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The Second Great Awakening
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French Revolutionary Wars Devastated Europe
American farmers increasingly exported foodstuffs causing their exports to rise in value. -
Gabriel's Rebellion
Approximately 1000 enslaved men planned to end slavery in Virginia by attacking Richmond. -
Thomas Jefferson Elected President of the United States
This represented a victor for non-elite white Americans that wished to assume more direct control over the government. -
Alien and Sedition Acts Expire
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The Cane Ridge Revival
This revival of the Second Great Awakening was a large camp meeting that was held in Cane Ridge, Kentucky -
Marbury v. Madison
Established that the federal courts could declare legislative and executive acts unconstitutional. Marbury sued then Secretary of State James Madison for his commission as a Justice of the Peace. -
Ohio Becomes a States
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The Louisiana Purchase
A land deal between the United States and France in which the U.S. acquired approx 827,000 sq miles of land west of the Mississippi River for $15 million. -
Tenskawatawa and Tecumseh Build an Alliance
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Andrew Jackson Defeats Death
Jackson sustained a bullet to the chest in a duel. He survived, remained standing, and shot his opponent. -
First Commercial Steamboat Service Up and Down the Hudson River
Established by Robert Fulton -
The Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves
Federal law stated o new slaves would be imported to the United States. It did not take effect until 1808. -
HMS Leopard Attacks the USS Chesapeake
This caused many Americans to call for war but President Jefferson decided on a policy of "peaceable coercion". -
The Embargo Act of 1807
Passed by Congress and signed by President Jefferson prohibiting American ships from trading in all foreign ports. -
Constitutional Slave Band of 1807 Takes Effect
The Act prohibiting the importation of slaves became effective in 1808. -
Jefferson Retires from the Presidency
Congress ended the Embargo and the British relaxed their policies toward American ships. -
James Madison Becomes President
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Fletcher v. Peck
U.S. Supreme Court decision in which the Supreme Court first ruled a state law unconstitutional. This decision helped create a growing precedent for the sanctity of legal contracts and hinted that Native Americans did not hold complete title to their own lands. -
Shawnee Chief Attempts to Negotiate with White Settlers
He tried to stop expansion into native lands. When he failed, he began a resistance movement. -
The Battle of Tippecanoe
Conflict in Indiana between Governor William Henry Harrison and Indian forces led by Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa. -
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The War of 1812
War broke out between America and Britain due to British attempts to restrict U.S. trade, the Royal Navy's impressment of American seamen and America's desire to expand its territory. -
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The Atlantic Theater
The first stage of the War of 1812 lasted until spring of 1813. Great Britain was occupied in Europe against Napoleon and the U.S. invaded Canada and sent their fledgling navy against British ships. -
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Manifest Destiny
The term coined in 1845 by newspaper editor John O'Sullivan is the idea that the territorial expansion of the United States was justified by the American values and institutions. Believers also claimed that the land west of the Mississippi River were destined for American led political and agricultural improvement. -
The Steamboat New Orleans Arrives from Pennsylvania
This 371-ton ship, funded by Robert Fulton and Robert Livingston, was the first steamboat to navigate the internal waterways of the North American continent from one end to the other and remain capable of returning home. It would sink two years later. -
Louisiana Enters the Union
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James Madison Signs Declaration of War
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The Battle of the Thames
Also known as the Battle of Moraviantown was a decisive American victory in the War of 1812 against Great Britain and its Indian allies, in upper Canada, near Chatham. -
American Industrial Espionage
Francis Cabot Lowell and Paul Moody recreated the powered loom used in the mills of Manchester, England. -
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The Second Offensive of the War of 1812
The U.S. launced their second offensive against Canada and the Great Lakes. The Americans won their first successes. -
HMS Shannon Attacks the USS Chesapeake
Captain Philip Broke attacked the Chesapeake captained by James Lawrence and destroyed it within 6 minutes. -
Battle of Lake Erie
Pivotal naval engagement between British and American forces during the War of 1812. -
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The Southern Theater of the War of 1812
This third stage ended with Andrew Jackson's victory outside New Orleans, Louisiana. -
The Battle of Horseshoe Bend
This was a decisive victory led by Andrew Jackson in the Creek War. -
The British Burn Washington, D.C.
