Group 2 Flashcards
REPUBLICAN ERA #64
64
Time: Began in 1801
What: The Republican Era began in 1801 when Jefferson and the Republican Party took power from the Federalists. Republicans remained in office until 1829, although the corrupt bargain of 1824 is considered the beginning of the Jacksonian Democracy. The period is characterized by territorial expansion, economic growth, and another war with Britain, the war of 1812. John Marshall’s Supreme Court made numerous decisions strengthening federal power at the expense of the state.
President Thomas Jefferson #65
65
Time: 1801 through 1809
Party: Democratic-Republican
Events: The writer of the Declaration of Independence, prior Minister to France, and former vice-president, Thomas Jefferson assumed the third presidency by a narrow margin, the House of Representatives casting the deciding vote. During his presidency, he reduced the national debt by a third even though he also cut the Army and Navy budgets and ceased the Western tax on whiskey. He also acquired land for America to expand by making the Louisiana Purchase. During his second term as President, he battled to steer America away from the Napoleonic wars and, when faced with conflict on American merchantman’s rights by the English and French, set an embargo upon American shipping (which did not have the expected effect) (whitehouse.gov).
Marbury v. Madison, #66
66
Time and Place: Supreme Court decision in 1803
What: Establishing the principal of, “judicial review”, William Marbury’s battle to gain a commission withheld from him by James Madison set in place a new form of governing by the Supreme Court- that they could, “determine the constitutionality of the actions of the other two branches of government”. In the Constitution, the total extent of the power of the Supreme Court was never fully defined, leaving Chief Justice Marshall to establish the Supreme Court’s power of final authority by overturning orders approved of by the other two branches that the Court deemed unconstitutional (archives.gov) (AmericanPageant).
John Marshall #67
67
Time: Alive 1755 through 1835
Who: A Captain in the Continental Army, a U.S. Representative, fourth Secretary of State, and a Chief Justice on the Supreme Court, John Marshall started his political career as one of the three envoys chosen to negotiate with the French Foreign Minister Talleyrand, returning home with much praise (even though the mission failed). During his time as Secretary of State, he established the position as, “a political subordinate of the President”, as opposed to an independent office. During his life, Marshall also, “reasserted a policy of nonalignment regarding the European powers during a critical period”, supported negotiating with France, backed the Convention of 1800, protested the British Navy’s unlawful shipping actions, and, “protested against U.S. support for anti-colonial uprisings in Spanish America” (history.state.gov).
Louisiana Purchase #68
68
Time: 1803
What: America’s purchase of the Louisiana territory from the French, the land more than doubling the United States’ territory and allowing for expansion of settlement from the Americans. The land was purchased from Spain in 1800 by then French console Napoleon Bonaparte in the hope to, “revive the French empire in the New World”. With President Jefferson not wanting the French grip over the New World and, specifically, New Orleans, he sent James Monroe and Robert Livingston to France to try and purchase the city. With yellow fever spreading among French people in the New World and a looming French and English war, Napoleon decided to offer them a different deal: The entirety of the Louisiana territory for $15 million. They accepted the deal, causing Jefferson to newly call upon implied powers of the federal government, ignoring the legalistic interpretation of the Constitution and bypassing the creation of a Constitutional amendment for the purchase (history.state.gov) (AmericanPageant).
Embargo Act #69
69
Time: Passed December 21st, 1807
What: An act proposed by President Jefferson in which all exports from America to a foreign ports were banned. This occurred as a response to the thousands of reported American Seamen that were impressed into the British service, more impressments promised, and the fact that Napoleon would subject U.S. shipping to the Berlin Degree. Instead of proving the might and will of America, the Embargo Act only weakened American economy and had little effect on the British and French economies (due to illegal exports and other trading options), though it did prevent war. The act was repealed in 1809, replaced by the newly improved Non-Intercourse Act (Monticello.org) (AmericanPageant).
President James Madison #70
70
Time: 1809 through 1817
Party: Democratic-Republican
Events: Later called the, “Father of the Constitution”, James Madison was revered for his work on the Federalist essays before he assumed the presidency. When he did, however, he had already helped outline the Virginia Constitution in 1776, had served in the Continental Congress, was a head of the Virginia Assembly, was a highly active member of the Constitutional Convention, helped frame the bill of rights, and helped develop the Republican/Jeffersonian party. During his time as President, he (with pressure from Congress) proclaimed non-intercourse with Great Britain, and later asked Congress to declare war (after more British impressment and seizure of cargos) (whitehouse.gov).
Battle of Tippecannoe #71
71
Time: 1811
What: Near an Indiana Shawnee village named “Prophetstown”, American soldiers battled local Native Americans along the Keth-tip-pe-can-nuck river. As a confederation of Native Americans was being built by Shawnee chief Tecumseh to combat new settlers, Governer William Henry Harrison led a group of soldiers and militiamen to combat the threat Tecumseh posed. With Tecumseh temporarily gone to gather more allies, however, his brother- Tenskwatawa (the local prophet)- attacked the Harrison’s army, bypassing an agreement for temporary peace. Tenskwatawa’s warriors were defeated, however, and returned to Prophetstown discrediting Tenskwatawa and his abilities, causing the town to be abandoned. After Tecumseh returned home to find a burned city, he made an alliance with Great Britain that gained the British a strong ally during the War of 1812 (Battlefields.org) (AmericanPageant).
War of 1812 #72
72
Time: 1812 through 1815
What: A war in which America battled with British, Canadian, and Native American forces over matters of strained trading, impressment by the British, and American expansion. While America lost many soldiers and took several blows in the war- a notable one being the British capturing and burning of Washington, D.C.- the Americans were able to stave off British invasions in New York, New Orleans, and Baltimore, making the war essentially a draw. The fighting officially ended with the Treaty of Ghent. The war inspired much patriotism from Americans for their fighting country and, “demonstrated America’s interests to defend its interests militarily”, causing American’s to deem the war a, “second war of independence” and respect from European nations to arise (history.com) (AmericanPageant).
