8th Grade U.S. History

Key People, Events, and Laws

1600-1890

Date Event Significance1607 Jamestown First Permanent English Settlement 1619 Virginia House of Burgesses First representative assembly in America1620 Plymouth First English colony in the Northeast (Pilgrims)1620 Mayflower Compact Beginning of self-government by the colonists1692 Salem Witch Trials Hysteria swept through Salem. A special court

tried dozens of people accused of witchcraft.1700 Age of Reason Use of scientific method to find out how the

world worked. Benjamin Franklin is synonymous with the age of Reason/Enlightenment

1700’s Enlightenment Movement in Europe that emphasized the use of reason. (John Locke and Montesquieu)

1730’s Great Awakening Religious movement in the colonies1754- 1763 French and Indian War Removes the French from North America;

Beginning of problems between England and the colonies

1763 Treaty of Paris Ended the French and Indian War1770 Boston Massacre First civilians killed by British Soldiers1773 Boston Tea Party An act of civil disobedience that symbolized the

colonists rebellion against England1774 First Continental Congress First organizing of the colonists, representatives

from the colonists met to discuss the colonists’ dissatisfaction with England

1775 Shot Heard Round the World First shots of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord.

1776 Declaration of Independence Colonists separate from England,” When in the course of human events…, government should protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (unalienable rights.)” Thomas Jefferson (author)

1781 American Revolution Ends Battle of Yorktown, the British surrender. Cornwallis surrounded with the help of the French fleet.

1783 Treaty of Paris England recognizes the U.S. as independent.1786 Shay’s Rebellion Demonstrated the need for a strong, central

government; showed weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation.

1787 Northwest Ordinance The Ordinance created the Northwest Territory, the first organized territory of the United States, from lands beyond the Appalachian Mountains.

1787 Constitutional Convention Meeting to revise the Articles of Confederation which resulted in a new form of government (U.S. Constitution) and the Great Compromise (merging of the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan.)

1789 Washington Elected President

George Washington was President for two terms. Washington’s Farewell Address set the tone for international policies; isolationism; and precedence for the transition of power. Beware of political factions.

1790’s Industrial Revolution Beginning of mass production, interchangeable parts; lowers the cost of goods; factory system; urbanization; deplorable working conditions.

1791 Bill of Rights First ten amendments which guarantee individual freedoms; written to gain support for the Constitution to be ratified.

1803 Louisiana Purchase Doubled the size of the United States; $15 millionBought from France by Thomas Jefferson; Jefferson adopts a loose interpretation of the Constitution.

1812-1814 War of 1812 War with England over impressment of sailors; Francis Scott Key wrote the Star-Spangled Banner; Andrew Jackson gains fame at the Battle of New Orleans.

1820 Missouri Compromise Missouri becomes a slave state; Maine a free state. 36/30 line was drawn. North would be free, South would be slave.

1823 Monroe Doctrine Non-interference of European nations in the Western Hemisphere. Americas no longer up for future colonization.

1845 Texas Annexation/ Statehood; President Polk in office.Indian Removal Authorized the president to negotiate with

southern Indian tribes for their removal to federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their land.

1838-1839

Trail of Tears American Indians forced West by Andrew Jackson; went to Oklahoma (Cherokee)

1846 Mexican American War Territories gained; present day states of California, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado- This is done during Polk’s Presidency

1848-1849 California Gold Rush Settlement in the west; thousands of settlers

traveled west in search of gold and a better life. Gold first discovered at Sutter’s Mill. Many California Immigrants made the trip as well.

1850 Compromise of 1850 California enters as a free state; Mexican Cession divided into New Mexico and Utah; Voters could decide if they were slave or free states (popular sovereignty)

1852 Uncle Tom’s Cabin Influential Novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe that described the horrors of slavery.

1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act bill that mandated “popular sovereignty”–allowing settlers of a territory to decide whether slavery would be allowed within a new state’s borders. Proposed by Stephen A. Douglas. A lot of conflict and violence over this issue.

1857 Dred Scott Case a slave who had lived in the free state of Illinois and the free territory of Wisconsin before moving back to the slave state of Missouri, had appealed to the Supreme Court in hopes of being granted his freedom.

