America- 10 marker key events

Panic of 1819

1819

Indian removal act

1830

Preemption Act

1841

California Gold Rush

1849

Homestead Act

1862

Morrill land grant act

1862

Pacific railroad act

1862

Medicine Lodge treaty

1867

First Fort Laramie Treaty (westward expansion)

1868

Timber Culture Act

1873

The economic depression

1874

Trail of tears

1838

Fort Laramie Treaty (native Americans)

1851

Fort Wise treaty

1861

Dawes Act

1887

Fugitive slave law

1850

Publishing of Uncle Tom’s cabin

1852

Dredd Scott decision

1857

Collapse of the Whig party

1852-3

Kansas Nebraska act

1854

Bleeding Sumner

1856

President Buchanan accepts Lecompton constitution

1857

Election of Lincoln as president

1860

Antietam

1862

Shiloh

1862

Vicksburg

1863

Gettysburg

1863

March through Georgia

1864

The wilderness campaign

1864

What was the Panic of 1819

A major economic crisis which lasted from 1819-23, caused by a decline in demand for US products in Britain and Europe

What were the consequences of the panic of 1819

Increased informal westward expansion after bankrupt spectators moved west to squat on land after losing property in the east

formal purchases of land in the west slowed as credit dried up, federal gov had reduced income from this

4 things the Indian removal act did

• gave funds and power to move Native American tribes from their eastern lands to the west

• new western lands given to the tribes guaranteed forever

• government would give them some compensation and assistance for move west

• no existing treaties would be violated so tribes would have to agree to new ones to move

Consequences of Indian removal act for politicians

94 removal treaties agreed with Natives and by 1835 president Jackson declared it complete

Which tribes had the Indian removal act affected the most

the five civilised tribes (creeks, cherokees, choctaws, chickasaws and seminoles)

what were the 5 civilised tribes

tribes that had already accepted Christianity and started to assimilate to white culture

Consequences of the Indian removal act for natives

• Led directly to the forced displacement of 46,000 Native Americans

• Opened millions of acres for white settlement

• Set the stage for the Trail of Tears (1838)

What was the Trail of Tears (1838)?

The forced march of over 15,000 Cherokee people from Georgia to Indian Territory, resulting in around 4,000 deaths due to disease, exposure, and starvation.

what was the Preemption act

A law that allowed squatters to legally buy up to 160 acres at $1.25 per acre before it was offered for public sale.

terms of the pre emption act

• Reside on the claimed land for at least 14 months.

• Improve the land, which included building a dwelling and cultivating crops.

What were the consequences of the Preemption Act

• Encouraged westward migration and legal settlement

• Strengthened small farmers’ access to land

• Helped legitimise squatting, increasing settler pressure on Native lands

What was the California Gold Rush?

The mass migration of over 300,000 people to California following the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill.

consequences of california gold rush

led to California’s statehood in 1850 and boosted westward expansion

What was the Homestead act

Gave 160 acres of free land to settlers who farmed it for 5 years and built a residence for a small filing fee

consequence of homestead act

hundreds of thousands of settlers moved west

gave thousands of ex slaves the chance to own land and leave the south

270 million acres were distributed under the act

how long did the homestead act last

more than a century with the last claim being granted in 1988 for a parcel of land in Alaska

how was homestead act exploited

Speculators used fake settlers, made minimal improvements, and exploited weak enforcement to illegally claim land, gaining large areas meant for genuine farmers.

What was the Morrill Land Grant Act?

Gave each state 30,000 acres per Congressional representative to fund agricultural and technical colleges.

consequences of Morill land grant act

• Funded over 70 land grant colleges by 1900

• Improved agricultural techniques and engineering in the West

• Expanded education opportunities beyond elite Eastern colleges

What was the Pacific Railroad Act?

Granted 175 million acres of land and $64 million in loans to Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads to build the transcontinental railroad.

Consequences of the Pacific railroad act

• Completed first transcontinental railroad in 1869, cutting coast-to-coast travel from months to a week

• Facilitated migration of 400,000+ settlers to the West by 1870s

• Devastated buffalo herds (from 30 million to near extinction)

What was the Medicine Lodge Treaty?

greement between U.S. and 10 Southern Plains tribes (including Kiowa and Comanche) to move to reservations covering 20 million acres.

consequences of the medicine lodge treaty

Set pattern for reservation system expansion

What was the Fort Laramie Treaty (1868)?

Treaty between the U.S. government and the Sioux granting them control over the Black Hills (about 50 million acres) and promising no white settlement.

consequences of 1868 fort Laramie treaty

• Black Hills became sacred Sioux land

• Gold discovered in 1874 led to U.S. government breaking the treaty

• Sparked the Great Sioux War (1876-77), including Battle of Little Bighorn

What was the Timber Culture Act

Allowed settlers to claim an additional 160 acres if they planted trees on 40 acres within four years.

consequences of the timber culture act

• Over 10 million acres were claimed, though many failed to grow trees successfully

• Frequently abused by land speculators

• Had limited impact on environmental improvement

what was fort laramie treaty 1851

Treaty with Plains tribes defining tribal territories covering over 400 million acres and promising safe passage for settlers.

consequences of fort laramie treaty of 1851

• U.S. failed to enforce boundaries; settlers frequently violated treaty lands

• Contributed to increased tensions and conflicts in the Plains

What was the Fort Wise Treaty?

: Reduced the land allocated to the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes to about 4 million acres in eastern Colorado.

consequences of the fort wise treaty

• Increased tensions that led to the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864

• Showed U.S. pressure to reduce Native land holdings

What was the Dawes act

Authorized the division of tribal lands into 160-acre allotments for Native American families, with "surplus" land sold to settlers.

consequences of the dawes act

Over 90 million acres of Native land lost to white settlers by 1934

Severely weakened tribal government and culture

natives exploited by speculators who bought the land for a low price as they didn’t know what to do with it

What was the Economic Depression of 1873-1879?

