(1777/81-87)

First constitution of the USA, legally established the union of the states; created in 1777, ratified in 1781, replaced by the current U.S. constitution in 1787

(1786-1787)

Named after Daniel Shays, a veteran of the American Revolution who led the rebels, poor farmers angered by crushing debt and taxes. Failure to repay such debts often resulted in imprisonment in debtor's prisons or the claiming of property by the government. Rebels believed they were acting in the spirit of the Revolution. Lack of an institutional response to the uprising energized calls to reevaluate the Articles of Confederation and gave strong impetus to the Philadelphia Convention (May 17, 1787)

(1793)

Invented cotton gin that made it easier to process cotton balls; lead to expansion of cotton-fiber and cottonseed oil production and thus helped revival of slavery

(1794)

Government under President Washington introduces excise tax on whiskey and luxury goods (incl. corn, used to make whiskey), corn/whiskey is cash crop for West, farmers refuse to pay tax, start riots, rebellion is put down by Hamilton’s army; shows growing animosity against government, demonstrates that gvt. will impose its will on all parts of country, indicates strong president, powerful constitution

(1803)

Jefferson buys Louisiana territory for $15mio from Napoleon; doubled country’s size; acquisition faced domestic opposition as possibly being unconstitutional

(1803)

Captain of one of the ships that occupied the harbor of Tripoli in the American attempt to escape the tribute payments to the Barbary pirates

(1811)

Developed the first commercially successful steamboat

(1812)

7^th U.S. vice president; supported state rights; supporter of War of 1812 (defend national honor, bring Canada into American sphere, expand West)

(1777-1852)

Whig; played role in leading U.S. to war with Britain (1812); influenced House of Rep. to elect J. Q. Adams as president (“Corrupt Bargain” of 1824); helped end Nullification Crisis (1833) when SC threatened to leave the union over tariffs imposed by the fed. Gvt.; proposed Compromise of 1850 (incl. Fugitive Slave Law), “Great Compromiser”;

(19^th century)

President should mostly be figurehead; government will not regulate economy; leads to unbridled capitalism and industrialization; opponents: Alexander Hamilton, Henry Clay (Whig)

(1813)

Officer in the U.S. Navy; defeats British in Battle of Lake Erie (War of 1812), wins control over Lake Erie

(1814)

Meeting on which Federalist Party discussed if they should pull out of union and make peace with Britain; after war, Federalists were viewed as traitors, lead to death of Federalist party

(1814-1815)

American greatest victory against Britain in Battle of 1812; fought after the war was already over, therefore strategically not important, but helped Andrew Jackson to emerge as national hero

(1817)

Treaty between the U.S. and Britain that demilitarized the Great Lake region and thus loosened tensions between them; sign of mutual respect between America and Great Britain

(1817)

Politician responsible for construction of Erie Canal, linking NYC with Lake Erie, which made NYC primary city in America

(1817)

Built by DeWitt Clinton; linked NYC with Lake Erie, making NYC primary city in the U.S.; made shipping more economical/cheaper

(1824)

Disputed presidential election, in which Andrew Jackson got the most votes, but needed majority; Henry Clay used his influence to help John Quincy Adams win

(1828)

Emerged as hero from Battle of New Orleans (1814); became president in 1828, product of broadening of American democracy (universal white man suffrage)

(1831)

Editor of the newspaper The Liberator, co-founder of American Anti-Slavery Society, promoted immediate emancipation/abolition; rejected politics (didn’t like compromises), moral suasion, set example that slavery is wrong

(1836)

Decisive battle of Texas Revolution, Sam Houston defeats Mexicans, captures Santa Anna (Mexican military dictator); Texas secured its frontiers

(1845)

Believe stated by John L. O’Sullivan that the U.S. were destined by God to overspread and possess the whole North-American continent to give liberty and progress to the land; reflection of American view (Americans always been tempted by available land, merchants were seeking new markets in Far East, needed ports on West coast, did not want anybody else to take land)

(1848)

12^th president (Whig), last president to hold slaves while in office, but took moderate stance on issue of slavery; threatened to veto Compromise of 1850 because it was too restrictive against the free states, but he died before he had the chance to do so

(1850)

Part of the Compromise of 1850 by Henry Clay; stated that fugitive slaves had to be reported to authorities; other parts of Compromise: California admitted as free state, New Mexico and other states later determined on basis of Popular Sovereignty (people vote about slavery), slave trade was prohibited in D.C.

