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Gabriel Prosser and the Slave Revolt
A slave rebellion planning to march on Richmond, Virginia, is organized by Gabriel Prosser, an enslaved African American blacksmith. The conspiracy is revealed, and Prosser is hanged, along with a number of other rebels. Consequently, Virginia's slave laws are tightened. -
U.S. Capitol
The U.S. capital is moved from Philadelphia to Washington, DC. -
Thomas Jefferson Inaugurated as the Third President
Thomas Jefferson is inaugurated as the third president in Washington, DC. -
Marbury v. Madison
Supreme Court decision greatly expands the power of the Court by establishing its right to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional. -
Louisiana Purchase
For the Louisiana Territory, which stretches west from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and covers about 830,000 sq mi, the United States offers to pay France $15 million. As a result, the U.S. is about twice its size. -
Lewis and Clark Leave for Expedition
From St. Louis, Mo., Lewis and Clark set out on an expedition to discover the West and find a way to the Pacific Ocean. -
Lewis and Clark reach the Pacific Ocean
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Jefferson's second inauguration.
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James Madison is inaugurated as the fourth president.
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War of 1812
The U.S. is declaring war on Britain over British involvement with American shipping and expansion to the west. -
Madison's second inauguration.
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British capture Washington, DC, and set fire to White House and Capitol.
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Star-Spangled Banner
Francis Scott Key writes Star-Spangled Banner as he watches the British attack on Fort McHenry at Baltimore. -
Treaty of Ghent is signed, officially ending the war.
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James Monroe is inaugurated as the fifth president.
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Spain agrees to cede Florida to the United States.
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Missouri Compromise
In order to preserve the balance between free and slave states, Maine (formerly part of Massachusetts) is admitted as a free state so that Missouri can be admitted as a slave state; in the Louisiana Purchase lands north of latitude 36 ° 30 ', slavery is forbidden except for Missouri. -
Monroe's second inauguration.
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Denmark Vesey and a Slave Rebellion
In an attempt to lay siege on Charleston, South Carolina, Denmark Vesey, an enslaved African American carpenter who had bought his freedom, plans a slave rebellion. The scheme is revealed, and they hang Vesey and 34 coconspirators. -
Continental Congress adopts the Articles of Confederation, the first U.S. constitution.
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John Quincy Adams is inaugurated as the sixth president.
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Construction is begun on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the first public railroad in the U.S.
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Andrew Jackson is inaugurated as seventh president.
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Indian Removal Act
The Indian Relocation Act, allowing the compulsory removal of Native Americans living in the eastern part of the nation to lands west of the Mississippi River, was signed by President Jackson. -
Nat Turner and the Slave Revolt
The most prominent slave revolt in American history was led by Nat Turner, an enslaved African American preacher. A violent, day-long revolt in Southampton County, Virginia, was initiated by him and his band of about 80 supporters. The uprising is quashed by the army, and Turner is finally hanged. As a result, slave rules became much harsher in Virginia. -
William Lloyd Garrison
William Lloyd Garrison begins publishing the Liberator, a weekly paper that advocates the complete abolition of slavery. He becomes one of the most famous figures in the abolitionist movement. -
Texas declares its independence from Mexico.
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Martin Van Buren is inaugurated as the eighth president.
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Trail of Tears
More than 15,000 Cherokee Indians in present-day Oklahoma are being required to march from Georgia to the Indian Territory. Approximately 4,000 people suffer from malnutrition and sickness in the "Trail of Tears." -
William Henry Harrison is inaugurated as the ninth president.
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President John Tyler
Harrison dies one month after entering the office and is succeeded by his vice president John Taylor. -
U.S. annexes Texas by joint resolution of Congress
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James Polk is inaugurated as the 11th president
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Mexican War
The U.S. declares war on Mexico in an effort to gain California and other territories in the Southwest. -
Gold in California
Gold is discovered at Sutter's Mill in California. The gold rush reaches its height the following year. -
Mexican War concludes with signing of Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
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Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman escapes from slavery and becomes one of the most effective and celebrated members of the Underground Railroad. -
Zachary Taylor is inaugurated as the 12th president.
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New Territories and Slavery
The continuing debate whether territory gained in the Mexican War should be open to slavery is decided in the Compromise of 1850: California is admitted as a free state, Utah and New Mexico territories are left to be decided by popular sovereignty, and the slave trade in Washington, DC, is prohibited. It also establishes a much stricter fugitive slave law, than the original, passed in 1793. -
President Millard Fillmore
President Taylor dies and is succeeded by his vice president, Millard Fillmore. -
Franklin Pierce is inaugurated as the 14th president.
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Dred Scott v. Sanford
Landmark Supreme Court decision holds that Congress does not have the right to ban slavery in states and, furthermore, that slaves are not citizens. -
James Buchanan is inaugurated as the 15th president.
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John Brown and the Slave Revolt
Abolitionist John Brown and 21 followers capture the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Va. (now W. Va.), in an attempt to spark a slave revolt. -
Abraham Lincoln is elected president.
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South Carolina secedes from the Union.
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Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana secede the Union
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Texas secedes the Union
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Emancipation Proclamation
Emancipation Proclamation is issued, freeing slaves in the Confederate states. -
Battle of Gettysburg is fought.
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Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee secede the Union
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Robert E. Lee Surrenders
Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrenders to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, Va. -
President Lincoln is Assassinated
Lincoln is assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in Washington, DC, and is succeeded by his vice president, Andrew Johnson. -
Thirteenth Amendment
Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, prohibiting slavery. -
The New State of Alaska
The U.S. acquires Alaska from Russia for the sum of $7.2 million. -
President Jackson is Impeached
President Johnson is impeached by the House of Representatives. -
President Grant
Ulysses S. Grant is inaugurated as the 18th president. -
The First Transcontinental Railroad
Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads are joined at Promontory, Utah, creating the first transcontinental railroad. -
Fifteenth Amendment
Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, giving colored people the right to vote. -
Fire in Chicago
Chicago fire kills 300 and leaves 90,000 people homeless. -
The Sioux Indians
Lt. Col. George A. Custer's regiment is wiped out by Sioux Indians under Sitting Bull at the Little Big Horn River, Mont.