Triggered by the Panic of 1873, a severe financial crisis and long depression affecting the U.S. economy.

consequences of the economic depression of 1874

• Railroad construction slowed dramatically; thousands of workers lost jobs

• Homesteaders and farmers faced falling crop prices and debt

• Temporarily slowed westward expansion and settlement

What was the Fugitive Slave Law (1850)?

Law requiring citizens and officials in free states to assist in the capture and return of escaped slaves, with heavy penalties for non-compliance.

consequences of the fugitive slave law

• Increased tensions between North and South over enforcement

• Northern abolitionists intensified efforts to help escaped slaves via the Underground Railroad

• Many Northerners became radicalized against slavery

• Heightened sectional divisions leading toward Civil War

What was ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’?

An anti-slavery novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that depicted the brutal realities of slavery.

consequences of uncle tom’s cabin

• Sold over 300,000 copies in the first year in the U.S.

• Influenced Northern public opinion strongly against slavery

• Southerners condemned it as propaganda

• Helped galvanize abolitionist movement and increased sectional tensions

What was the Dred Scott Decision?

Supreme Court ruling that declared African Americans were not citizens and that Congress had no authority to ban slavery in territories.

consequences of Dred Scott decision

• Nullified the Missouri Compromise restrictions on slavery expansion

• Outraged Northerners, boosting Republican Party support

• Increased sectional animosity, pushing nation closer to war

• Strengthened Southern pro-slavery legal position temporarily

What caused the collapse of the Whig Party?

Internal divisions over slavery, especially the Kansas-Nebraska Act, caused many members to defect to emerging parties like the Republicans.

consequences of the collapse of the whig party

Created political vacuum that Republicans filled with anti-slavery platform

What was the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

Law allowing settlers in Kansas and Nebraska to decide on slavery by popular sovereignty, repealing Missouri Compromise.

consequences of kansas nebraska act

Sparked violent conflict known as "Bleeding Kansas" as pro- and anti-slavery forces clashed

What was ‘Bleeding Sumner’?

Violent incident where Senator Preston Brooks attacked abolitionist Senator Charles Sumner with a cane on the Senate floor.

consequences of bleeding Sumner

• Symbolized the breakdown of civil political discourse over slavery

• Northern outrage at Brooks’s attack increased abolitionist resolve

• Southern praise of Brooks intensified sectional divide

What was the Lecompton Constitution?

Pro-slavery draft constitution for Kansas rejected by most settlers but supported by President Buchanan.

Consequences of President Buchanan’s acceptance of the Lecompton Constitution

• Undermined Buchanan’s presidency and credibility

• Angered Northerners and Republicans

Why was Lincoln’s election significant?

Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican president, elected on an anti-slavery expansion platform with no Southern electoral college votes.

consequences of lincoln’s election as president

• Triggered secession of Southern states starting with South Carolina

• Led directly to the formation of the Confederate States of America

What was the Battle of Antietam?

Bloodiest single-day battle in American history (Sept 17, 1862), fought in Maryland between Union General McClellan and Confederate General Lee.

4 Consequences of Antietam

• About 22,700 casualties (killed, wounded, missing)

• Tactical draw but strategic Union “victory” as Lee retreated

• Gave Lincoln the confidence to issue the Emancipation Proclamation

• Discouraged British and French from recognizing the Confederacy

What was the Battle of Shiloh?

Major battle in April 1862 in Tennessee; Union forces under Grant surprised by Confederate attack.

4 consequences of the battle of Shiloh

• Approx. 23,000 casualties in two days

• Union victory secured key control of Tennessee River

• Shocked both sides by scale of carnage, dispelling illusions of quick war

• Paved way for Union advance into Mississippi Valley

What was the Siege of Vicksburg?

Six-week siege (May-July 1863) where Grant’s forces captured the Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River.

consequences of Vicksburg

• Split the Confederacy in two along the Mississippi

• About 9,000 Confederate soldiers surrendered

• Major Union strategic victory controlling the Mississippi River

• Boosted Northern morale and Grant’s reputation

What was the Battle of Gettysburg?

Largest battle of the Civil War (July 1-3, 1863) in Pennsylvania; Confederate Lee’s invasion of the North halted by Union under Meade.

Consequences of Gettysburg

• Approx. 51,000 casualties, including about 7,000 killed

• Turning point that ended Confederate offensive capability

• Boosted Northern morale significantly

• Site of Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address later that year

What was the march through Georgia

Union General Sherman’s military campaign from Atlanta to Savannah (Nov-Dec 1864), employing “total war” tactics.

consequences of the march through georgia

• Devastated approx. 300 miles of Georgia, destroying infrastructure and civilian resources

• Severely damaged Confederate war capacity and morale

• Demonstrated Union ability to wage war deep in Confederate territory

What was the Wilderness Campaign?

Series of brutal battles in dense forest of Virginia (May-June 1864) between Grant and Lee.

Consequences of Wilderness campaign

• Marked beginning of relentless Union offensive toward Richmond

• Demonstrated Grant’s strategy of attrition against Lee’s smaller forces

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia

1831

what was Cherokee Nation v. Georgia

Supreme Court ruled that Native tribes were "domestic dependent nations," denying the Cherokee the right to sue.

consequences of Cherokee nation v Georgia

• Weakened legal protections for Native Americans

• Paved the way for enforcement of removal policies despite resistance

• Reinforced federal authority over Native lands