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Settlers Land at Plymouth
Due to the religious restrictions of Great Britain, people decided to try their hand and settle in the "New World" that was across the Atlantic Ocean. So settlers set sail onboard the Mayflower and spend 3 months traveling to the New World. Eventually, they arrived and settled the second town (after Jamestown)in the New World, Plymouth. The importance is this is when people started to move to the New World which soon becomes the U.S. -
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials were a social craze that happened during 1692-1693 where people of Salem started accusing each other of witchcraft. This got so out of hand that many people were imprisoned and 25 even died. This is a major social event due to it being the first huge conflict among the settlers. -
Townshend Act
After their wars in Europe, Great Britain needed some more money so they passed the Townshend Acts in the colonies. They taxed many items such as glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea. After not being taxed for almost 150 years, this taxation angered the colonists, especially since they had no power to discuss it in Parliament. -
Boston Tea Party
The radical Sons of Liberty were tired of the British imposing on them as well as their taxes so they decided to dress up as Indians and dumped huge amounts of tea into the sea. They dumped almost 92,000 pounds of tea into the Boston Harbor. This act raised tensions between the colonists and British and helped built towards the War for Independence. -
Intolerable Acts
The colonists have gotten angry about the taxes and not having representation in Parliament. Some radical groups have formed so that they may get some change. One radical group went as far as dumping thousands of pounds of tea into the Boston Harbor. After the Boston Tea Party, Britain was done playing around and passed the Intolerable Acts, acts that were meant to punish the radical groups in Massachusetts. Some things it did was block off the port of Boston and send soldiers to the colonies. -
The Battle of Lexington and Concord
The Battle of Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the American Revolution. The British army had heard rumors of famous radicalists Samuel Adams and John Hancock. They also planned to seize colonial gunpowder and weapons. The colonists were alerted though and were ready when the British arrived. They was a standstill until the famous "shot heard around the world." This was the signaling shot that started the American Revolution -
Common Sense
In 1776, England and the colonies were not seeing eye-to-eye. To add fuel to the fire, radical writer Thomas Paine published a book called Common Sense. Common Sense pushed for two things, independence from Britain and forming a democratic republic. This book gained great fame selling hundreds if not thousands of copies. It's importance helped stem the movement towards independence. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was America's written claim to independence from Britain. The three main things it said were that all men were created equal, all men have unalienable rights such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and individuals have a right to defend themselves and others -
The Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga was a very important battle in the American Revolution. This battle brought the 4-3 army ratio to an even 3-3. This gave the colonists a surge of morale and furthered their belief in winning the war. It also helped them get the French support that they had been asking for. This allowed the colonists to actually have a fighting chance in the war. -
The Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was the final battle of the American Revolution. After getting barraged by Washington and the colonial army, Cornwallis retreated to Yorktown where he believed he would have his navy to defend them.However, the French had destroyed/driven away the British navy so when the British army arrived at Yorktown, they were surrounded by the French navy and the colonial army. After weeks of bombardment, Cornwallis eventually surrendered to Washington, signaling the end of the war. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were America's first attempt at a governing document. While it worked for a bit, flaws started to show through. The biggest example was Shay's Rebellion, due to having no standing army, rich individuals had to pay mercenaries to quell the rebellion. This showed how weak the Articles really were -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was the document that ended the American Revolution, it also recognized the United States as an independent nation. This document officially signified the creation of the United States of America -
The Constitution
The Constitution was the new and improved version of the Articles of Confederation. This became the supreme law of the land and a whole branch of the government was created to use and apply this to the laws of the county. This document controlled a large part of our county -
Washington's Election
Washington's Election was one of the cleanest elections due to it being unanimous. It was also the only presidency that was not part of any political party. This showed what the presidency was supposed to be, however, it becomes tainted through the use of political parties -
Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was a surge and sudden change in Protestant Christian views. These changes sparked and created many new reform movements such as temperance and abolitionism. These changes became very important to the US. -
The First Bank of the United States
The First Bank of the United States was created by Alexander Hamilton to improve the financial system of the United States. This gave the federal government a lot of power so it angered the Anti-Federalists. To compromise, the bank was created as long as the capital was near Virginia, in a space called the District of Columbia -
King of Cotton
