1C1 - American Historical Events from 1776 - 1918 Flashcards
Evaluate the significance of major historical events during the period between the American Revolution through World War I (including the War of 1812, the Civil War, Westward Expansion, the Industrial Revolution)
What was the cost of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803?
$15 million dollars
What did the Louisiana Purchase give the U.S. complete control of?
The Mississippi River and a critical trade route.
Who wanted the Louisiana territory to secure the U.S. from threats from Great Britain, France, and Spain?
President Thomas Jefferson
What were 3 goals of Lewis and Clark in their expedition?
- Find the Northwest Passage.
- Enable trade across the U.S. and the Pacific.
- Establish trade and American sovereignty over Native populations.
What were 4 consequences of the Louisiana Purchase?
- Doubled the size of the U.S.
- Removed the threat of French invasion.
- Changed the world’s perception of the U.S.
- Provided untapped natural resources.
What obstacles did Lewis and Clark face during their expedition?
- Harsh weather.
- Encounters with animals.
How did families come to settle in new areas in the nineteenth century?
- In wagon trains once the Oregon Trail was cleared for easier navigation.
- Given or sold land inexpensively in exchange for building farmsteads and cultivating the parcel provided.
What event accelerated the settlement process in the 1840s, sending thousands of prospectors to California and other points west?
The Gold Rush.
Who signed Congress’ Declaration of War for the War of 1812?
President James Madison
What was the primary reason for the start of the War of 1812?
Interference with America’s neutrality rights by Great Britain and France.
What did the Battle of Tippecanoe lead to in relation to the War of 1812?
Further inflamed relations between the U.S. and Tecumseh’s Confederation.
Why did many in the U.S. see Canada as a possible area for expansion during the War of 1812?
Growth of U.S. territory.
Many believed that the U.S. could get Britain to cede its Canadian territory.
When was the Treaty of Ghent signed, ending the War of 1812?
December 24, 1814
The news of the treaty did not reach New Orleans before the Battle of New Orleans.
What event marked a decisive victory for the Americans at the end of the War of 1812?
Battle of New Orleans
Andrew Jackson emerged as a hero for successfully defending the city.
What event ushered in the Era of Good Feelings in America?
The War of 1812
The victory in the War of 1812 brought about a wave of patriotism and unity in the nation.
What was the central reason for the War of 1812 according to political leaders like Henry Clay?
British interference with American trade and impressment of American sailors.
Henry Clay and others called for the American System to promote self-reliance due to these issues.
What were the main policies of the American System proposed by Henry Clay?
- High import tariffs to protect domestic goods.
- Preservation of the Second Bank of the United States.
- Development of transportation systems such as canals and roads.
These policies aimed to promote American self-reliance and economic stability.
What were the three major reasons America declared war on Great Britain in 1812?
- Violation of America’s neutrality rights.
- British impressment of U.S. sailors.
- British encouragement of Native American raids on American settlers.
These reasons led to the signing of the Declaration of War by President James Madison.
Describe 3 reasons why Washington’s Farewell Address (1796) was important.
- Promoted neutrality.
- Discouraged foreign involvement.
- Prioritized national unity.
Who wrote the words to “The Star Spangled Banner?”
Francis Scott Key in 1814
The music was originally composed by John Stafford Smith. The melody comes from a popular British song called “To Anacreon in Heaven,” which was the official song of the Anacreontic Society, a London social club.
What was important about the Missouri Compromise (1820)?
- Balance the power in Congress between free and slave states.
- Admission of Missouri as a slave state and Maine admitted as a free state.
What caused the Mexican-American War (1846-1848)?
- American annexation of Texas.
- American settlers moving into Mexican lands in the Southwest.
What were 2 impacts of Abraham Lincoln being elected in 1860?
- Southern states began to secede from the Union.
- April 1861 Battle of Fort Sumter begins Civil War.
Lincoln and the Republican Party opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories and states, which threatened the Southern way of life and economy that heavily depended on slave labor. Many Southerners also believed in the doctrine of states’ rights, which held that states had the right to govern themselves and make their own decisions, including the decision to maintain slavery. They viewed Lincoln’s election as a threat to this autonomy.
Why was the Battle of Antietam (September 17, 1862) important?
President Abraham Lincoln afterward issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which changed the war’s focus to include the abolition of slavery as a Union war aim.
Bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with approximately 23,000 casualties.
What event effectively marked the end of the Civil War?
The Surrender at Appomattox Court House.
(April 9, 1865)
What did the 13th Amendment (1865) accomplish?
Abolished slavery.
What significant accomplishment connected the eastern U.S. with the western U.S.?
The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869.
What were 4 causes of the Spanish-American War (1898)?
- Cuban struggle for independence
- Yellow journalism
- American imperialism
- Economic interests
Newspapers sensationalised the conflict in Cuba, distorting the real facts on the ground.
Why were the Wright brothers important in American history?
In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
What tool could a teacher use to show students how history is connected?
Cause and effect flow chart.