Battle of New Orleans #73
73
Time: January 1815
What: The last battle of the War of 1812 that ended with an American victory and a mass amount of nationalism to surge by the American people. Major General Andrew Jackson led a fleet of around 5,700 American soldiers to New Orleans in hopes of thwarting another attempt at a gain of a major American port by the British, who held around 8,000 soldiers. The Battle of New Orleans ended in approximately a 1:32 casualty ratio of American to British deaths, the battle brutally ending the war (though the war itself has been considered a draw) (battlefields.org) (AmericanPageant).
Hartford Convention #74
74
Time: 1814 through 1815
What: A meeting in Hartford, Connecticut of members of the Federalist Party in which members, opposing the War of 1812 and the, “strength of southern and western interests in Congress and in the White House”, privately discussed succession from the nation. After rejecting this idea, however, they drafted constitutional amendments, “strengthening state controls over commerce and militias”. Congress did not accept the new amendments, however, due to recent news of the victory of the Battle of New Orleans and the Battle of 1812. The Federalist Party soon after decreased in power and influence as nationalism was on the rise, the party diverging into different political groups later on (VisitTheCapitol.gov) (AmericanPageant).
“ERA OF GOOD FEELINGS” #75
75
Time: 1814 through 1824
What: The “Era of Good Feelings” refers to the decade following the War of 1812. Americans realized that the nation needed more business and a stronger military. The Federalists were humiliated when the nation won the war they had opposed; the party fell apart. Although there was no bickering between parties, the sectional divides flared due to debate over slavery and the Missouri Compromise of 1820.
President James Monroe #76
76
Time: In Office 1817 through 1825
Party: Jeffersonian
Events: A U.S. Senator, Minister to France, and negotiator of the Louisiana Purchase, James Monroe became the fifth President of the United States with much Republican support. As President, he made, “unusually strong Cabinet choices”, and he started on a goodwill tour (which was originally called the beginning of the, “Era of Good Feelings”, Monroe following nationalist policies. During his Presidency, however, cracks started to form among parties and Congress involving slavery, with debates lasting years in Congress. In international affairs, Monroe proclaimed the Monroe Doctrine as he- with John Quincy Adams’ advice- agreed to leave Latin America alone and warn other countries of trying to take over American continents (whitehouse.gov).
Missouri Compromise #77
77
Time: 1820
What: An allowance of Missouri to join the American nation as a slave state so long as the state of Maine be formed (out of Massachusetts) and join the nation not as a slave state, the purpose being to make equal the number of free states and slave states in the nation. The act also stated that slavery would be prohibited in areas acquired in the Louisiana Purchase that were above the 36 degree 30’ latitude line. The Missouri Compromise came about as a solution to rising conflicts between states and government about slavery (archives.gov) (AmericanPageant).
Panic of 1819 #78
78
Time: 1819 through 1823
What: A financial crisis that led to much unemployment, bankruptcy, and homelessness, especially in the poorer classes in the west. It was due to several causes, the Bank of the United State’s efforts to, “curb overspeculation on Western lands”, a decline in cotton prices, and a new hard-currency payment policy for land purchases, and prior factory closings being the major ones. The panic led to more people demanding democratizing state constitutions and an end to restrictions on voting and office holding, as well as more hostility towards elevated corporations (like banks). It also influenced the foundation of the Jacksonian democracy (DigitalHistory.uh.edu) (AmericanPageant).
Monroe Doctrine #79
79
Time: Spoken in 1823
What: A doctrine that was delivered by President James Monroe during one of his annual statements to Congress. It specified that no European powers were allowed to further colonize the Western Hemisphere and no puppet monarchs were to take power, or else face the diplomatic and military reinforcements the U.S. had to offer. When the British enacted the doctrine as they tried to gain full access to Latin American ports, however, the U.S. did not then have the military power that the announcement promised. The policy, originally enacted as a solution to then-current problems, paved the way for decisions on many future conflicts (archives.gov) (AmericanPageant).
The Corrupt Bargain of 1824 #80
80
Time: 1824
What: An alleged bargain between John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay that called for Clay to throw the Presidency so he could swing the House of Representatives in Adams’ favor when acting upon the Twelfth Amendment and electing the next Presdient. It would be in response to the growing support that Andrew Jackson held among people across the country (to which the bargain would have been justified due to the plurality that Jackson gained in the popular vote). The Presidential election was called corrupt by supporters of Jackson, and became a, “rallying cry” for them and a motivation for Jackson to campaign fiercely in the years that followed (MillerCenter.org) (AmericanPageant).
JACKSONIAN DEMOCRACY #81
81
Time: 1824 through 1828
What: After the Corrupt Bargain of 1824, many people in the South and West felt that New Englanders had cheated to keep Andrew Jackson (who won the popular and electoral votes) out of the White House. The easing of voting restrictions, especially in western states, allowed more people to vote for Jackson in 1828. This extension of the vote is the reason for the name Jacksonian Democracy. Jackson won in 1828 and served two terms. The Whig Party developed in the 1830’s in opposition to Jackson’s use of presidential power. Social reform movements flourished, rooted in democratic ideals and Christian morality.
