Independence was written July 4th, 1776 and said the colonists were no longer affiliated with the British and they were now free and independent.
  • Battle of Trenton

    Battle of Trenton
    The Battle of Trenton was when the Americans attacked the British and Germans. The Americans won and it was located in Long Island. It was a surprise attack that they weren't ready for since it was the day after Christmas. The Americans destroyed a British Town Center and gained morale and took control of Trenton.
  • Battle of Saratoga

    Battle of Saratoga
    The Battle of Saratoga was the Americans vs the British and the British won. It was located in Saratoga, NY and some leaders there were Horatio Gates, Benedict Arnold, and John Burgoyne. It was an important since it gave the Americans allies with Spain and France. Arnold was big part of the success.
  • Valley Forge

    Valley Forge
    Valley Forge was not a battle but instead was an encampment led by George Washington in the winter of 1777/78. During the winter, it was EXTREMELY cold and there was food shortages. 2,000 out of 11,000 men died at that camp. Valley Forge helped bond the soldiers in the continental army.
  • Battle of Yorktown

    Battle of Yorktown
    The Battle of Yorktown was France and America vs the British. The Americans won this 3 week long battle. During this final battle, the British finally surrender and Americans won. This was of the decisive battle of the revolutionary war and gave America a good relationship with France and proved they are strong.
  • Treaty of Paris 1783

    Treaty of Paris 1783
    The Treaty of Paris was the peace treaty between the British and Americans. People were sent to design the treaty. It stated that the British had to respect the Americans and the Americans had to respect the British and made America free to start their new country. This was the end of the American Revolution.
  • Period: to

    Westward Expansion

    Westward Expansion was the move from the north to the west. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the amount of US land and now people were able to move west. People in the north saved up money to begin a new life. This journey was a difficult one that involved much hardship for the people. While it was dangerous, moving west could bring you riches like the California Gold Rush. This promoted sectionalism because adding more states caused problems over slavery which the north and south fought about.
  • The 3/5 Compromise

    The 3/5 Compromise
    The 3/5 Compromise was when the north felt like the south was gaining too much power because they were adding their slave population to their overall population. This would add the amount of representatives they got in Congress and the south was able to make more laws. The north felt this was unfair so they created the 3/5 Compromise which added 3 out of every 5 slaves to the population. The south still got some slave votes, it wasn't all of them which the north liked which promoted nationalism.
  • Whiskey Rebellion

    Whiskey Rebellion
    The Whiskey Rebellion was when a law was passed to put a tax on imported spirits. The problem was that smaller distillers had limited money to pay for the tax, paying their workers and it decreased profit. In Pennsylvania, violence broke out and the people rioted against the tax. Eventually, the riots became too much and George Washington had to send military
  • States Rights

    States Rights
    In Amendment 10 of the Constitution, it says that states get rights. But, it doesn't say if the states have the control over slavery in their state. The states began making more laws and the federal government eventually has to take some of that power from the states. This promotes nationalism because the states don't get to just make laws about slavery that apply to their section.
  • XYZ Affair

    XYZ Affair
    The XYZ Affair was when France began attacking American ships which the Americans were not happy about since they thought they were allies. America wanted to speak with the French but they said they could only speak if the Americans gave them money. The three representatives that were sent were called X, Y, and Z. The federalists felt disrespected and wanted war with France.
  • Alien and Sedition Acts

    Alien and Sedition Acts
    The Alien and Sedition Acts was when America was worried about English immigrants who would take side with the French so they passed they passed the Alien Act. The Alien Act said that the president could imprison or deport anyone dangerous or who was not a US citizen. The Sedition Act was passed to make sure no one could say or publish any malicious or false words about the government. This was an infringement on the people's rights since they have the right of free speech and to protest.
  • Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

    Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
    The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions was when the Democratic Republicans thought that the previous acts passed were infringing on their rights and were unconstitutional because they interfered with the rights given to the states. This went as far as having the states nullify laws that they didn't think were correct. While this didn't fully change the law, it showed that the federal government was easy enough to be challenged.
  • John Brown