1858 Lincoln-Douglas Debates Battle for the Illinois Senate. Series of debates over the issue of Slavery.

1860 Lincoln Elected President Republican Candidate in Election of 1860. Led to Southern Secession in 1861.

1861 Fort Sumter First Battle of Civil War1861-1865 Civil War Union(North) vs Confederate(South)

Jefferson Davis-President of the ConfederacyAbraham Lincoln- President of the U.S.

1863 Emancipation Proclamation Lincoln frees the slaves in the Confederacy (only states that left the Union); changed the character of the war to include ending slavery as well as preserving the Union.

1865 Civil War Ends The war ended in Spring, 1865. Robert E. Lee surrendered the last major Confederate army to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865.

1865 Lincoln Assassination Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford Theatre, Radical Republicans gained power; military reconstruction followed.

1869 Transcontinental Railroad The Golden Spike Event- the two railroads were joined by a golden spike on May 10, 1869 in Promontory, Utah.

1865-1877 Reconstruction the federal government set the conditions that

would allow the rebellious Southern states back into the Union.

Date Document, Etc. Explanation1215 Magna Carta Limited the power of an English Ruler(King)1620 Mayflower Compact A contract(rules) established by Pilgrims for how

to self-govern at Plymouth.1639 Fundamental Orders of

Connecticut1st Written Constitution. Established a new government with elected legislature/governor

1649 Maryland Act of Toleration Religious tolerance for Christians1660’s Navigation Acts Series of laws passed by England to regulate

colonists’ trade so England would make money1763 Treaty of Paris Officially ended the war between England and

France.1763 Proclamation of 1763 Law passed by the King of England forbidding the

colonists from settling west of the Appalachians.1764 Sugar Act Tax on sugar and molasses. One of the many

events angering the colonists, which led to the American Revolution.

1765 Stamp Act Tax on legal documents, newspapers licenses, diplomas, dice, and playing cards.

1766 Quartering Act British soldiers could stay in colonists’ homes1767 Townshend Acts Taxed goods such as glass, paper, lead and tea.1773 Tea Act Tax on tea; led to Boston Tea Party (protests)1774 Intolerable Acts A series of severe laws passed to punish the

colonists for the Boston Tea Party1775 Olive Branch Petition Colonists declare loyalty to King George III, but

ask him to cancel the Intolerable Acts1776 Declaration of Independence The American Colonists officially declare the

independence from England.1777 Article of Confederation 1st American Constitution; states had too much

power1783 Treaty of Paris Officially ended the American Revolution;

recognized American Independence1785 Land Ordinance of 1785 Set up a system for settling the Northwest

Territory1787 Great Compromise Merging of the Virginia (favored by large states)

and New Jersey (favored by smaller states) Plans.

Set up a two- house legislature(bicameral): Senate- 2 representatives per state (equal)House of Representatives (based on population)

1787 3/5’s Compromise 3/5’s of slaves count towards a states’ population for taxation and representation in the House

1787-1788

Constitution Created Modern Constitution is written setting up the 3 Branches of Government

1791 Bill of Rights The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, which guaranteed individual rights

1793 Neutrality Proclamation Washington declares the U.S. will not support a side in European Wars.

1798 Alien Act Allowed the President to deport any foreigner who he thought could be a threat to the country.

1798 Sedition Act Citizens could be fined or jailed for criticizing the government or government officials.

1803 Marbury v Madison Supreme Court decision establishing judicial review. (the Supreme Court can declare laws unconstitutional)

1803 Louisiana Purchase Thomas Jefferson buys the Louisiana Territory from France (Napoleon) $15 million

1807 Embargo Act Banned all trade from foreign countries; hurt economy

1814 Treaty of Ghent Officially ended the War of 18121820 Missouri Compromise Missouri becomes a slave state; Maine a free

state. 36/30 line was drawn. North would be free, South would be slave.

1823 Monroe Doctrine Non-interference of European nations in the Western Hemisphere. Americas no longer up for future colonization.

1830 Indian Removal Act Authorized the president to negotiate with southern Indian tribes for their removal to federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their land.

1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Treaty between U.S. and Mexico. Mexican Cession

1848 Seneca Falls Convention Meeting calling for rights for women suffrage.Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott were instrumental in this women’s movement.

1850 Compromise of 1850 California enters as a free state; Mexican Cession divided into New Mexico and Utah; Ppopular sovereignty) Slave trade ended in D.C. and strengthened the Fugitive Slave Laws.