President John Quincy Adams #82
82
When: 1825 through 1829
Parties: Federalist, Democratic-Republican, Whig
Events: A U.S. Minister to Holland, U.S. Senator, U.S. Minister to Russia, negotiator of the Treaty of Ghent, U.S. minister to Great Britain, Secretary of State, author of the Monroe Doctrine, and aid in acquiring Florida, among other things, John Quincy Adams won the sixth Presidency with support from the House of Representatives, but not the majority of the general public. During his Presidency, he advocated for national roads and canal networks, with most of his proposals being, “ahead of his time and rejected by Congress”. Also, while Adams was against slavery as a political issue, he did live with two slaves and attended events in which slaves were present. After being President, he won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives where he vehemently argued against slavery, “slaveocracy”, and the gag-rule in Congress, eventually winning the United States v. Amistad case and the release of enslaved African captives (WhiteHouseHistory.org).
President Andrew Jackson #83
83
Time: 1829 through 1837
Party: Democratic
Events: The first Tennessean to be elected to the House of Representatives, senator, and major general in the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson became the, “direct representative of the common man”. His presidency (the seventh one) marked the first time a Westerner had become president. During his terms, Jackson sought to eliminate the Electoral College and also to democratize Federal officeholding, hoping that offices should, “rotate among deserving applicants”. Also, two political parties- the Democrats/Democratic-Republicans (his) and the Whigs/National Republicans emerged. Jackson laid the foundation for his party and the Presidency by taking advantage of presidential rights such as the veto (his encounter with the Second Bank of the United States being an example) and his party leadership. By polling more than fifty percent of the popular vote in 1832, he was reelected president alongside his closest ally, Martin Van Buren (WhiteHouse.gov) (MillerCenter.org).
The (U.S.) Whig Party #84
84
Time: Established in 1834
What: Based off an English group of the same name that stopped pro-Catholic Stuart Kings from taking over in the 1600s, the U.S. Whig Party was a group of anti-Jacksonian (mostly) National Republicans that fought for less self-assumed rights of the President and more strict abidance by the Constitution. The first Whig-partied President was William Henry Harrison, with only one other coming after him but both Presidents dying in office. The Whig Party normally consisted of states’ righters, those in support of Henry Clay’s American System, bankers and businessmen frightened by views of Democrats, and religious groups alienated by Andrew Jackson, and were commonly educators, manufacturers, laborers, and free Black persons, and British and German Protestant immigrants (DigitalHistory.uh.edu).
The Know-Nothing “American” Party #85
85
Time: Began in the 1850s
What: Also called the “Native American Party”, the Know-Nothing Party emerged as part of the Know-Nothing movement that protested an influx of immigrants- mainly Irish Catholic and German immigrants- coming into America. The nativist party sought to expel the immigrants from America and to prevent what some believed would threaten prior policies, politics, and religions in America. They were seen by some as, “the only viable option for national unity in the face of the dissolution of the Whig Party and the ongoing struggle between other parties on the issue of slavery”, and later many of its members also voted in support of the newly formed Republican Party (which held some of the same beliefs) (dp.la) (AmericanPageant).
Richard Allen/African Methodist Episcopal Church #86
86
Time: 1760 through 1831 (Richard Allen) and 1816 (Establishment of the AME)
Who/What: Richard Allen was a man who, growing up, taught himself to read and write and devoted himself to the Church while being an enslaved African American. When he was twenty, he bought his freedom and, six years, later, became a preacher at St. George’s Methodist Church. However, he was only allowed to preach segregated sermons, prompting him to leave St. George’s and help establish the Free African Society that assisted in helping many freemen, freedom seekers, and Haitian refugees. Allen then went on to establish his own Church, the Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church (which later became part of the Underground Railroad). In 1816, Allen brought together other African Methodist congregations and they officially formed the African Methodist Episcopal Church, to which Allen was elected Bishop. Allen spent the rest of his life helping at his station in the Underground Railroad, establishing schools for African Americans, and inspiring African Americans- both freed and enslaved- to learn, embolden, and help one another (Rediscovering-Black-History.blogs.archives.gov).
Nat Turner’s Rebellion #87
87
Time: 1831
What: Nat Turner, an enslaved preacher, believed that he was called to deliver his people from slavery and preached to convince people to join his revolt. During an early morning in August, Turner and his followers killed at least fifty five people in Southampton County, Virginia, until white authorities stopped the revolt. Turner was captured two months later and hung, while fears of further uprisings arose from white southerners. This prompted the white Southerners to harshen the laws restricting the lives of enslaved people (nmaahc.si.edu) (AmericanPageant).
American Anti-Slavery Society #88
88
Time: 1833 through 1870
What: A group of sixty abolitionists leaders that strived to bring about the immediate emancipation of enslaved people. The society published pamphlets for children, issued broadsides, endorsed public lectures, and encouraged civil disobedience and boycotts of products of slave labor. Frederick Douglass joint the AASS in 1841 and oft, “made speeches on its behalf” (such as his speech, “What the Black Man Wants” that he delivered at a Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society meeting). The society dissolved five years after the 13th Amendment-abolishing slavery- was ratified. (loc.gov).
Frederick Douglass #89
89
Time: February 14, 1818 through 1895
Who: Known as, “the Father of the Civil Rights Movement in America”, Frederick Douglass escaped slavery in Maryland and became one of the heads of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society where he gained fame and recognition from his speeches and writings about slavery and the experiences he had as former slave. He later left America to sell copies of his first autobiography called The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and speak about slavery. He then returned home after abolitionists offered to buy his freedom, embraced the women’s rights movement, helped in the Underground Railroad, supported anti-slavery political parties, ran his own newspaper, and published his second autobiography. As the Civil War in America was raging, Frederick Douglass did everything he could to fight for emancipation and equal treatment of Black people; he recruited Black men to fight in the U.S. army and spoke to President Lincoln about inequality. After the war and the three new Amendments to the Constitution, Douglass held many offices, some notable ones being president of the Freedman’s Bank, U.S. Marshal for D.C., Recorder of Deeds for D.C., and Consul General to Haiti. He was also the first African American nominated for Vice President. In his later life, he published his third autobiography and continued speeches advocating for racial equality and women’s rights (nps.gov).
