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In 1800, along with the parliament and government buildings being moved to the newly created capital of Washington D.C. At the same time, Congress decided to establish a library as well. John Adams approved legislation setting aside a sum of $5000 to purchase books for the establishment of the library. Today, the library is one of the largest and most prestigious libraries in the world. -
Thomas Jefferson the Founding Father of the USA and the author of the Declaration of Independence, became the third president of the United States on March 4, 1801- March 4, 1809. He was a supporter of democracy and took many steps to strengthen it during his time as president. -
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. After multiple rounds of negotiations, France agreed to sell not just the port but the entire territory. The USA paid $15 million as part of the agreement. It stretched from the Mississippi River in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west. It also stretched from the Canadian border in the north all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. -
The Lewis and Clark Expedition was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson after the Louisiana Purchase, to explore and map the newly acquired territory by agroup of U.S. Army and civilian volunteers under the command of Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark. -
In 1812, Britain was fighting a war with the French Empire. The British Royal Navy blockaded France to stop it from trading with other countries, including America. This angered some people in the USA.The Royal Navy also captured a number of American vessels and sailors. These were then put into the war effort against France. In reaction, the USA declared war on Britain in 1812. -
The Panic of 1819 was a widespread economic crisis that hit USA in 1819. Many Americans had gone into the west, settled, built farms and houses taking out loans from state banks that they were unable to repay. This, and many other factors, contributed to the Panic of 1819. -
James Monroe introduced the Monroe Doctrine, a United States foreign policy position that opposed European colonialism in the Western Hemisphere. -
The Indian Removal Act was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson, authorizing the president to grant unsettled lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for Indian lands within existing state borders. A few tribes went peacefully, but many resisted the relocation policy. -
On October 2, 1835, the Texas Revolution began as tension boiled over and shots were fired in the town of Gonzales. The Mexican Army had been sent to recover a cannon that was loaned to the town for protection against aggressive native tribes. -
The California Gold Rush was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The California Gold Rush lasted for many years. In all, nearly $2 billion worth of gold was extracted from the rich gold deposits of California during the Gold Rush period. -
April 12, 1861 marked the beginning of the bloodiest war between the slave free states grouped into Unions of the North and the slave states grouped into Confederates of the South. -
The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.