The South was looking for a crop that could produce lots of money to finance their selves. Introducing cotton, an easily stored and easily transported. With Eli Whitney's creation of the cotton gin, it greatly increased the rate that cotton could be produced. The South completely changed their focus to cotton. Soon, they controlled 50-75% of the world's cotton. With how much cotton they produced many considered King Cotton as the phrase that represents the importance of cotton to the South. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts were a group of terrible acts passed under President John Adams. These laws made it hard for people to gain residence in the United States. The years for citizenship went from 5 to 14 years, the president was authorized to deport "aliens" and could imprison, arrest, and deport these aliens. It also limited the speech of all citizens to stop them from speaking out against the president -
XYZ Affair
The XYZ Affair was a conflict between American and French diplomats. The French demanded a money to either talk to Napoleon or if they wanted help in their conflicts against Britain, This broke the alliance between America and France that was created during the American Revolution -
Jefferson's Election
In 1800, the presidency was transferred from John Adams to Thomas Jefferson. While it may seem like any other election, there is an underlying thing that makes this so important. That is that this is the first time power is transferred peacefully from one political party to another that has very different views -
Louisiana Purchase
Needing money for his wars in Europe, Napoleon sent a trade deal to America where they sell France's land in America to the US. It was a great opportunity so Jefferson accepted. However, this was a power that Jefferson thought was to great for the president due to his strict constructionist views. The decision ate away at him a bit. -
Marbury v Madison
This case was huge not because of the results of the trial but what power it gave the Judiciary branch. It gave the Supreme Court the power of judiciary review which allows them to review the constitutionality of laws. -
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was the change from handmade industrial items to creating them with machines. The biggest event was the invention of the steam engine. This created steamboats which dominated the use of the Mississippi River. Steam engines were then created to power trains. Trains became a vital way to transport goods. Railroads dominated the North, was there in the South and even started spreading to the West. -
Embargo Act
During a war between Napoleonic France and Great Britain, US ships were being attacked. To stop these attacks, Thomas Jefferson carried out the Embargo Act. This act was used to stop all foreign trade to and from the US. While trying to stop the European attacks, it instead more heavily crippled the US economy. It stopped the industrial North from selling their products and stopped the South from selling their cotton. It was a huge blow to the US economy, -
Tippecanoe
Tippecanoe was a big battle where General William Henry Harrison planned to capture the village of Prophetstown to capture Native American leader Tecumseh. His brother, Tenskwatawa called for a cease fire but it was a ruse so they may get in an advantage position. After the battle, the American troops had pulled out victorious but this loss pushed Tecumseh to ally his men with the British in the War of 1812. -
The Battle of Lundy's Lane
The US were trying to push into Canada which is a British colony where the British were receiving reinforcements. The battle was long and bloody but the US eventually had to retreat, basically meaning the battle ended in British victory. -
The Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans was the biggest battle of the War of 1812. The British planned to capture a major US port in New Orleans, but General Andrew Jackson used guerrilla tactics to the finest point to completely dominate the British army. He was outnumbered 10 to 1 and absolutely demolished the British army. This was seen as the last battle in the War of 1812 -
The Second Bank of the United States
The Second Bank of the United States came directly after the First Bank. They functioned quite similarly and helped function the U.S. economy. The problem that arose around this was when it was time to renew its charter, president Andrew Jackson did not support its recharter and even stopped its use. This was incorrect since Jackson claimed it was unconstitutional even though it was proven that it was in the McCulloch v Maryland case. -
Missouri Compromise
As states were being created west of the Mississippi, the fact if they will become slave or free made for many arguments. Henry Clay came up with a solution. Missouri would be added into the Union as a slave state but any states above Missouri's southern border would join as free states while any below that would be slave states. -
Monroe Doctrine
This doctrine stated that America would stay out of European affairs, that the US will recognize and not interfere with existing colonies in the Americas, and that the Americas were closed off for colonization. This was a huge statement that showed America's feelings and stand to the European countries -
Tariff of Ambominations
To try to protect agricultural goods, John Quincy Adams passed the Tariff of Abominations. It raised the taxes on imported manufactured items. This caused the US manufacturers to gain money as there customer based surge while it harmed the Southern way of life. This enraged many Southern states and even caused South Carolina to nullify the law within their state. -
Indian Removal Acts
The Indian Removal Act was a law that President Jackson signed that allowed to trade Indian lands in current states for land west of the Mississippi. This caused large deputes from many tribes but the power of the American army was too much for Native tribes. This eventually ended up starting the Trail of Tears, a brutal trek for Native Americans as they were moved to reservations in Oklahoma -
Bank War
When it was time for the Second Bank of the United States to get a recharter, President Andrew Jackson vetoed its charter and shutdown the bank. He then spread the bank's money to the state banks. He did this due to his belief in state power but it was quite terrible for the economy. Large amounts of inflation came from each of these state banks. -