Sojourner Truth #90
90
Time: 1797 through 1883
Who: Born into slavery and cruelly mistreated as a child, Sojourner Truth (then known as Isabella Baumfree) ran away (or, as she tells it, “walked away by daylight”) from her master after he broke his promise to free her or uphold the New York Anti-Slavery Law of 1827. She then went through a religious conversion, and became an itinerant preacher, after which she changed her name to Sojourner Truth. She soon became involved in the expanding anti-slavery and women’s rights movements, delivering her most famous speech (and one of the most famous speeches in regards to abolition and women’s rights) during a Women’s Rights Convention held in Akron, Ohio, the speech entitled “Ain’t I a Woman?”. During and after the Civil War she continued to advocate for the rights of African Americans and women (nps.gov).
Nullification Crisis of 1833 #91
91
Time: 1832 through 1833
What: A battle between the South Carolina legislature and then-President Andrew Jackson in which S.C. had nullified a federal tariff that, “favored Northern manufacturing over Southern agriculture” and had threatened to succeed from the nation and use armed force should an the governemnt attempt collection of the taxes. John C. Calhoun- the Vice President of the time- was a S.C. native and supporter of states being allowed to nullify a federal law, and hoped that being able to would help keep S.C. a slavery state. This caused Jackson and Calhoun (who later resigned from the Vice Presidency to be a South Carolinian Senator) to be permanently divided. To end the feud between South Carolina and the government, Henry Clay and Calhoun, “drafted a reduced tariff agreement that pacified South Carolina while allowing the Federal government to stand firm.” Then, President Jackson issued a proclamation to the persons of South Carolina, warning them of committing treason (loc.gov) (AmericanPageant).
“Trail of Tears” #92
92
Time: 1838 through 1839
What: A forced march of native Indians (most notably the Cherokee, Choctaw, and the Creeks) that displaced at least 30,000 from their homes and killed at least 8,000 along the way. With southeastern Americans wanting the land that Native Americans possessed in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, and North Carolina, coupled with his own views on Native Americans, Andrew Jackson was eager to sign the Indian Removal Act, meaning the federal government could exchange Native-held land east of the Mississippi for land in the “Indian colonization zone” (present day Oklahoma). So, with threat of army invasion, tens of thousands were forced out of their land (they either left due to the threats or because they were physically forced to walk out bound). The American government, unwilling to cooperate with the Native Americans, granted a promise that was soon broken to the Native Americans that their new land would remain unmolested (History.com) (AmericanPageant).
Bank War #93
93
Time: 1832
What: The progressing conflict between two sides for and against the Bank of the United States, with Henry Clay, some of Congress/the Senate, and most wealthy landowners for renewing it and Andrew Jackson, people in the Appalachian West, and some middle/lower class people were against the bank existing. When Henry Clay proposed an early renewal of the bank in 1832, the bill was passed by Congress. President Jackson, however, vetoed the bill and later announced that the government would no longer be putting Federal funds into the bank (they would instead be put into state banks). When the Bank’s charter expired, it was never renewed (archives.gov) (AmericanPageant).
Texas’ War for Independence (1836) #94
94
Time: 1836
What: Many American settlers arriving in Texas (a Mexican territory at the time) caused there to be more Americans than resident Mexicans, and with a conflict between the two groups leading to the Fredonian Rebellion and threats to Americans in Texas underway, Texas’ War for Independence from Mexico broke out. During this time, as well, Texans set up a provisional state government. In the battle of the Alamo, American troops were overwhelmed and Santa Anna’s (the Mexican dictator) troops captured the area. During that time, however, Texas’ new government, “formally declared its independence from Mexico”. Six weeks after that battle, a Texan army led by Sam Houston surprised Santa Anna’s army, shouting “Remember the Alamo!” and defeating the Mexicans, forcing the Santa Anna to have to realize Texas’ independence and remove troops from the area. Texas later sought to be annexed by the U.S., but was not allowed to join the Union until 1845 (history.com).
President Martin Van Buren #95
95
Time: 1837 through 1841
Party: Democratic
Events: A Senator, Secretary of State, and Vice President to Jackson (during his second term), Van Buren was widely celebrated at his inauguration for the eighth presidency. The depression that soon struck America, however, put a damper on his Presidency and popularity. During his time as President, though, Van Buren, “devoted himself to maintaining the solvency of the national Government” and argued for an independent treasury system that would take care of government transactions. He also completely cut off expenditures on Federal aid to internal improvements in America and blocked the annexation of Texas by the U.S. (WhiteHouse.gov).
President William Henry Harrison #96
96
Time: 1841
Party: Whig
Events: William Henry Harrison joined the First Infantry of the Regular Army suddenly in his career and spent much of his life in the Northwest. He served as an aid-de-camp in the Battle of Fallen Timbers and later became the Secretary of the Northwest territory and was its first delegate to Congress. He then served as the governor of the Indiana Territory, his goal to continue settlements of Americans in Indian lands, accomplishing this in the War of 1812. When the Whig Party nominated him to be the ninth President, he won and gave a passionate inauguration speech. He then caught pneumonia, however, and died thirty two days after he gained the presidency (the first President to die in office). With his death came the death of the Whig Party (WhiteHouse.gov).