(1852)

Author of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” which polarized society regarding slavery

(1854)

Proposed Kansas-Nebraska-Act, allowing people in the new territories to vote about slavery, to resolve the Sectional Crisis but which instead lead to Bleeding Kansas (mini civil war between pro- and anti-slavery proponents)

(1856)

Nephew of SC Sen. Butler who was criticized by Sen. Charles Sumner for turmoils in SC over slavery; Brooks beats up Sumner to restore Southern honor 

(1868)

Invented the first commercially successful typewriter

(1869)

Most important influence in the building of the Union Pacific portion of the transcontinental railroad

(1869)

Largest and on of the most important American labor organizations in the 19^th century; wanted to create world where all workers had equal rights; 1879: Terrence V. Powderly elected as Grand Master Workman; Haymarket incident sets end to union (get associated with anarchy)

(1872)

Formed in 1864 under Lincoln; funded by tax dollars to fund transcontinental railroad; did not help build railroad, but resulted mostly in dividends to stockholders (congressmen, VP, etc.); uncovered in 1872 under Pres. Grant

(1875)

Ring of corruption under Macdonald (appointed by President Grant); forced Whiskey distillers to pay excise tax on liquor to members of Whiskey Ring, distillers who disobeyed were sent to jail, paid off Grant’s personal secretary Orville Babcock so Grant wouldn’t find out

(1876)

Democratic reformer; helped break up corruption established under President Grant; lost disputed presidential election to Rutherford B. Hayes (Tilden had more popular and electoral votes, but needed majority; Republican dominated commission decided that Hayes should get all the votes)

(1876)

First U.S. think-tank, set up by Thomas Edison

(1883)

American sociologist who believed that poverty could be minimized through systematic intervention of society; opponent of Social Darwinism, believed that humans were different from animals and need to be better to one another; believed that societies where people cares for each other were built in the image of God; supported strong government, education

(1890)

First federal statute to limit cartels and monopolies

(1892)

Party program of the Populist’s (or People’s) Party that endorsed the goals of the Knights of Labor; demanded government ownership of railroads, direct election of U.S. senators, 8-hour day for industrial workers, 16:1 silver standard (in addition to gold standard to back the currency)

(1892)

Steel tycoon, became millionaire through investment, built steel plant (Carnegie Steel); great philanthropist; puts down strike by his workers for 8-hour day and higher wages by sending in private army (Homestead Steel Strike), breaks union’s power and reestablishes 12-hour work day

(1894)

Strike against Pullman Company over higher wages and lower working hours during economic depression (1893) when Pullman cut wages without lowering rents and prices to maintain his profit; broken up by federal troops sent by President Grover Cleveland

(1895)

Speech by Booker T. Washington, black educator and philanthropist, saying that black people should not demand too much, but that they should show the white men what they have done for them and that they can help them build a better South; endorsed segregation (stay separate like fingers of one hand); speech was well received by whites

(1860-1925)

41^st Secretary of State; Democratic Party leader; believed in goodness and rightness of common people (“The Great Commoner”); fought trusts and big banks 

(1896)

Supreme Court decision that segregation (“separate but equal”) was constitutional; remained standard doctrine until “Brown vs. Board of Education” (1954)

(1820-1903)

English proponent of Social Darwinism; believed that human struggle for survival is going on at all times, survival of the fittest good for species, rich are fittest, poor and weak need to get weeded out

(1856-1919)

Author of “Wizard of Oz”; advocate for women’s suffrage, believed that Indians had experienced great wrong, but should be wiped out to avoid their revenge against whites

(1869-1930)

Progressive-liberal writer and leader of the new liberalism movement; saw democracy as the defining American trait and described democracy not as a government devoted to equal rights but as one with the aim of “bestowing a share of the responsibility and the benefits, derived from political economic association, upon the whole community.”

(1906)

Term coined by Theodore Roosevelt; used to describe journalists who reported about and exposed crime, fraud, public health issues, product safety, illegal financial practices, etc.

(1906)

Author of “The Jungle,” exposing conditions in the U.S. meat packing industry and causing a public uproar, which lead to Pure Food and Drug Act

Robber Barons

Term used to describe corrupt and unscrupulous industrials