1853 Gadsden Purchase Mexico sold the U.S. a small strip of land in present day Arizona and New Mexico.

1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act Divided Nebraska territory in two: Kansas and Nebraska- Slavery decided by popular sovereignty.

1857 Dred Scott Decision Slavery was made legal in all territories; African Americans were denied citizenship rights.

1862 The Homestead Act Congress passed the Homestead Act in 1862. It offered a 160-acre plot to anyone who resided on the land for 5 years. Congress wanted to give the poor a chance to own farms. Homesteaders- settlers who acquired free land from the Government-on the Great Plains.

1863 Emancipation Proclamation Freed the slaves in the seceded states in the Confederacy (South)

1865 13th Amendment Banned Slavery throughout the nation1866 14th Amendment Gave citizenship to all people born in the U.S.1869 15th Amendment Forbade any state from denying African-

American males the right to vote.

Marbury v Madison Established Judicial Review (the Supreme Court can declare laws passed by Congress unconstitutional)

Gibbons v Ogden Steamboat case about a monopoly. Establishes that the Federal Government is above the states in cases involving interstate commerce.

McCulloch v Maryland Case concerning the national bank, established the power of the national government over state governments.

Dred Scott v Sandford Declared that African Americans did not have citizenship rights and that they were property. Slavery made legal in all territories.

Plessy v Ferguson The Court said a law could require “separate” facilities, so long as they were “equal.”

1st Amendment Freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition

2nd Amendment Right to bear arms3rd Amendment Quartering Soldiers4th Amendment Protects from unreasonable searches and seizures; warrants

5th Amendment Double jeopardy; due process; eminent domain6th Amendment Speedy trial, witnesses7th Amendment Trial by jury

8th Amendment Protects from cruel and unusual punishment; excessive fines9th Amendment You have other rights not listed in Constitution

10th Amendment Any power not granted to the Federal Government belongs to the state

John Smith Leader of Jamestown; Great Leadership; “Those that do not work, do not eat.”

Pocahontas Daughter of Chief Powhatan; married John RolfePowhatan Chief of Powhatan TribeJohn Rolfe Created a special strain of tobacco that saved Jamestown (cash Crop)

Nathaniel Bacon colonist of the Virginia Colony, famous as the instigator of Bacon's Rebellion of 1676

William Bradford English Separatist leader; helped found the Plymouth Colony. He was a signatory to the Mayflower Compact.

Squanto Patuxet man who assisted the Pilgrims after their first winter in what is now Massachusetts. He was integral to their very survival. Taught the Pilgrims how to plant different crops.

John Winthrop first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the chief figure among the Puritan founders of New England.

Anne Hutchinson Banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for her beliefsRoger Williams Banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his beliefs; founded

Rhode Island.Thomas Hooker Founded Connecticut

William Penn Founded Pennsylvania; “holy experiment’’ religious tolerationJohn Oglethorpe Founded Georgia; place for debtors and a buffer colony (protection from

Spanish Florida)John Locke Argued for natural rights (rights that belong to every human being from

birth.Montesquieu Theory of Separation of Powers in Government. 3 branches of

Government.William & Mary Signed the English Bill of Rights

John Peter Zenger Freedom of the Press trialJonathan Edwards “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”Benjamin Franklin Enlightenment thinker/inventor

Started the Pennsylvania Gazette and wrote Poor Richard’s Almanac and the Autobiography of Benjamin FranklinHe came up with the Albany Plan of Union (French and Indian War) as well as the Join or Die Cartoon.

George Washington Leader of Virginia Militia in the French and Indian War.Leader of the Continental ArmyGreat Leadership

Chief Pontiac Leader of the Ottawa NationPontiac’s Rebellion- formed an alliance with western Native Americans; attacked British forts and settlements

Daniel Boone Famous pioneer; blazed the Wilderness Trail through the Cumberland Gap

Crispus Attucks 1st African American killed at the Boston MassacreSamuel Adams Established the Committees of Correspondence to keep the colonists

informed of British actions.; leader of Sons of LibertyPatrick Henry Spokesperson for Independence; famous speech in 1775 urged

Virginians to take up arms in their defense. “I know not what course to take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!’

King George III King of England during the American Revolution. He taxed the colonists on many different occasions. The grievances (complaints) listed in the Declaration of Independence was directed at him.