Telegraph #97
97
Time: 1844
What: With presumed inspiration from a conversation on a boat about a newly invented electromagnet, Samuel F. B. Morse, aided by his colleague Leonard D. Gale, the studies of Joseph Henry, and a young technician named Alfred Vail, created a far simpler telegraph than what had been seen before. It worked by using a plate with long and short metal bars that (in a certain combination) each represented a letter of the alphabet (in Morse Code). The operator would slide a pointer, “connecting to a battery and the sending wire across the bars”, and then the message was sent. The receiver used an electromagnet with a stylus and paper tape to receive the message. With a grant from Congress and a quick but needed idea to string wire on poles and trees, a message was sent between the Capitol building and Baltimore, with the telegraph soon expanding all over America (loc.gov).
Second Great Awakening #98
98
Time: Early Nineteenth Century
What: Another large-scale religious revival, this time with numerous grand “camp meetings” where many attended and were converted, a, “democratization of religion”. Many different categories of religion held these meetings, with people like Charles G. Finney encouraging more informal language with God as well as encouraging music and song. The Second Great Awakening also emphasized an openness to all people, no matter their race or gender, which prompted many African Americans to form their own denominations and fight for more freedom (pbs.org) (AmericanPageant).
Burned Over District #99
99
Time: Early Nineteenth Century
What: Via the Erie Canal and during the Second Great Awakening, many new religions swept over Northeastern and Midwestern New York, converting so many of the (mostly younger) people there to new faiths that it became known as the Burned Over District. Faiths discovered there include (but are not limited to) Baptism, Methodism, Mormonism, Spiritualism, and Evangelism (NYHeritage.org) (AmericanPageant).
Seneca Falls Convention #100
100
Time: 1848
What: The first women’s rights convention which inspired the women’s suffrage movement, the meeting held in Seneca Falls, New York. The convention discussed women’s social, civil, and religious rights, with the women voting on (and eventually passing all) 11 women’s rights (based on their Declaration of Sentiments) that they would support. Organizers include Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Mary Mc’Clintok, Martha Coffin Wright, and Jane Hunt (history.com).
Cult of Domesticity #101
101
Time: Nineteenth Century
What: A social system among many nineteenth century middle class women in which they had elevated roles in life, but only in their own homes and, “spheres of a woman”. While restricting, it did allow for some women to still be active in current events and, “speak out on the major moral questions facing the nation”. This system contrasted with what those a part of the Seneca Fall’s Convention and those more liberalist towards women, as they believed that not only should a woman have (most of, if not all) the same rights as men in the home, but also in within the nation in general (AmericaninClass.org) (AmericanPageant).
Mormon Church #102
102
Time: Founded in 1830
What: Officially known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Mormon Church began with six members in New York. The founder of the Church, Joseph Smith, established a, “communal, oligarchic religious order” which has both similarities and distinct differences from what had been considered traditional Christianity during the time (one of those differences being the Mormon’s usage of another sacred text called the Book of Mormon). Soon after their formation, they faced hostility from non-Mormon people around them, and had to travel through various locations westward, eventually settling, expanding, and thriving in the Utah desert (pbs.org) (AmericanPageant).
Oneida Community #103
40
Time: Founded Around 1840, Abandoned in 1881.
What: Called, “one of the more radical utopian communities established in the nineteenth century”, the Oneida Community was- at its largest- a group of around 300 members that argued for- and incorporated into their community- “free love”, birth control, and eugenics. The community, founded by John Humphrey Noyes and located in Oneida, New York, upheld (mostly) equal rights between men and women as well as practices like “Ascending Fellowship” and “Mutual Criticism”. After Noyes passed the leadership of the community to his son, Dr. Theodore Noyes, the community crumbled from the inside and from pressure from the outside, the dissolution made official by a company called the, “Oneida Community, Limited”. The people of Oneida- and groups like them- showcased the, “reformist spirit” of the time (NYHistory.com) (AmericanPageant).
Transcendentalism (Emerson and Thoreau) #104
41
Time: Mid-nineteenth Century
What: In America, a, “literary, philosophical, religious, and political movement” that centered around individualism and self-reliance. Influenced by English and Roman Romanticism and works of Herder and Schleiermacher and Hume, the movement focused on reaching a, “growing likeness to the Supreme being”, but not becoming a Supreme being themselves. It also centered around each person possessing an, “inner light” to which they could speak directly with God. Transcendentalism was based upon a man named Ralph Waldo Emerson, his words becoming foundations for finding complete unity. Emerson and his friend Thoreau sought to find this unity being in nature, and wrote about their experiments and studies. The Transcendentalists were also engaged in several social experiments and were (for the most part) unsupportive of slavery (Plato.Stanford.edu) (AmericanPageant).
ANTEBELLUM PERIOD #105
105
Time: Around 1800 though 1860 (Pre-Civil War)
What: The term Antebellum simply means “before the war” and refers to the Civil War (1861-1865). During this period, American commerce grew, American industry developed, tens of thousands of German and Irish Immigrants poured into the country, the nation was unified by the War of 1812 and then slowly torn apart in the prolonged debate over slavery and states’ rights. The nationalist goals of Manifest Destiny would deepen the divisions between southern and northern expectations for the western territories.
Cotton Gin #106
106
Time: Created in 1783
What: A machine created by inventor Eli Whitney that helped speed up the process of removing seeds from cotton fiber. The machine make the cultivating of cotton more profitable and caused for a renewal of sorts for the southern economy. The machine, however, gave southern planters a “justification” of sorts to keep the system of slavery in place, even as a growing number of people were supportive of abolition, causing the slavery in the South to grow in significance (history.com (AmericanPageant).
Adams-Onís Treaty #107
107
Time: Officially Approved in 1821
What: Solidifying Florida as part of the United States and establishing the border between the U.S. and Spanish territory, the Adams-Onís treaty was crucial in defining areas of land which were prior fought over. Spanish representative Don Luis de Onís traveled to Washington to meet with President James Monroe and Vice President John Quincy Adams and, after several months of negotiations, the treaty was signed. It stated that the U.S. would gain East and West Florida from Spain and that Texas was Spanish territory, among other borders with American States and in the ocean (OKHistory.org).
