Download SURVEY Important Events in US History Summary

Important Events in U.S. History
1789–1850
George Washington is president
Washington establishes the presidential cabinet, a group of the chief executive’s private,
trusted advisors. Washington has just four. Today, the president has 16 members of his
cabinet! Below are the first four.
July
16,
1790
George Washington and John Adams live in The President’s House, located near
Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The White House has not been constructed yet. The
main house was demolished (destroyed, torn down) in 1832.
http://www.myphil
lyalive.com/blog/th
e- presidentshouse-inphiladelphia/
Nov.
1790
– May
1800
President George Washington chose the exact site along the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers,
and the city was officially founded in 1790 after both Maryland and Virginia ceded [gave up]
land to this new “district,” to be distinct and different from the rest of the states. To design the
city, he appointed Pierre Charles L’Enfant, a Frenchman, who presented a vision for a bold,
modern city featuring grand boulevards (now the streets named for states) and ceremonial
spaces that would remind one of another great world capital, L’Enfant’s native Paris. He
planned a grid system, at which the center would be the Capitol building.
https://washington.org/DCinformation/washington-dc-history
Founded on July 16, 1790, Washington, DC is unique among American cities. It was
established to serve as the nation’s capital because the Constitution required our nation to
have a capital city.
http://www.mountvernon.org/digitalencyclopedia/article/cabinet-members/
retrieved 2017, April 9.
1789
–
1797
Tennessee becomes the 16th state. Only Kentucky and Vermont are admitted before Tennessee after the
July 1, original thirteen. Tennessee is born out of the land known as the Southwest Territory. The state’s first governor
1796 is John Sevier. The first senators are William Cocke and William Blount. Tennessee’s first representative to the
U.S. House of Representatives is Andrew Jackson.
The Louisiana Purchase is negotiated for a purchase price of 15 million dollars.
With the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the United States purchases approximately 828,000 square miles of
July 4, territory from France, thereby doubling the size of the young republic. What is known as Louisiana Territory
1803 stretches from the Mississippi River in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west and from the Gulf of Mexico
in the south to the Canadian border in the north. Part or all of 15 states are eventually created from the land
deal, which is considered one of the most important achievements of Thomas Jefferson’s presidency.
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The Eli Whitney Cotton Gin
DEFINITION: The Eli Whitney Cotton Gin was invented in 1793 (when George
Washington was president) and Eli Whitney patented the gin in 1794. This
important invention led to the mass production of cotton. The Cotton Gin was the
name given to the machine that separated the fibers of cotton from the seeds.
Importance of the Eli Whitney Cotton Gin
The Importance of the Eli Whitney Cotton Gin was that it revolutionized the cotton industry in the South by automating
the seed separation process. The Eli Whitney Cotton Gin made cotton production more profitable, increased trade and
the economy of the South.
Cotton was easy to grow, but because it was so difficult to clean, it was hard to make the crop profitable. The new
machine made the process quicker and easier.
• The cotton bolls were put into the top of the machine across the roller
• The handle turned the cotton through the wire teeth that combed out the seeds
• The cotton was then pulled out of the wire teeth and out of the cotton gin
The Eli Whitney Cotton Gin separated the fibers from the seed ten times faster than the slaves could do by hand. One
slave could clean 100 pounds of cotton in a day.
The invention of the Eli Whitney Cotton Gin had a huge impact on slavery in the Southern states. It meant that another
highly profitable cash crop could be introduced, using the slave plantation system of farming. One of the main reasons
for the re-invigoration of slavery was the invention and rapid widespread adoption of the Eli Whitney Cotton Gin. It
actually made more work for more slaves.
May, 1804, The Journey of Lewis and Clark
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out to explore the Louisiana Territory with a group of 31 other men.
Together, they were called the Corps of Discovery. They had three main goals:
1. Find an all-water route to the Pacific Ocean.
2. Build relationships with the American Indians along the way.
3. Record important information about the area’s soil, water, plants, animals, weather, and insects.
The men left from St. Charles, Missouri, not far from St. Louis, in three boats. They would follow the Missouri River.
The Corps stopped and built a fort to spend the winter of 1804 – 1805. They were in the present-day location
of North Dakota. The winter was very cold. It was here that they hired Toussaint Charbonneau to act as a guide and an
interpreter (someone who translated from one language to another). He brought along his American Indian wife,
Sacagawea.
Sacagawea was born around 1788 into a Shoshone tribe near Three Forks, Montana. When she was only 10
years old, the Hidatsa tribe kidnapped her and took her to their village on the upper Missouri River. The tribe raised
her and later sold her to the French fur trader Charbonneau as one of his wives.