John Adams Well-known Massachusetts lawyer and future PresidentDefended the British soldiers after the Boston Massacre. He took the unpopular case, because he believed everyone deserved a lawyer and a fair trial.

Sons of Liberty Members of the Sons of Liberty protested the Tea Act by dumping chests of tea into Boston Harbor.

Paul Revere His famous “Midnight Ride,” where he is best known for alerting the Colonial militia to the approach of British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord

Minutemen Citizen soldiers who could be ready to fight at a minute’s notice.

Ethan Allen American Revolutionary War patriot, hero, and politician. He is best known for the capture of Fort Ticonderoga with the Green Mountain Boys early in the American Revolutionary War along with Benedict Arnold.

Thomas Paine Wrote two influential PamphletsCommon Sense-Stimulated broad support for IndependenceThe Crisis- Urged Americans to support the Army despite hard times. “These are the times that try men’s souls.”

Richard Henry Lee Introduced a resolution to Congress. The Virginia Resolution proclaimed that “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states.’’

Thomas Jefferson Primary author of the Declaration of Independence

Marquis de Lafayette

French noble; he became a high-ranking officer in Washington’s Army. He was Washington were close friends.

Nathan Hale American legend; Volunteered for dangerous spy duty. He was caught behind enemy lines and condemned to death. Later reported that his last words had been, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”

Mercenaries Soldiers who serve another country for money

John Burgoyne British General; had a plan to cut off New England from the rest of the colonies. His plan failed and he surrendered in October of 1777. The Battle of Saratoga was a turning point in the war.

Friedrich von Steuben

German baron; helped train the Continental Army

George Rogers Clark Seeking to defend against attacks on the frontier, Virginia sent him and a militia force to strike British forts beyond the Appalachian Mountains.

John Paul Jones first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War; fought side by side against the larger British Warship Serapis. Refusing to give up he shouted “I have not yet begun to fight.’’ With dozens of sailors dead on each side, the captain of the Serapis surrendered.

Molly Pitcher American Legend: When her husband was wounded at the Battle of Monmouth, Mary Ludwig dropped her water bucket and took up his cannon. Her heroic action made her a legendary hero known as “Molly Pitcher.”

General Cornwallis General of the British Army. Surrendered at Yorktown

Francis Marion Nicknamed, Swamp Fox, used guerilla tactics to slow the British advance in the American Revolution

Nathanael Greene Took over command of the Continental Army in the South. Forced British Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis to abandon the Carolinas and head for Virginia.

Benedict Arnold Known as an American traitor (person who betrays his own country). He felt that Congress had undervalued him.

Daniel Shays American soldier, revolutionary, and farmer famous for being one of the leaders of Shays' Rebellion, a farmer uprising against controversial debt collection and tax policies in Massachusetts in 1786 and 1787.

James Madison American statesman and served as the fourth President of the United States (1809–17). He is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Roger Sherman delegate from Connecticut who helped draft the Great Compromise

Gouverneur Morris delegate responsible for writing the Preamble to the Constitution

Alexander Hamilton A Federalist; Secretary of State for George Washington (goal was to fix the economy); one of the writers of the Federalist Papers; killed in a duel with Aaron Burr. Supporter of the Constitution

George Mason Anti-Federalist leader who argued in favor of a bill of rightsHenry Knox Secretary of War in Washington’s cabinet

Anthony Wayne Revolutionary War hero who led American troops to victory against Native Americans

King Louis XVI Executed (beheaded) during The Reign of TerrorJohn Jay government representative who negotiated the Jay Treaty with Britain

in 1795. Jay’s Treaty: U.S. agreed to pay off debts to British merchants.England agreed to stop seizing ships and pay for damage.

John Adams Federalist; an American lawyer, author, statesman, and diplomat. He served as the second President of the United States (1797–1801), the first Vice President (1789–97), and as a Founding Father. He also was a leader of American independence from Great Britain.Alien and Seditions Acts XYZ Affair- scandal; bribery with French Agents

Thomas Jefferson an American Founding Father who was principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776). He was elected the second Vice President of the United States (1797–1801), serving under John Adams and in 1800 was elected third President (1801–09). Jefferson was a proponent of democracy, republicanism, and individual rights, which motivated American colonists to break from Great Britain and form a new nation.

