11/18/14
American History
Midterm
3.Write a chronology of The American Revolution from 1763-1781. On February 10th, 1763 the Signing of the Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Year’s War, also known as the French and Indian War in North America. France ceded all mainland North American territories, except New Orleans, in order to retain her Caribbean sugar islands. Britain gained all territory east of the Mississippi River. Spain kept territory west of the Mississippi, but exchanged East and West Florida for Cuba. On April 5th, 1764 the Sugar Act was the first attempt to finance the defense of the colonies by the British Government. In order to deter smuggling and to encourage the production of British rum, taxes on molasses …show more content…
were dropped; a levy was placed on foreign Madeira wine and colonial exports of iron, lumber and other goods had to pass first through Britain and British customs. The Act established a Vice-Admiralty Court in Halifax, Nova Scotia to hear smuggling cases without jury and with the presumption of guilt. These measures led to protest. On March 22nd, 1765, the Stamp Act was to seek to defray some of the costs of garrisoning the colonies, Parliament required all legal documents, newspapers and pamphlets required to use watermarked, or ‘stamped’ paper on which levy was placed. On May 30th, 1765, the Virginian Resolution was when the Virginian assembly refused to comply with the Stamp Act. But in June 29th, 1767, the Declaratory Act was when Parliament finalizes the repeal of the Stamp Act, but declares that it has the right to tax colonies. On March 5th, 1770, the Boston Massacre was angered by the presence of troops and Britain’s colonial policy, a crowd began harassing a group of soldiers guarding the customs house; a soldier was knocked down by a snowball and discharged his musket, sparking a volley into the crowd which kills five civilians. On May 10th, 1773, the Tea Act was an effort to support the ailing East India Company, Parliament exempted its tea from Import duties and allowed the Company to sell its tea directly to the colonies. Americans resented what they saw as an indirect tax subsiding a British company.
Then on December 16th, 1773 people were angered by the Tea Act so that is how the Boston Tea Party came about. American patriots were disguised as Mohawk Indians dump East India Company tea into the Boston harbor. From May to June in 1774, the Intolerable Acts were four measures which stripped Massachusetts of self-government and judicial independence following the Boston Tea Party. The colonies responded with a general boycott of British goods. April 19th, 1775, Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first engagements of the Revolutionary War between British troops and the Minutemen, who had been warned of the attack by Paul Revere. Also in 1775 on June 17th, the Battle of Bunker Hill was the first major battle of the War of Independence. Sir William Howe dislodged William Prescott’s forces overlooking Boston at a cost of 1054 British casualties to the Americans’ 367. On December 26th, 1776 the Battle of Trenton provided a boast to American Morale. October 13th, 1777, British surrendered 5,700 troops at Saratoga. February 6th, 1778, France recognizes US independence. August 16th, 1780, US defeat at battle of Camden. March 1st, 1781 Ratification of the articles of Confederation. September 5th, 1781, Battle of the Capes which was when …show more content…
British denied reinforcements or evacuation. October 18th, 1781, Surender of British forces under Cornwallis at Yorktown.
4. Write an outline of the constitution.
The US Constitution consists of seven articles and 27 amendments. The original seven articles took effect in 1789. The 27 amendments were added to the Constitution from 1791 to 1992. The first ten amendments were enacted in 1791; they are often called "the bill of rights." It is very likely that more amendments will be added. The seven articles included in the constitution are, 1) Establishes and defines the powers of Congress, the legislative branch. Congress is divided into two houses: the House of Representatives, in which each state is represented according to its population and the Senate, in which each state has two senators. 2) Establishes the presidency. 3) Establishes the court system, including the Supreme Court and other courts that Congress establishes. 4) Says that each state must give "full faith and credit" to the laws of other states. 5) Explains how to amend the Constitution. 6) Establishes the Constitution as the "supreme law of the land." 7) Says that if nine of the 13 states ratifies the Constitution, it will take effect. The first 10 Amendments to the constitution or also known as Bill of Rights were established as a promise to the opponents of the constitution. They feared it would create too much power for the central government and destroy are individual liberty. The first 10 amendments include, 1) Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petitioning the government. 2) Establishes right of states to have militias and to keep and bear arms. Also gives citizens the right to bear arms. 3) The government cannot quarter any soldier in a person's house during peacetime without the owner's permission and in wartime except in a manner prescribed by law. 4) Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. 5) Protection from double jeopardy, self-incrimination, an private property being taken without reasonable compensation. 6) Right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury and right to a lawyer at a trial. 7) Right to a jury trial in civil suits. 8) Protection from excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishments. 9) Provision that the enumeration of certain rights in the Constitution does not imply that there are not other rights. 10) Powers not given to the United States and not prohibited to the states, are reserved to the states or to the people. 11) An amendment clarifying the judicial power of the United States. 12) The system of electing the president through the Electoral College is revised. 13) Abolishes slavery 14) It makes all people who were born or naturalized in the US citizens, It guarantees the right to vote to all male citizens 21 and older, and that any state may not deny to any person under its jurisdiction "the equal protection of the laws." 15) Gives citizens the right to vote regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. 16) Gives the national government the right to establish an income tax. 17) Changes how senators are elected, which is now by the people. 18) Establishes prohibition-the sale and consumption of virtually all alcoholic beverages are outlawed. 19) Gives women the right to vote. 20) Changes the day of the beginning of the president's term from March 4 to January 20 and Congress's term from March 4 to January 3. 21) Abolishes prohibition. 22) Prohibits any person from being elected president more than twice. 23) Gives three electoral votes to Washington, D.C. 24) Outlaws the poll tax. 25) Changes presidential succession, With the enactment of this amendment, the new president can appoint a vice president. 26) Allows anyone 18 or older the right to vote. 27) Provides that no congressional pay raise may take effect until one congressional election shall have intervened.