Not long after joining the group, possibly while still at the fort, Sacagawea gave birth to a baby boy. The
parents called him Jean Baptiste Charbonneau.. Sacagawea carried the baby on her back as they traveled. Clark
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became very attached to the young boy and the group felt that both mother and baby brought them good luck. Clark
nicknamed the boy, “Pompey,” or “Pomp.” Many American Indian tribes welcomed the Corps of Discovery because
they were traveling with a woman and her baby.
Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery reached the Pacific Ocean in November of 1805. After the long
difficult journey, they looked at the waves breaking on the rocky shoreline with wonder and awe. Clark wrote in his
journal, “Ocean in view! O! The joy!”
What were the benefits of the Louisiana Purchase?
The Louisiana Purchase improved the United States in several ways. First, it doubled the size of the United
States, and all for less than five cents per acre. This new piece of land was added without a single American dying in a
battle. It gave control of the port of New Orleans and the Mississippi River to the United States. It also made sure that
no foreign countries had the power to block this important shipping route. With this purchase, the country had plenty
of room to expand into the great western frontier. The U.S. bought the land with money instead of taking it by force.
This set a precedent (an example to be followed later on) for adding territories to the United States in the future.
Zebulon Pike and Pike’s Peak
Zebulon Pike was one of the first white men to explore the vast wilderness that is now Colorado. Born in New
Jersey, Pike joined the army in 1794 at age 15. In 1806, Pike and a party of soldiers were sent to explore the unknown
far west in order to find where the Arkansas River began. In November of that year, Pike spotted what he called “a
small blue cloud,” which turned out to be a mountain which would later be named Pike’s Peak. The summit (top) is
14,114 feet above sea level. This is a very well-known peak in the
Rocky Mountains.
With winter approaching, the party built a stockade, a building
where they could be protected from Indians and the weather. Yet
Pike wanted to explore the mountain he had seen, so he set out with
a party through bitter cold and waist-deep snow to find the
mountain. Pike was unsuccessful at climbing the mountain named
in his honor. He came to believe that the mountain could not be climbed.
Two months later, the party found the source of the Arkansas, which they had been sent to do, and returned back east,
their job for the army completed. On their way back to the States, Pike and his party were captured by the Spanish and
taken to Santa Fe. After five months in captivity, the men were released.
Zebulon Pike died just six years after the expedition while fighting a battle in the War of 1812. An account of his
expedition was published in 1810 as The Expeditions of Zebulon Montgomery Pike. In 1900, his journals, held by the
Spanish during his capture, were recovered, shedding new light on the discovery of the famous peak that bears the
explorer’s name.
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John C. Fremont (1813 – 1890)
John Fremont was an important government scout. He did not blaze trails through unknown
territory. (Blazing trails means finding and marking new paths for others to follow.) He did, however,
make maps of the trails that were already established. The charts and reports Fremont made were
extremely helpful to settlers heading to the West in the early days of the frontier. Many know him best
for mapping and exploring the Oregon Trail. Some estimates say that half a million people made the trip to the West
Coast on the Oregon Trail. Fremont's grandest achievement was in exploring the West and making it known through
his lively, readable reports (prepared with the help of his wife) and his maps. They seem to have been influential in the
Mormons' decision to settle in the Salt Lake Valley. He also discovered and named the Great Basin as a geologic and
geographic location.
The War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought between the United States and the Great Britain. It is sometimes called the
"Second War of Independence." The war was fought from 1812 to 1815.
Causes of the War of 1812
There were several events that led up to the War of 1812. Great Britain was engaged in a war against France
and the armies of Napoleon. They had placed trade restrictions on the United States, not wanting them to trade with
France. The trade restrictions made it a lot harder for many Americans to make a living. People also could not get
imported goods they had come to rely on.
The British navy also captured U.S. trade vessels and forced the sailors to join the Royal Navy. They were
really after British citizens on American ships, but sometimes they took American citizens, too.
Finally, Britain supported Native American tribes in an effort to prevent the United States from
expanding to the west. The government of the United States did not like the way Great Britain was getting into our
affairs.
Who were the leaders?
The President of the United States during the war was James Madison. U.S. military leaders included Andrew
Jackson, Winfield Scott, and William Henry Harrison.
U.S. Attacks Canada
On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain. The first thing the U.S. did was to attack
the British colony of Canada. The invasion did not go well. Inexperienced U.S. troops were easily defeated by the British
and the U.S. even lost the city of Detroit.
U.S. Gains Ground
In the Battle of Tippecanoe, American forces led by William Henry Harrison (at right)
faced Native American warriors associated with the Shawnee leader, Tecumseh.. Tecumseh and
his brother Tenskwatawa (commonly known as “The Prophet”) were leaders of a confederacy of
Native Americans that were against U.S. expansion into Indian territory. Tecumseh was away
trying to get more Native Americans to join as his allies when Harrison’s army arrived.