This opened a new theater of operations in the South. -
The Battle of Plattsburgh
On Lake Champlain in New York in which an American naval force won a decisive victory against a British fleet. -
New England Federalists Meet in Hartford Connecticut
Those that opposed the war met in Hartford to try and end the war and curb the power of the Republican Party. These meetings lasted until January 5, 1815. -
The Treaty of Ghent
Ending the war of 1812, it was signed by the United States and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was signed in Ghent, United Netherlands. -
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The Rise of the Benevolent Empire
Reform societies developed in throughout the U.S. melding religion and reform. -
Battle of New Orleans
Credited with the end of the war of 1812, this battle was actually fought after the signing of the Treaty of Ghent. It was a victory for then Major General Andrew Jackson -
President Madison's Annual Message to Congress
Madison stressed the importance of establishing throughout our country the roads and canals which can best be executed under national authority. -
U.S. Regulars Attack a British Fort in Florida
This fort was established as an armed outpost during the war of 1812 by the British. The raid killed 270 of the fort's inhabitants. This set the stage for General Andrew Jackson's invasion of Florida and the beginning of the 1st Seminole War. -
The Last Federalist Candidate
Rufus King lost to James Monroe in 1816. He was the last Federalist to run for president. -
Indiana Becomes a State
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The First Seminole War
The United States Army invaded Spanish Florida and fought against the Seminole Indians and the African slaves that had traded weapons with the British and supported them in the War of 1812. -
James Monroe Becomes President
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MIssissippi Becomes a State
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Illinois Becomes a State
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The Panic of 1819
Land Speculation Leads to a depression. -
Dartmouth v. Woodward
The Supreme Court upheld the rights of private corporations when it denied the attempt of the government of New Hampshire to reorganize Dartmouth College on behalf of the common good. -
The Adams-Onis Treaty
Enacted by U.S. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams and Spanish minister Luis de Onis giving Florida to the United States. -
Civilization Fund Act
Offered $10,000 annually for missionaries to establish schools among Indian tribes -
Alabama Becomes a State
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Warren Colburn Opens a Specialized School to Prepare for Skilled Labor
Schools were being organized to assist young men preparing to enter mercantile and other businesses. -
Discovery of a New Cotton
The discovery of Gossypium barbadense (Petit Gulf cotton) near Rodney, Mississippi changed the American and global cotton markets due to its structure and ease of production. -
The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise, supported by Senator Henry Clay, would admit Missouri as a slave state but would admit Maine as a free state, and the rest of the Louisiana Purchase territory would be divided along the 36/30 latitudinal line allowing slavery only in those south of the line. -
Maine Becomes a State
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Treaty of Doak's Stand
Between the U.S. and the Choctaw -
Missouri Becomes a State
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The Second Constitution of New York
New York's 1821 constitution allowed almost all white male taxpayers to vote but only the richest black men. -
The Monroe Doctrine
President Monroe issued an ultimatum to the empires of Europe in order to support several wars of independence in Latin America. It stated that the U.S. considered North and South America off limits for European colonization. -
The Birth of Unions
A group of journeymen in Boston formed a Carpenters' Union to protest their inability to maintain a family at the present time with the wages given. -
John Quincy Adams Becomes President
Formerly Secretary of State under President James Monroe of the Virginia Republicans. -
The Corrupt Bargain
In one of the closest elections to date, Andrew Jackson won the popular votes but with no majority winner in the Electoral College, the election was decided in the House. Adams used his political clout and with Henry Clay's support, claimed the presidency. -
New York State Completes the Erie Canal
350-mile long human-made waterway linking the Great Lakes with the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean. -
The Erie Canal is Completed
Linking the Great Lakes to New York -
The American Temperance Society
Evangelical ministers organized this society to help spread the crusade nationally. -
The Baltimore and Ohio
The government of Maryland provided half of the start-up funds for a long-distance rail line out of Maryland. -
John C Calhoun Secretly Authors the South Carolina Exposition and Protest
President Jackson's failure to repeal the Tariff of Abominations put Vice President Calhoun in an awkward position. He penned what became known as Calhoun's Exposition. -
The Anti-Masonic Party Formed