Lowell System #108
108
Time: 1800s
What: Established by Francis Cabot Lowell in his textile Mill in Waltham, Massachusetts, the Lowell System was, “characterized by centralization, mechanization, new types of worker organization, and extensive division of labor” and has been called the predecessor of the factory system. Expanding off of innovations found in the British textile industry, the Lowell System was vertically integrated (it took over companies that prior produced parts of its product and instead made them itself). The system helped to industrialize the production of American textiles and led other companies to mass produce other items (Economic-Historian.com).
“No Irish Need Apply” #109
109
Time: Commonly Used in the 1800s
What: A derogatory phrase on job advertisements and window signs used against people of Irish descent in Britain and America. As Irish people were devastated by the rotting potato crops in Ireland, hundreds of thousands of them fled to the United States, only for them receive cruel welcomings and unfair rights. The NINA signs led to several court cases and protests by Irish-Americans who fought to be treated as equals. In the 1850s, a song by Mrs. Phillips about the inequality for Irish people in Britain was written, gaining popularity and more acknowledgement for the injustices against them (History.com) (FolkSongandMusicHall.com).
The Market Revolution (In the United States) #110
110
Time: 1700s through the 1800s
What: A point in history in which the manual-labor system of the U.S. transformed from scattered, small economies to, “a national commercial and industrial network” (with agriculture industries developing considerably in the South and West while textile companies saw a rise in the North). This point in time saw significant improvements to communication, transportation, and industry. Due to increased labor production, much more manufacturing could be done in the U.S. than prior, meaning there was less reliance on imports for material while wage labor also increased (Brewminate.com) (AmericanPageant).
Erie Canal #111
111
Time: Completed in 1825
What: Traversing 363 miles from Albany to Buffalo while linking Lake Erie to the Hudson rive, Erie Canal was one of America’s largest public works project. The canal caused an economic boom in New York as people (and goods) could travel cheaper and faster along the route of the canal, with many people riding on to New York’s seaport and traders and sellers finding new markets there (which aided in the profitability of farming increasing in the Old Northwest). The canal also prompted many communities to form along its route, giving it the name “The Mother of Cities”. The canal also brought new ideas and cultures to the nation, imbuing the nation with more diversity in language, customs, and religions (ErieCanalWay.org) (AmericanPageant).
Clay’s American System #112
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Time: Announced in 1816
What: In a speech given by Henry Clay, he outlined a system consisting of three parts that would become one of the most effective government-enacted programs to, “harmonize and balance the nation’s agriculture, commerce, and industry”, as well as to stray away from the prior, “British System”. The three parts, consisting of a tariff designed to protect and promote industries in America, a national bank designed to fuel commerce, and federal subsidies for “internal improvements” in America, these subsidies being gained by money from tariffs and sales of lands. After the system was proposed, Congress enacted programs to see it through and, after Jackson was elected into office, it became a main foundation for anti-Jacksonian persons (Senate.gov).
President John Tyler #113
113
Time: 1841 through 1845
Party: Whig
Events: A member of the House of Representatives, Governor of Virginia, and Senator, John Tyler was a firm believer in following the Constitution strictly, and was a fan of southern sectionalism. He became Vice President under President William Henry Harrison and, after Harrison died, “Tyler too” was sprung into the tenth Presidency. During his time as President, he vetoed a bill to establish a National Bank with several state branches, another bill of that liking by Congress, and a (later) tariff bill. All of the Cabinet but one member resigned due to Tyler’s opposition to the Whig Party’s ideals, and he was tried in the House of Representatives to be impeached. Tyler did enact the “Log-Cabin” bill, as well as a tariff bill that shielded northern manufacturers. He also replaced the prior Whig Cabinet with southern conservatives. After his presidency, Tyler tried to create a compromise for the states that had succeeded from the Union and then, with that not working, a Southern Confederacy. He was a member of the Confederate House of Representatives when he died (WhiteHouse.gov).
President James K. Polk #114
114
Time: 1845 through 1849
Party: Democratic
Events: A member and speaker of the House of Representatives, James K. Polk sought to win the people’s (and Democrats’) favor for Presidency by stating his desire to re-annex Texas, re-occupy Oklahoma, and acquire California. During his term as the eleventh President, he peacefully compromised with the British to extend the Canadian boundary but, when trying to obtain California and New Mexico, he sent troops out to the area of dispute, this signaling aggression to Mexico and Congress declared war. Even though the land was eventually acquired during his presidency, the land only prompted more dispute between the North and South about slavery (WhiteHouse.gov.
Wilmont Proviso #115
115
Time: 1846
What: An amendment that sought to keep the territory acquired from the Mexican-American war completely void of slavery or involuntary servitude, proposed by the Pennsylvania congressman David Wilmot. The amendment was proposed as a sort of retaliation for the treatment of Martin Van Buren, as well as believed unfair treatment of the northerners from Northern democrats and the desire for the new territory, “to be exclusively reserved for whites for political and economic reasons.” Although the amendment passed in the House, it was note voted upon in the Senate and was not fully established. It did, though, create more tension between the North and South about the issue of slavery (Battlefields.org) (AmericanPageant).