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Tenskwatawa, a spiritual leader but not a military man, was in charge. Harrison camped near Prophetstown
on November 6 and arranged to meet with Tenskwatawa the following day. Early the next morning, however, warriors
from Prophetstown attacked Harrison's army. Although the outnumbered Native American attackers took Harrison's
army by surprise, Harrison and his men stood their ground for more than two hours. The Native Americans were finally
pushed back when their ammunition ran low. After the battle, they left Prophetstown, and Harrison's men burned it to
the ground, destroying the food supplies stored for the winter. Then they returned home.
Harrison, having accomplished his goal of destroying Prophetstown, proclaimed he had
won a decisive victory. He gained the nickname "Tippecanoe.”
Additional good news for the United States came in 1813 with a decisive victory in the
Battle of Lake Erie on September 19, 1813. A few weeks later, William Henry Harrison led the
U.S. forces as they first drove off an outnumbered force of British troops. Harrison then defeated
a large Native American force led by Tecumseh (left) at the Battle of the Thames. Tecumseh died
in this battle. American control over the Northwest was reestablished (including present-day
states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin).
The British Fight Back: the Burning of Washington D.C.
In 1814, the British began to fight back more successfully. They used their superior navy to blockade U.S.
trade and to attack U.S. ports along the east coast. On August 24, 1814, British forces attacked Washington, D.C. They
took control of Washington and burned many buildings including the Capitol and the White House (it was called the
Presidential Mansion at the time).
Battle of Baltimore and The Star-Spangled Banner
The British were gaining ground in the war until the Battle of Baltimore which lasted three days from
September 12-15, 1814. Over several days, British ships bombarded Fort McHenry in an effort to make their way to
Baltimore. However, U.S. troops were able to hold off the much larger British force, causing the British to withdraw.
This victory proved to be an important turning point in the war. We get our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled
Banner,” from the poem written by Francis Scott Key when the
sun rose and he was able to see the U.S. flag still flying over Fort
McHenry. See textbook page 278 – 279 for more on how the
song came to be written.
Battle of New Orleans Makes Gen. Andrew Jackson a Hero
The final major battle of the War of 1812 was the Battle
of New Orleans which took place from December 24, 1814 to
January 8, 1815. The British attacked New Orleans hoping to take
control of the port city. They were held off and defeated by U.S.
forces led by General Andrew Jackson. The U.S. won a decisive victory and forced the British out of Louisiana. The
American force was made up of 7,000 men. The British brought 8,000 to battle. Casualties for each side:
• British: 289 killed; 1,262 wounded, 484 captured
• American: 31 killed, 39 wounded
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Peace
The U.S. and Great Britain signed a peace treaty called the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814.
Results
The war ended in a stalemate with neither side gaining ground. No borders were changed as a result of the
war. However, the end of the war did bring long-term peace between the United States and Great Britain. It also
brought about an "Era of good feelings" in the United States.
Interesting Facts About the War of 1812
• Different Native American tribes allied with both sides during the war. Most tribes sided with the British
including the Tecumseh Confederacy which allied several tribes against the U.S.
• The Battle of Baltimore was the inspiration for a poem written by Francis Scott Key that later became the
lyrics for The Star-Spangled Banner.
• The Treaty of Ghent was signed before the Battle of New Orleans, but word of the treaty did not reach
Louisiana before the battle.
Robert Fulton | Occupation: Engineer and Inventor
Best known for: Built and ran the first successful commercial steamboat.
The Steamboat Comes to the United States
Fulton's next idea was to build a boat that was powered by a steam engine. He partnered with New York
businessman Robert Livingston who agreed to fund the project. Robert's first steamboat quickly broke apart and
sunk. However, he didn't give up. He learned from his mistakes and, a year later, successfully tested out his first
steamboat in England. Robert now wanted to build a steamboat in the United States, but he ran into a problem.
England would not let him take a steam engine out of the country. They were trying to keep the technology of steam
power for themselves. After almost two years of working, he was finally permitted to bring a single steam engine to
the United States.
The North River Steamboat (Clermont)
Fulton and Livingston used Fulton's steam engine to build the
North River Steamboat (sometimes called the Clermont). It was
launched in 1807 and operated on the Hudson River. The boat was a
great success. Soon, Fulton and Livingston had more steamboats built.
They branched out to other areas including the Mississippi River. They
built a successful business and introduced the steamboat as a new form of transportation to the world.
Did Robert Fulton Invent the Steamboat?
Robert Fulton did not invent the first steamboat. Steam power had been used previously by other inventors
to power boats. However, Fulton did invent the first commercially successful steamboat and brought the technology
of steam power to the rivers of the United States. To be commercially successful means that people could use it to
make money or earn a living.. Fulton's steam boats helped to power the Industrial Revolution by moving goods and
people throughout the United States during the 1800s.
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