Aaron Burr was an American politician. He was the third vice president of the United States (1801–05); he served during President Thomas Jefferson's first term. Shot and killed Aaron Burr in a duel after the controversy over the Election of 1800.

Chief Justice John Marshall

the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1801–1835). His court opinions helped lay the basis for United States constitutional law and many say made the Supreme Court of the United States a coequal branch of government along with the legislative and executive branchesMarbury v Madison

William Marbury Marbury v Madison Case- highly successful American businessman and one of the "Midnight Judges" appointed by United States President John Adams the day before he left office.

Lewis and Clark Appointed by Thomas Jefferson; these men explored the new purchased Louisiana Territory to find a route to the Pacific.

Napoleon Bonaparte Leader of France; sold the Louisiana Territory to the U.S.Zebulon Pike Explored the southern part of the Louisiana Territory

Tecumseh Organized western Native Americans to resist American expansion

William H. Harrison Harrison took action against Tecumseh. Harrison marched 1,000 soldiers against Shawnee villages. In the battle of Tippecanoe, Harrison defeated the Native Americans.

Andrew Jackson seventh President of the United StatesWar Hero in the Battle of New Orleans (War of 1812)U.S. government sent Jackson to recapture escaped slaves in Florida. (Resulted in Adams-Onis Treaty.Corrupt Bargain- John Quincy Adams became President(1824)Increased Voting RightsSpoils System

Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw,

Creek, Seminole

5 Civilized TribesThe Five Civilized Tribes were a group of Native American nations that were officially and unofficially called such to collectively designate the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes. The term was applied by Anglo-European settlers during the colonial and early federal period because these tribes had adopted many of the colonists' customs and generally, had good relations with the white settlers.

Francis Scott Key Wrote the Star-Spangled Banner aboard an enemy ship overlooking the bombing of Fort McHenry (War of 1812)

James Madison was a political theorist, American statesman, and served as the fourth President of the United States (1809–17). He is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the U.S. Constitution

Henry Clay Known as the Great Compromiser; he was a senator who persuaded Congress to adopt the Missouri Compromise; He was also influential in the Compromise of 1850; leading war hawk in the War of 1812; Wanted to settle sectional conflicts through compromise.

John C. Calhoun Represents views of the South; state’s rights; against tariffs (tax on imports)

Daniel Webster Represents interests of the North; favored tariffsJames Monroe Fifth President of the United States, serving between 1817 and 1825.

Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States.

Monroe Doctrine- the Americas are no longer up for future colonization; America will stay out of European Affairs if Europe does the same.

John Quincy Adams an American statesman who served as the sixth President of the United States from 1825 to 1829. He also served as a diplomat, a Senator and member of the House of Representatives. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties.“Corrupt Bargain” -Bribe to get votes in presidential election

Sequoya Created a written alphabet for the Cherokee; in 1827, the Cherokee established a government based on the written constitution.

Martin Van Buren an American politician who served as the eighth President of the United States (1837–41). Member of the Democratic Party. Van Buren's inability as president to deal with the economic chaos of the Panic of 1837 and with the surging Whig Party led to his defeat in the 1840 election.President during Trail of Tears.

Francis Cabot Lowell Lowell MillsThe "Mill Girls" were female workers who came to work for the textile corporations in Lowell, Massachusetts, during the Industrial Revolution in the United States.

Samuel F.B. Morse Morse Code/ Telegraph (1837)Robert Fulton Inventor of Steamboat (1807)Peter Cooper First American steam Locomotive

Cyrus McCormick Inventor of the Mechanical Reaper (1847)John Deere Steel Plow (1836)

Nativists Person opposed to ImmigrationIrish Immigrants Potato Famine

German immigrants Many German Immigrants came to America during the 1840s. Many had taken part in failed revolutions against harsh rulers. When the revolutions failed, the Germans fled to the United States.