This political party opposed Freemasonry. Most members joined the Whig party in the 1830s and disappeared after 1838. The anti-masons believe that the Freemasons had murdered William Morgan who was a former mason who disappeared after speaking out against them. -
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The Petticoat Affair
Also known as the Eaton Affair was a scandal involving President Jackson's cabinet, particularly his Secretary of War, John Eaton. -
Andrew Jackson Defeats Adams for the Presidency
Claiming to be the "people's president" to represent the interest of ordinary white Americans against the wealthy elite. He was hailed as a military hero and thus gained the presidency. -
Gold is Discovered on Cherokee Lands in Georgia
Andrew Jackson had already authored a letter encouraging the Cherokee to voluntarily relocate to the West but the discovery of gold on their lands exacerbated the situation. -
Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World
David Walker, a black abolitionist in Boston wrote an appeal that called for resistance to slavery and racism. -
Joseph Smith Publishes the Book of Mormon
Joseph Smith was a religious leader who founded the Church of Christ that later became the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. -
Anti-Mason Party National Convention
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The Indian Removal Act
Jeremiah Evarts wrote a series of essays under the pseudonym William Penn opposing Andrew Jackson's act to drive Native Americans from land east of the Mississippi. -
William Lloyd Garrison Establishes The Liberator
This newspaper organized and spearheaded an interracial crusade dedicated to promoting immediate emancipation and black citizenship. He would later preside over the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1833 and lead the Moral Suasionists in the late 1830s. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Also known as the Southampton Insurrection was a slave rebellion in Virginia led by Nat Turner. They killed from 55-65 people, most of them white. -
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Increased Abolitionist Activities
Abolitionists used the U.S. Postal Service in 1835 to inundate southern slaveholders and prepared thousands of petitions for Congress. -
The Black Hawk War
This war in the North led to the removal of many Sauk Indians to Kansas. -
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The Bank War
A political struggle between Jacksonians and Congress involving the Bank of the United States. -
Massachusetts Joins Disestablishment
Massachusetts was the final state to cease supporting official religious denomination. A State Supreme court decision ended Massachusett's support for the Congregational Church. -
The Nullification Crisis
A convention that met in November of 1832 declared that the tariffs of 1828 and 1832 were unconstitutional and unenforceable within South Carolina and that attempts to collect would lead to the state's secession. -
President Jackson Publishes the Force Bill
Passed by Congress during the Nullification Crisis giving President Jackson the authority to use military force against any state that resisted the protective tariff laws. -
The Ursiline Convent Riot
A mob of Protestants attacked a Catholic convent near Boston. They believed that a woman was being held against her will by the nuns. -
Citywide Strike in Boston in the Ten-Hour Movement
The New England Association of Farmers, Mechanics, and other Workingmen mobilized to establish a ten-hour workday across industries. -
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The Second Seminole War
This conflict resulted from the U.S. forcing the Seminole Indians to move from a reservation in Central Florida to the Creek reservation west of the Mississippi. It was the longest of the Indian Removal Wars. -
The Treaty of New Echota
This treaty was signed giving Cherokee land to the U.S. in exchange for compensation. It was negotiated by Cherokee leader, Major Ridge who only spoke for a small fraction of the nation rather than for the entirety. -
Massachusetts Passes a Law Requiring Child Workers to Go to School
The state legislature dictated that all children under the age of 15 must attend school at least 3 months a year. -
Texas Declares Independence from Mexico
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Battle of the Alamo
Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission after a 13-day siege. -
The Battle of San Jacinto
Sam Houston led a surprise attack that lasted only 18 minutes. The Texans were victorious and captured General Santa Anna. -
Treaty of Velasco
Signed by General Santa Anna after his capture acknowledging Texas independence. -
Arkansas Becomes a State
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The Specie Circular
An executive order by President Jackson that all payments for public land purchases would be made in gold or silver. -
The Transcendental Club is Formed
A group of Unitarian ministers to include Ralph Waldo Emerson came together. Later members would include Henry David Thoreau -
The Panic of 1837
Financial crisis in the U.S. following land and slave speculation. -
Michigan Becomes a State
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Martin Van Buren's Presidency
Vice President during Andrew Jackson's 2nd term, Van Buren was elected president as his successor. -
Elijah Parish Lovejoy's Murder