Mexican-American War #116
116
Time: 1846 through 1848
What: As President Polk sent General Zachary Taylor to an area of dispute and Mexican soldiers attacked believing the American soldiers were advancing upon them and two more battles were fought, the U.S. Congress officially declared war (though Mexico never did). Mexico convinced the President Polk to release a general in exile named Antonio López de Santa Anna, saying that he would end the war, when- in actuality- he betrayed Polk and led the Mexican army in several battles when he was released. American troops resisted, however, and made it to Mexico City, laying siege to Chapultepec Castle. The war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the treaty stating the the Rio Grande was the new Mexican-American border. Mexico also acknowledged the U.S. annexation of Texas and agreed to sell all of its territory North of the Rio Grande for $15 million (plus assumption of certain damages). While the war did bring approximately 525,000 square miles of land to the U.S., the big issue being whether or not slavery would be allowed in the new land (History.com).
“Spot Resolutions” #117
117
Time: 1846
What: Written by Illinois Congressman Abraham Lincoln, congressional resolutions that opposed the war, questioning the actual motive for Polk’s decision to declare it. Prior to the skirmish between Zachary Taylor and the Mexican troops, a plan for a war declaration with Mexico had been discussed because Mexico would not pay their debts to U.S. citizens nor meet with John L. Slidell. After that first battle, though, President Polk declared that retaliation was necessary as Mexico crossed over the border and shed, “American blood upon America’s soil.” This, however, was refuted by Lincoln in his “Spot Resolutions” as he questioned whether or not the battle had actually been on American territory, and claiming that Polk incited the war under false terms only so that American could gain more territory and extend slavery. Others backed Lincoln up in his accusation (Archives.gov).
President Zachary Taylor #118
118
Time: 1849 through 1850
Party: Whig
Events: A general and war hero in the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War, Zachary Taylor was known for his defense against India and his Nationalist personality. Although he had 100 slaves, he, “did not defend slavery or southern sectionalism” as (the twelfth) President and when determining whether or not Texas and California should be allowed as slave states, Taylor enabled the residents of the states to draft their own constitutions, infuriating southerners. When southern leaders threatened succession, Taylor held strong and threatened armed forces against the states. After a few ceremonies in July of 1850, however, Taylor grew ill and died shortly after (WhiteHouse.gov).
Mexican Cession #119
119
Time: 1848
What: In the negotiations of the end of the Mexican-American war, Mexico needed to the U.S. what Lincoln thought Polk wanted all along- territory. In the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, it specified that Mexico would ceed fifty five percent of its territory, parts (if not all) states now known as California, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and Colorado, in addition to relinquishing all ownership claims of Texas. The treaty also ensured the Rio Grande would be seen as the Mexican/U.S. boundary. In exchange (and to end the war), the U.S. paid Mexico $15,000,000 and paid various American citizen debts (archives.gov).
California Gold Rush #120
120
Time: Beginning in 1849
What: After gold was reported to have been discovered by a man named James Marshall at Sutter’s Mill in Northern California in 1848, the news disseminated around the word and by the end of the year thousands of miners had traveled to the state. As gold was both plentiful and easily extracted, people left their jobs and communities to try and gain a chip of the wealth. With the new influx and inhabitancies of migrants, Californians were motivated to apply for statehood in 1849 (Parks.CA.gov) (AmericanPageant).
Compromise of 1850 #121
121
Time: 1850
What: A series of bills proposed by Senator Stephen A. Douglass (inspired by those of Senator Henry Clay) that were discussed for seven months in Congress before being accepted. The Compromise included establishing a boundary between Texas and the U.S. and a territorial government/popular sovereignty for Utah and New Mexico, allowing California into the U.S. as a free state, an end to the slave trade (but not slavery itself) in Washington, D.C., and amending the fugitive slave act. The modifications to the fugitive slave act angered northerners especially, and all of the bills created even more of a divide between North and South about slavery than seen prior (Archives.gov) (AmericanPageant).
Fugitive Slave Act #122
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Time: 1850
What: While prior established in the Constitution and the Fugitive Slave Law of 1793 that fugitive slaves would be ruled upon by any judge or, “magistrate of a county, city, or town corporate” for the punishment for running away and that anyone who helped a freedom seeker would receive a $500 penalty and a year in prison at most, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 had harsher punishments and more restrictions. Passed by President Millard Fillmore as part of the Compromise of 1850, the new law made it so that fugitive slaves must be returned to their masters with jurisdictions on the matter done by biased federal commissioners, made mandatory the use of federal marshals and state and local authorities to catch a fugitive slave, and created different punishments for those that would aid a freedom seeker. The law made stronger the antislavery movement in the North and added more fuel to the fire that was the impending Civil War (NPS.gov) (AmericanPageant).
President Millard Fillmore #123
123
Time: 1850 thorough 1853
Party: Whig
Events: Millard Fillmore was a member of the House of Representatives and Vice President under Zachary Taylor, becoming President after Taylor’s unexpected death shortly into his term. As President, Fillmore showed his alliance with the Whig party by his appointment of Daniel Webster to Secretary of State, supported the Compromise of 1850, and advised that Texas be convinced to join regions with New Mexico (this causing northern Whigs to reconsider the Wilmont Proviso). Fillmore’s support of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, however, caused many northern Whigs to resent him, costing him reelection when he ran again under the Know Nothing/American Party (as the Whig party had collapsed) (WhiteHouse.gov).
President Franklin Pierce #124
124
Time: 1853 through 1857
Party: Democratic
Events: A speaker of the New Hampshire legislature, Representative in the House of Representatives, and U.S. Senator, Pierce was the Democratic party’s representative under terms of unwavering support of the Compromise of 1850 and not agitating the argument over slavery. As Pierce went into the office, a time of uneasy tranquility had swept the nation due to the Compromise, but it was tension-filled. During his fourteenth Presidency, he, “pressured Great Britain to relinquish its special interests along part of the Central American coast”, tried to negotiate with Spain to sell Cuba, oversaw the Kansas-Nebraska act, and caused “bleeding Kansas” as he tried to reorganize the West for a railroad route, these four actions in particular caused the arguments over slavery to resurge even stronger than before. These events and ones like it were precursers to the Civil War (WhiteHouse.gov).