Nat Turner Led the most famous slave revolt in 1831.Eli Whitney Inventor of the Cotton Gin (1793)

Dewitt Clinton Clinton was largely responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal.Henry Bessemer Bessemer steel process (1860s)Charles Finney Preacher that held many of the first of many religious revivals during the

Second Great Awakening.Dorothea Dix Prison Reform; Mental Illness ReformHorace Mann Education ReformWilliam Lloyd

GarrisonAbolitionist; Author of LiberatorQuaker; strong opposed the use of violence to end slavery

Frederick Douglass Freed Slave; AbolitionistHarriet Tubman Famous Conductor of Underground RailroadSojourner Truth a former slave who spoke out for the rights of African Americans and

women

Lucretia Mott a Quaker and an abolitionist with considerable organizing and public speaking skills. Seneca Falls

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

an abolitionist who was a co-organizer of the Seneca Falls Convention for women’s rights; author of the Declaration of Sentiments; co-founder of the National Woman Suffrage Association

Susan B. Anthony a close ally of Stanton’s; co-founder of the National Woman Suffrage Association

William Becknell an American who forged the Santa Fe Trail in 1821John Jacob Astor a German immigrant who established the American Fur Company in

1808Mountain Men a fur trapper of the Northwest

Marcus and Narcissa Whitman

a couple who set up a mission in Oregon and were eventually killed by the Cayuse

Stephen Austin an American who established a small settlement in Mexican-owned Texas; later, he urged Texans to revolt against the Mexican government

General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna

Mexican Dictator

Sam Houston commander of the Texas forces during the Texas War for Independence; later, president of the Republic of Texas

David Crockett, James Bowie, William Travis

Defenders of the Alamo. Died in Battle

John Tyler Supporter of states’ rightsJames K. Polk U.S. president who negotiated the boundaries of Oregon Country; later,

he provoked the Mexican-American WarJohn C. Fremont Leader of the Bear Flag Rebellion (California)Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor, a general and national hero in the United States Army

from the time of the Mexican-American War and the War of 1812, was elected the 12th U.S. President, serving from March 1849 until his death in July 1850.

Joseph Smith a New York farmer who, in 1830, founded the Mormon ChurchBrigham Young a Mormon leader who led the Mormons to Utah

Forty-niners Gold seekers went to California to search for riches (1849)John Sutter An event in January 1848 would bring a flood of settlers to California.

James Marshall was building a sawmill on John Sutter’s land when a gold nugget was found. This began the California Gold Rush.

Coach Estepp Best Teacher on the Planetmormons Settled Utah in search of religious freedomvigilantes Self-appointed law enforcers in California (Gold Rush)

Chinese Immigrants Many Chinese Immigrants moved to California in search of riches.David Wilmot Wilmot Proviso- all land obtained from the Mexican American War

should be free territoryHarriet Beecher Uncle Tom’s Cabin- Swayed public opinion on the issue of slavery

StoweStephen Douglas Illinois senator who pushed the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854

Supported Popular SovereigntyLincoln- Douglas Debates

John Brown Antislavery settler that attempted to start a slave revolt at Harpers FerryCaptured, tried, and hanged for his actions

Dred Scott a slave seeking emancipation; Dred Scott v Sandford CaseCourts said he was considered property and was not a citizen of the United States.

Roger B. Taney Supreme Court Justice; made ruling on the Dred Scott CaseAbraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln became the United States' 16th President in 1861,

issuing the Emancipation Proclamation that declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy in 1863.

Jefferson Davis President of the Confederate States of AmericaThomas Jackson “Stone Wall” Jackson best-known Confederate commander after

General Robert E. Lee. His military career includes the Valley Campaign of 1862 and his service as a corps commander in the Army of Northern Virginia under Robert E. Lee. Confederate pickets accidentally shot him at the Battle of Chancellorsville on May 2, 1863. The general survived with the loss of an arm to amputation, but died of complications from pneumonia eight days later.

George McClellan very organized but cautious Union GeneralUlysses S. Grant Union GeneralHorace Greeley abolitionist newspaper publisher

William Tecumseh Sherman

He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–65), for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched earth" policies that he implemented in conducting “total war” against the Confederate States.

Robert E. Lee Confederate General that surrendered at Appomattox Court HouseSam Watkins was an American author and humorist. He is best known for his memoir

of life as a soldier in the Confederate armySam Davis He served in various combat roles in the Confederate army from 1861-

63 during the American Civil War. As a Confederate courier he was captured around November 20, 1863. Suspected of espionage, he was executed by the Union Army after a captivity of only seven days.

John Wilkes Booth an American stage actor who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865.

Andrew Johnson Johnson took over the Presidency after the Lincoln Assassination; Continued ReconstructionImpeached by the House of Representatives; not removed from office by the senate.