    John Brown
    John Brown was a figure in abolitionist movements. He believed in committing violent acts against slave holders. He was a devout Christian and believed that slavery needed to be ended at all costs. He was hung in 1859 after leading the Harper Ferry's attack. He worked alongside Harriet Tubman for various different acts as well and he helped in many antislavery acts. He promoted sectionalism because he drove the south and north apart by attacking the south and making them angrier.
  • Embargo Act

    Embargo Act
    The Embargo Act was when America cut off their trade with the rest of the world. They wanted to do this so that they would hurt Britain and France's economy. But, this actually ended up hurting their economy and caused economic hardship in the US.
  • Frederick Douglass

    Frederick Douglass
    Frederick Douglass was an abolitionist who lead groups in New York and Massachusetts. He used to be a slave but escaped. He pushed for equal rights alongside Harriet Tubman and John Brown in the Harper's Ferry act. He promoted nationalism because he wanted everyone to have equal rights and to not have slavery in either section, north or south.
  • War of 1812

    War of 1812
    The War of 1812 began because the US were having their ships attacked by the French and British. They were sick of having their ships attacked so they set up a meeting with the French to negotiate peace but that didn't work. Then, they put the Embargo Act in place to protect the US which also didn't help. So, after all these measures, the US showed that a war was necessary. Many citizens felt that the war should happen and others did not approve of the war.
  • McCulloch vs Maryland

    McCulloch vs Maryland
    McCulloch vs Maryland was when Congress created the first bank of the United States. The problem was some people believed that the Constitution didn't expressly give Congress power to make a bank. Congress has the power to regulate trade, coin money, make taxes, etc. It was implied that they would need a bank to do these things. Maryland thought that the states should receive powers not listed in the Constitution. McCulloch thought national bank was needed to carry out the powers. McCulloch won.
  • The Compromise of 1820

    The Compromise of 1820
    The Compromise of 1820 was when Missouri was a slave state which meant that there were more slave than free states. The solution was to add another free state. The problem was the Louisiana Purchase land and what would become of that. The states north of the 36 30 line would be free states and the ones below would be slave states. This promoted sectionalism because it divided the two parts of the country by the line even though they had been divided before.
  • Harriet Tubman

    Harriet Tubman
    Harriet Tubman was an abolitionist who helped many free slaves begin new lives. She was a slave when she was younger but escaped in 1849. She helped with the Underground Railroad and offered safety to escaped slaves. She freed 70 slaves and was a scout during the Civil War. She rescued her family and friends after she had escaped as well as many others. She promoted nationalism because she wanted to unite the country by making everyone equal having all the states not have slavery.
  • Monroe Doctrine

    Monroe Doctrine
    The Monroe Doctrine was when many Latin American countries broke free of their mother country, Spain. Now, many other countries wanted to take the Latin American countries as their own which could result in war. So, America put out a document stating that they were off limits and would not interfere in the internal affairs of the European countries. They would view any interference as violent and were now off limits from war.
  • Compromise of 1850

    Compromise of 1850
    The Compromise of 1850 problem was that the United States added the Mexican Cession and Oregon Territory to the United States. The solution to the problem was that California became a free state, slave trading was banned in Washington DC, Texas got money to end the border problem with Mexico, the Fugitive Slave Law was passed, and the Utah territory could be a slave or free state. This promoted nationalism because was a way to make a compromise between the north and south.
  • Dred Scott Decision

    Dred Scott Decision
    Dred Scott was a slave who lived in Missouri which was a slave state. After his owner took him to Illinois, he sued for his freedom because he said that since he went to a state where slavery was illegal, he was now free. He originally went to the federal court, where they denied his case. Then, he went to the Supreme Court where they denied him as well. This promoted sectionalism because it favored the south in not letting him be free and having him work as a slave in the south.
  • Secession

    Secession
    Secession was when 11 southern states left the United States because of the problem of slavery. This was the final straw in the lead up to the Civil War. This promoted sectionalism because it caused the war between to the two sections to finally happen.
  • Emancipation Proclamation

    Emancipation Proclamation
    The Emancipation Proclamation was a law made by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 stating that all slaves are now free. 3.5 million slaves who lived in Confederate states now became free because of this law. This promoted sectionalism because the south wouldn't like this law and the north would agree with it because the south would no longer get the slave votes.