Compromise Tariff of 1833
The Tariff of Abominations was causing a lot of anger within the Southern states, especially South Carolina who had nullified the tariff and even threatened to secede from the Union.To appease the South, Henry Clay proposed the Compromise of 1833 which would decrease the tariff over the next 10 years until it was basically gone. This was acceptable for South Carolina and they repealed their nullification. -
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was a movement that moved and encouraged many to move west. It was a belief that it was God's will for Americans to claim and settle across the entire continent, from coast to coast. It was a important event that spread the American population to the west -
Battle of Morino del Rey
The battle of Morino del Rey was the bloodiest battle of the Mexico-American War. The American army pushed all the way to Mexico City. The US army gained very little traction in this battle but the Mexican army was not able to hold back the American army. This caused the American forces to capture Mexico City and basically win the Mexican-American War -
Gold Rush
The Gold Rush was a surge in Western Expansion where many people rushed to California in the odd chance to find gold and strike it rich. While not very successful for most, some did gain much riches. This led to when California became a state, it was one of the wealthiest. It also became heavily populated due to the Gold Rush. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention was the first women's rights convention. This was the first step towards women's rights. As quoted in the Seneca Falls Declaration, "All men and women are created equal." -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
This treaty was signed to end the Mexico-American War. It also relinquished almost of Mexico's land to America. This includes current states California, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico. This sealed the deal, America was now a trans-continental country. -
Compromise of 1850
Another large surge of discourse between slave and free states that is once again compromised by Henry Clay. This compromise allows California into the Union as a free state and bans the slave trade in Washington D.C. But, the Fugitive Slave Law was also put into effect. -
Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott was a slave that moved with his owner from the Southern states and moved North to free states. After living there for a few years, he and his owner moved into Missouri, a slave state. After living in a free state, Dred Scott thought that he should be freed from his ties as a slave. His case got passed all the way to the Supreme Court where Head Judge Roger B. Taney said that as long as he was property he would stay property. This basically cancelled the whole idea of the free states. -
Antietam
The Battle was the single bloodiest day in US history with 23,000 casualties in a single day. The battle ended overall in an stalemate but the Union claimed victory. Off of that "win" President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This was used to keep foreign nations from participating due to the goal of abolishing slavery -
Homestead Act
The Homestead Act was used to increase economic growth in the West. This law gave 160 acres of land to any who agreed to farm that land for 5 years, lived on it, and improved it in some way. This was used for both economic gain and to give people opportunity. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was a statement that said that the civil war had gone from a war of reuniting the nation to a war to end slavery. This was used as a way to keep European nations from joining the civil war on the side of the Confederacy -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point in the Civil War. The North had all the advantages but due to the excellent generals in the South, the South held their own and even pushed a bit into the Union territory. All their effort ended at Gettysburg where the Confederate army suffered a crushing defeat. This was a very bloody battle and sealed the end of the war. The Confederate army was unable to recuperate and eventually surrendered. -
Battle of Vicksburg
The Union had used the Anaconda Plan to block off the South's ability to trade. To finish it, the Union had to gain control over the entire Mississippi River. General Ulysses Grant led the campaign to control the Mississippi. In the Battle of Vicksburg was the last battle of the campaign to claim the Mississippi. This battle ended in a Union victory and completed the Anaconda Plan, separated the Confederate states of Texas and Arkansas from the rest of the Confederacy and gave fame to Grant. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment was the amendment that finally abolished slavery all of the United States. To get this amendment passed, a civil war was fought. Therefore, I believe it to be one of our most important amendments. -
Transcontinental Pailroad
The Transcontinental Railroad was a huge project that President Lincoln set in to motion to connect the East to the West. Two big railroad companies were asked to help, the Central Pacific from the west and the Union Pacific from the east. These two were to start from their respective sides to meet in the middle. These companies also got rewards for the amount of work they do. They got $4,000 for every mile of plains, $8,000 for every hilly area, and $16,000 for every mountainous area. -
Battle of the Little Bighorn
In the Battle of the Little Bighorn, American forces suffered the greatest loss to Indian forces. Custer and his forces got greedy and thought they could win on their own but they were horribly outnumbered and crushed. The significance was how it was the greatest Native American victory over the US army. -
Americanization
Americanization was a process that the US did to try to integrate the Native Americans into American society. They would take Native American children and brought them to specialized schools to learn like any other American children. This completely americanized these children so when they eventually returned to their tribe, they were unrecognizable. This was a final blow to cripple and almost destroy Native American culture