Ku Klux Klan A secret society in the Southern U.S. active for several years after the Civil War, which aimed to suppress the newly acquired powers of blacks and to oppose carpetbaggers from the North. Responsible for many lawless and violent proceedings.

Homer Plessy an African American man arrested for sitting in a coach marked “for whites only”; Plessy vs Ferguson Case

Pap Singleton American activist and businessman best known for his role in establishing African American settlements in Kansas. A former slave from Tennessee who escaped to freedom in 1846, he became a noted abolitionist, community leader, and spokesman for African-American civil rights.

Crazy Horse Native American war leader of the Oglala Lakota. He took up arms against the United States Federal government to fight against encroachments on the territories and way of life of the Lakota people, including leading a war party to victory at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876.

Geronimo Fierce resistance came from Apache Warriors like Geronimo, who refused to go to a reservation. From Mexico, Geronimo and his men attacked settlers in Arizona and New Mexico for 10 years. After his capture in 1886, he was sent to a reservation in Oklahoma.

Sitting Bull Many Sioux and Cheyennes gathered on lands set aside for them in the Black Hills of the Dakotas. An 1874 gold strike brought a flood of miners. Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse led attacks to keep whites out.

Chief Joseph Chief Joseph was born on March 3, 1840, in Wallowa Valley, Oregon Territory. When the United States attempted to force the Nez Perce to move to a reservation in 1877, he reluctantly agreed. Following the killing of a group of white settlers, tensions erupted again, and Chief Joseph tried to lead his people to Canada, in what is considered one of the great retreats in military history.“I will fight no more forever” Surrender speech

PRESIDENT YEARS IN OFFICE PARTY KEY EVENTSGeorge Washington 1789-1797 None -Bill of Rights

-Whiskey Rebellion-Cotton Gin

John Adams 1797-1801 Federalist -XYZ Affair-Alien and Sedition Acts-Midnight Judges

Thomas Jefferson 1801-1809 Democratic-Republican

-Marbury v Madison-Louisiana Purchase-Lewis and Clark

James Madison 1809-1817 Democratic-Republican

-Embargo Act-War of 1812

James Monroe 1817-1825 Democratic-Republican

-Era of Good Feelings-Missouri Compromise-Monroe Doctrine

John Quincy Adams 1825-1829 Democratic-Republican

-Corrupt Bargain-Erie Canal Opens

Andrew Jackson 1829-1837 Democratic -Indian Removal Act-Nullification Crisis-Killed the National Bank-Spoils System-Expanded Voting Rights

Martin Van Buren 1837-1841 Democratic -Trail of Tears-Panic of 1837

William H. Harrison 1841 Whig -1st President to die in office

John Tyler 1841-1845 Whig -Irish and German -Immigration-Oregon Trail

James K. Polk 1845-1849 Democratic -Texas Annexation-Manifest Destiny-California Gold Rush-Mexican War-Seneca Falls Convention

Zachary Taylor 1849-1850 Whig -Compromise of 1850-Fugitive Slave Act-Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Millard Fillmore 1850-1853 Whig -Compromise of 1850Franklin Pearce 1853-1857 Democratic -Underground Railroad

-Gadsden Purchase-Kansas-Nebraska Act-Bleeding Kansas

James Buchanan 1857-1861 Democratic -Dred Scott Decision

-Lincoln-Douglas Debate-John Brown’s Raid

Abraham Lincoln 1861-1865 Republican -Secession-Civil War-Emancipation-Lincoln Assassination

Andrew Johnson 1865-1869 Democratic -Reconstruction Starts-13th Amendment-Black Codes in the South-Impeachment Trial

Ulysses S. Grant 1869-1877 Republican Completion of the Trans-Continental RailroadTelephoneReconstruction Ends

French and Indian War George WashingtonOhio River ValleyFort DuquesneFort NecessityTreaty of Paris

American Revolution Taxes without RepresentationKing George IIISons of LibertyLexington and ConcordBunker HillSaratogaValley ForgeYorktownLord Charles CornwallisTreaty of Paris

War of 1812 ImpressmentWar HawksBurning of Washington D.C.Fort McHenryAndrew JacksonBattle of New Orleans

Civil War SlaveryFort SumterBull RunShilohAntietamGettysburg (Address)LincolnSherman’s “March to the Sea”Appomattox Court HouseGeneral Lee vs Grant