Near St. Louis, an abolitionist newspaper editor was murdered as he defended his printing press. -
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1838
The constitution ratified in Pennsylvania in 1838 prohibited black voting completely. In doing so, they eliminated the right of one of the richest people in Philadelphia, James Forten. He was a free-born sailmaker who had served in the American Revolution and had become a wealthy merchant and landowner. -
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The Trail of Tears
As a result of the Indian Removal Act, the Cherokee Indians were forced to migrate to the area presently known as Oklahoma. -
The Liberty Party is Formed
Under the leadership of abolitionist and politician James Birney. They believed that the U.S. Constitution was actually an anti-slavery document that could be used to abolish slavery through the national political system. -
Whig Party's 1st National Convention
This was a presidential nominating convention held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to select the party's nominee for the next presidential election. The convention selected William Henry Harrison rather than Henry Clay. Harrison would die just 31 days into office. -
Abby Kelly Nominated to the American Anti-Slavery Convention
The first woman to hold a leadership position. -
The World Anti-Slavery Convention
The delegation consisted of more than 500 abolitionists from France, England, and the United States. It would last until June 23. -
William Henry Harrison Becomes President
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John Tyler Becomes President
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Commonwealth v. Hunt
Unions were not legally acceptable until the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in favor of a union of organized Boston bootmakers. Chief Justice was Lemuel Shaw. -
State of Massachusetts Limits Child Work Hours to Ten per Day
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Ralph Waldo Emerson Gives The Young American Speech
Emerson delivered a speech in Boston declaring that it was the duty of the young Americans of New England to stand for the interest of justice and humanity. -
Mormon Prophet and Founder Joseph Smith Murdered
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Frederick Douglass Publishes His Autobiography
In his first book, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave he tells the tale of escaping from slavery and becoming an abolitionist. He wrote a second book in 1855, My Bondage and My Freedom. -
Florida Joins the Union
Although many thought the area should be divided into 2, the entirety of Florida entered the Union as 1 state. -
James Polk is Elected President of the U.S.
Former Speaker of the House is elected 11th president. -
Texas Becomes a State
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The Mexican-American War
Out of conflict between the Comanche who had a command presence and attacked U.S. Soldiers in a disputed zone. -
Iowa Becomes a State
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The Free Soil Movement
Active in the 1848 and 1852 presidential elections it was a short-lived political party made up of the Barnburners and other anti-slavery Democrats joined with some anti-slavery Whigs and the Liberty party. -
Gold Discovered in California
James Marshall discovered gold in Sutter Creek near Coloma, California -
Wisconsin Becomes a State
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The Seneca Falls Convention
Rebuffed at the World Anti-Slaver Convention in London, Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton returned to the U.S and organized a two-day summit in New York where women's rights advocates came together. -
Zachary Taylor Becomes President
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The Compromise of 1850
Tough new fugitive slave laws, New Mexico and Utah could determine their own fate, and territories would be allowed to submit suits directly to the Supreme Court over the status of fugitive slaves. -
MIllard Fillmore Becomes President
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California Becomes a State
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The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
This act harshly penalized official who failed to arrest runaways and private citizens who tried to help them. -
General Benjamin Butler Accepts Fugitive Slaves
Stating they were contraband of the war to circumvent the issue of the slaves' freedom. -
Mormon Polygamy Publicly Acknowledged and Openly Practiced
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Harriet Beecher Stowe Publishes Uncle Tom's Cabin
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Franklin Pierce Becomes President
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The Native American Party is Renamed the American Party
Commonly known as the Know Nothing movement was an American nativist political party. It started as a secret society. -
LIncoln's Speech in Kalamazoo
Abraham Lincoln assured his audience that the country's commercial transformation had not reduced American laborers to slavery. -
The Panic of 1857
Caused by the declining international economy and over-expansion of the domestic economy. -
James Buchanan Becomes President
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Minnesota Becomes a State