Uncle Tom’s Cabin #125
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Time: Published in 1852
What: A novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that profoundly encapsulated the horrors of slavery. It showed slaves as being just like anyone else- people- and how they are treated cruelly by slave owners and the systems put in place around the whole country. The book was a bestseller in the 1800s while it increased the support among Northerns for abolition and, “escalated the sectional conflict”. It also influenced the political notability of the antislavery Republican Party and helped Abraham Lincoln win the Presidency later on (Salve.edu) (AmericanPageant).
Gadsden Purchase #126
126
Time: 1853 through 1854
What: The acquirement of approximately 30,000 square miles of Mexico (land that makes up modern Arizona and New Mexico) under the Pierce presidency for $10,000,000 with the intention of connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by way of a southern transcontinental railroad. The purchase also helped to ease tensions involving compensation for Native American attacks on Mexico, in addition to establishing a firm southern border for the United States (History.State.gov) (AmericanPageant).
Kansas-Nebraska Act #127
127
Time: 1854
What: A bill proposed by a Senator and supporter of the new railroads named Stephen Douglass, it outlined that the newly acquired Kansas and Nebraska a territories would be able to use popular sovereignty to determine whether or not to be a slave state, and that the boundary proposed the Missouri Compromise would be null. The conflict over the territory- seemingly about the railroads- was all a part of the underlying tension throughout the U.S. about slavery. The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed in the Senate by 37-14. In addition to causing loads of turmoil among Senators, the act created a huge wave of conflict all throughout America, leading to “bloody Kansas”, masses of disputes, and, eventually, the Civil War (Senate.gov) (AmericanPageant).
“Bleeding Kansas” #128
128
Time: 1856 through 1861
What: Exemplifying the bloodshed that was to come in the Civil War, “bleeding Kansas” occurred during a time when- after Congress announced popular sovereignty for Kansas- people pro-slavery, Free-Staters, and abolitionists flocked to the area to try and influence the vote over whether or not Kansas would allow slavery. During the time, “murder, mayhem, destruction and psychological warfare became a code of conduct in Eastern Kansas and Western Missouri,” with events such as the massacre at Pottawatomie Creek and, especially, the divide in the town of Fort Scott. The Civil War in Kansas was fought intermittently over the years until it was finally incorporated within the national Civil War that had just recently officially begun (NPS.gov) (AmericanPageant).
President James Buchanan #129
129
Time: 1857 through 1961
Party: Democrat
Events: A member of the House of Representatives (five times), Minister to Russia, U.S. Senator, Secretary of State, and Minister to Great Britain, James Buchanan, away for service abroad for awhile, was unaware of the sectional divides formed within America about slavery, and saw the matter as finding a quick happy medium. Buchanan then tried to name Kansas as a slave state, excluding Republicans and members of his own party (Kansas still remaining a territory, though). Then, the Democratic Party split into the southern and northern factions, and President Buchanan strove to again find a compromise with Southern states who were trying to secede from the nation. When this didn’t work, he appointed Northerners in place of resigned southern cabinet members and sent troops to Fort Sumter to stop the secession. He then turned to a, “policy of inactivity” until he left office (WhiteHouse.gov).
Dred Scott v. Sandford, #130
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Time: 1857
What: Beginning as what would seem to be a small-scale lawsuit between two private parties, the Dred Scott v. Sandford case turned into a federal case and national debate that spanned eleven years, and was, “one of the most notorious decisions ever issued by the United States”. Dred Scott and his wife, Harriet Scott, sued for both of their freedoms in the St. Louis Circuit Courts, their basis on the fact that they lived in a free territory where slavery was prohibited. Other cases similar in the past had ruled in the formerly enslaved person’s favor. Scott lost his case, however, and eventually filed a federal suit. In the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney and the other members ruled that Scott was, again, guilty, on the grounds that enslaved people were not Citizens of the United States and could not hope for any protection from the federal government or the courts. This gave federal protection to slavery. They also stated that Congress, “had no authority to ban slavery from a federal territory.” The* Dred Scott v. Sandford *case was later overturned by the 13th and 14th Amendments, but was quite an influential factor in spurring the Civil War (Archives.gov) (AmericanPageant).
Freeport Doctrine #131
131
Time: 1858
What: When Abraham Lincoln rebutted Senator Stephen Douglass’ stance on how Popular Sovereignty would be the best option for newly forming states by claiming the Dred Scott Decision of 1857 made it null, Senator Douglass argued back what would later become known as the Freeport Doctrine: that, as he put it, slavery was only able to be supported by, “the legal and practical protections he called, ‘local police regulations,’” and not the Supreme Court (because, “slavery could not exist without laws to protect it”). He also argued that, if the protections were not given, the citizens in a territory could make decisions about the legality of slavery ther and claimed that the Dred Scott Decision was a, “abstract” matter. This doctrine effectively cost the presidential campaign and aided in the division of the Democratic party into Northern and Southern Factions (Minio.LA.Utexas.edu) (AmericanPageant).
John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry #132
132
Time: 1859
What: An abolishonist named John Brown led a group of his supporters to the town of Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, captured prominent figures, and seized the federal armory and arsenal, hoping the local slave population would join in the rebellion and help to distribute arms throughout the country. No backup for Brown came, however, and he and his group was captured first by the local militia and then the U.S. Marines (under Robert E. Lee). Brown was charged with treason against Virginia, murder, and slave insurrection, being sentenced to death and hung. The raid, however, struck fear into Southerners, as they believed the Northerners, “shared in Brown’s extremism,” and that more uprisings could occur. This further set the stage for Civil War (Battlefields.org) (AmericanPageant).