6. Write a chronology of The Civil War. November 6, 1860 - Abraham Lincoln, who had declared "Government cannot endure permanently half slave, half free..." is elected president, the first Republican, receiving 180 of 303 possible electoral votes and 40 percent of the popular vote.
February 9, 1861 - The Confederate States of America is formed with Jefferson Davis, a West Point graduate and former U.S. Army officer, as president. March 4, 1861 - Abraham Lincoln is sworn in as 16th President of the United States of America. April 12, 1861 - At 4:30 a.m. Confederates under Gen. Pierre Beauregard open fire with 50 cannons upon Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. The Civil War begins. April 19, 1861 - President Lincoln issues a Proclamation of Blockade against Southern ports. For the duration of the war the blockade limits the ability of the rural South to stay well supplied in its war against the industrialized North. July 21, 1861 - The Union Army under Gen. Irvin McDowell suffers a defeat at Bull Run 25 miles southwest of Washington. Confederate Gen. Thomas J. Jackson earns the nickname "Stonewall," as his brigade resists Union attacks. Union troops fall back to Washington. President Lincoln realizes the war will be long. "It's damned bad," he comments. November 8, 1861 - The beginning of an international diplomatic crisis for President Lincoln as two Confederate officials sailing toward England are seized by the U.S. Navy. England, the leading world power, demands their release, threatening war. Lincoln
eventually gives in and orders their release in December. "One war at a time," Lincoln remarks. January 31, 1862 - President Lincoln issues General War Order No. 1 calling for all United States naval and land forces to begin a general advance by February 22, George Washington's birthday. April 6/7, 1862 - Confederate surprise attack on Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's unprepared troops at Shiloh on the Tennessee River results in a bitter struggle with 13,000 Union killed and wounded and 10,000 Confederates, more men than in all previous American wars combined. The president is then pressured to relieve Grant but resists. "I can't spare this man; he fights," Lincoln says. August 29/30, 1862 - 75,000 Federals under Gen. John Pope are defeated by 55,000 Confederates under Gen. Stonewall Jackson and Gen. James Longstreet at the second battle of Bull Run in northern Virginia. Once again the Union Army retreats to Washington. The president then relieves Pope. September 17, 1862 - The bloodiest day in U.S. military history as Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Armies are stopped at Antietam in Maryland by McClellan and numerically superior Union forces. By nightfall 26,000 men are dead, wounded, or missing. Lee then withdraws to Virginia. May 1-4, 1863 - The Union Army under Gen. Hooker is decisively defeated by Lee's much smaller forces at the Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia as a result of Lee's brilliant and daring tactics. Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson is mortally wounded by his own soldiers. Hooker retreats. Union losses are 17,000 killed, wounded and missing out of 130,000. The Confederates, 13, 000 out of 60,000. July 1-3, 1863 - The tide of war turns against the South as the Confederates are defeated at the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. September 19/20, 1863 - A decisive Confederate victory by Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee at Chickamauga leaves Gen. William S. Rosecrans' Union Army of the Cumberland trapped in Chattanooga, Tennessee under Confederate siege. June 3, 1864 - A costly mistake by Grant results in 7,000 Union casualties in twenty minutes during an offensive against fortified Rebels at Cold Harbor in Virginia. April 9, 1865 - Gen. Robert E. Lee surrenders his Confederate Army to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at the village of Appomattox Court House in Virginia. Grant allows Rebel officers to keep their sidearms and permits soldiers to keep horses and mules. April 14, 1865 - The Stars and Stripes is ceremoniously raised over Fort Sumter. That night, Lincoln and his wife Mary see the play "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theater. At 10:13 p.m., during the third act of the play, John Wilkes Booth shoots the president in the head. Doctors attend to the president in the theater then move him to a house across the street. He never regains consciousness. In May - Remaining Confederate forces surrender. The Nation is reunited as the Civil War ends. Over 620,000 Americans died in the war, with disease killing twice as many as those lost in battle. 50,000 survivors return home as amputees. A victory parade is held in Washington along Pennsylvania Ave. to help boost the Nation's morale - May 23/24, 1865. December 6, 1865 - The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, is finally ratified. Slavery is abolished.