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Oregon Becomes a State
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John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown was an abolitionist that led a small group on a raid against a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia which is now in West Virginia. -
The Rise of Cotton
The Census Bureau's Census of Manufactures stated that" the manufacture of cotton constitutes the most striking feature of the industrial history of the last 50 years." -
Abraham Lincoln is Elected President
Lincoln became the first Republican to win the presidency. -
South Carolina Secedes from the Union
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Mississippi Secedes
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Florida Joins in Secession
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Alabama Secedes
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Georgia Leaves the Union
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Louisiana Secedes from the Union
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Kansas Becomes a State
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Texas Secedes by Popular Vote
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Battle of Fort Sumter Sparks Civil War
Confederate Brig. General P.G.T. Beauregard fires on Fort Sumter. Major Anderson surrenders on April 13 and Union troops are evacuated. -
First Confiscation Act
Authorized Union seizure of rebel property and stated all slaves who fought with or worked for the Confederate military were freed of further obligation. -
William Alexander Hammond Appointed Surgeon General
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Union General Ulysses S. Grant Captures Forts Henry and Donelson
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Battle of Ironclads at Hampton Roads, Virginia
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Battle of Shiloh
Two day battle the costliest of the war to that point. -
Second Confiscation Act
Virtually an emancipation proclamation. -
Battle of Antietam
The first major battle to occur on Union soil. Over 20,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, or missing. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
Involved nearly 200,000 combatants and resulted in staggering Union casualties. -
Emancipation Proclamation
President Lincoln issued the document declaring that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states are and henceforward shall be free. -
The Enrollment Act
Legislation passed by the U.S. Congress during the civil war to provide fresh manpower to the Union Army -
Battle of Chancellorsville
One of the war's major battles, it would last until May 6 and although a Confederate victory, they suffered heavy casualties and the mortal wounding of Conf. Major Gen. Stonewall Jackson. -
West Virginia Becomes a State
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Battle of Gettysburg
Three day battle was Robert E. Lee's final northern incursion. -
The Fall of Vicksburg
The Confederacy was split in half with the loss of this stronghold. -
Sherman Captures Atlanta
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Nevada Becomes a State
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Sherman's March to the Sea Ends in Savannah
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Thirteenth Amendment to Abolish Slavery
Except as a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted. -
Confederation Passes Legislation for Enlistment of Black Soldiers
Prompted by General Robert E. Lee -
Robert E. Lee Surrenders At Appomattox
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The Assassination of President Lincoln
During a performance at Ford's Theater. He was shot by John Wilkes Booth. -
Andrew Johnson Becomes President
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Civil Rights Act of 1866
First attempt to constitutionally define all American born residents (except Native people) as citizens. -
Reconstruction Acts
Prepared for readmission of the southern states into the union -
Nebraska Becomes a State
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Ulysses S. Grant Becomes President
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Colorado Becomes a State
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Rutherford B. Hayes Becomes President
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James A. Garfield Becomes President
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Chester Arthur Becomes President
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Grover Cleveland Becomes President
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Benjamin Harrison Becomes President
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North and South Dakota Become States
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Montana Becomes a State
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Washington Becomes a State
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Idaho Becomes a State
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Wyoming Becomes a State
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Grover Cleveland Becomes President
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Utah Becomes a State
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William McKinley Becomes President
