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AMERICAS IN THE 19TH CENTURY• During the 19th century,

immigrants fled to America to start a new life with new opportunities.

• Almost all the lands of the western hemisphere won their independence from European colonial powers during these times.

• The age of independence for the United States, Canada, and Latin America was a contentious era characterized by continuous mass migration and explosive economic growth.

AMERICAS IN THE 19TH CENTURY

• The United States, Latin America, and Canada struggled to gain freedom in different ways.

• While the United States fought for their freedom, Canada gained theirs without war.

• The U.S. then struggled to build effective states.

THE LITTLE ICE AGE• The Little Ice Age

was a small climatic change that dramatically disrupted society.

• Famines, crop failure, diseases were all results of the Little Ice Age.

• There has been no clear consensus on what causes this event but theories such as less radiation from the sun and less volcanic eruptions may have been the cause.

FRONTIERS OF THE AMERICAS• The Louisiana Purchase

was the most important real estate deal in history.

• Jefferson succeeded to help extend the nation to a new horizon making the United States a world power.

• Although the U.S. was primarily interested in New Orleans solely, the distraction of France by Haiti lead to a major break through and deciding the fate of 40% of what is now the United States.

• In order to keep enemies out of North America, the British bank loaned money to the U.S. to help with the purchase.

FRONTIERS OF THE AMERICAS• Prince Maximilian zu

Wied and Karl Bodmer took a historical journey through the American frontier in the west giving us documentation of native American culture in the 1830s.

• Maximilian gained trust from hundreds of Native Americans and Bodmer was able to give an accurate account and depiction of the American frontier 150 years ago.

CROSSROADS OF FREEDOM

• Crossroads of Freedom, written by James M. McPhearson, gives a detailed account of the horrific events of the bloodiest day in American history.

• 6,000 American soldiers were killed in the pivotal battle as McPhearson paints the details of the events that lead to the battle and its aftermath.

CROSSROADS OF FREEDOM• September 17,

1862: Union Confederate forces clashed near the village of Sharpsburg, Maryland.

• The Battle of Antietam remains the bloodiest day in American history with roughly 6,500 lives lost.

• The Battle of Antietam decided the fate of the Civil War.

CROSSROADS OF FREEDOM

• Antietam turned the course of the war in favor of the Northern forces.

• the Confederates were typically 'winning'. The war until this point were also working on an allegiance with Britain and France.

• Had these alliances succeed, The Confederate states may have had the economic and military power to push on and win the war.

CROSSROADS OF FREEDOM

• Battle of Antietam helped to sway Lincoln into signing the Proclamation of Emancipation.

• Lincoln gave the Confederate one last chance to rejoin the Union and keep their slaves.

• McPherson further examines how by the act of signing this proclamation, the entire focus of the war changed from a battle to simply reunite the country, to one based upon a moral imperative to free an enslaved people.