1800s Timeline by Drew Simonich

The Louisiana Purchase (1803)

7simonichdrew — 2025-10-10 14:20:38 UTC

Thomas Jefferson, the American president at the time, had signed off on a huge purchase of land stretching from the Mississippi River and west all the way through the Great Plains. When this was purchased, it was only 5 cents an acre and was controlled by the French; in just one day, the U.S territory doubled. This transaction will lead to many conflicts with different tribes of the West and the forceful removal of tribes onto reservations.

Cotton Gin and the growth of slavery (1793-1860)

7simonichdrew — 2025-10-22 14:14:47 UTC

Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin in 1793. It was the first tool that could separate cotton fibers from the seeds without human labor. This rapidly expanded the need for slavery. Unfortunately, Eli Whitney had created this invention to stop the need for slaves, but it had only increased the demand. By creating this, it had sped up the process of harvesting cotton so then more could be planted and picked by the slaves. Internationally, the demand is growing, and that was solved by the cotton gin and slaves. This had only made the practice go further into the south of the U.S.

Slave Trade Outlawed (1806)

7simonichdrew — 2025-10-22 14:27:31 UTC

Thomas Jefferson had outlawed the lave trade after 20 years. This banned the importation and sale of slaves from outside of the United States. With this, this is the first time that the federal government really had a restriction on slavery. This was intended to restrict slavery but had actually just increased the value for slaves, and this leads to states restricitng the rights even more for enslaved people.

Industrialization - Lowell Mills Girls (1814 - 1860s)

7simonichdrew — 2025-10-22 14:43:57 UTC

The United States is growing and many businessman saw opportunity to expand trade and grow the economic growth by investing in the industry. In Great Britain there have been new inventions in technology leading to the first factories created. In Massachusetts there is the Lowell Mills factories, this was built to meet the increasing demand for textile goods and other clothing. Cotton was purchased from the southern states and then used in the factories. This trade connects the north and south of America. Young and unmarried women typically worked in these factories. Other areas grew as well specifically transportation, the railroads and canals brought major industrialization to the United States.

The lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-06)

7simonichdrew — 2025-10-22 14:45:58 UTC

After the Acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase, the American president Thomas Jefferson sent two American soldiers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore this new territory that is unfamiliar to the United States. During a long two year journey the two soldiers and their group of explorers were directed and guided by Sacajawea, travel along the Missouri River and through the Dakota's and then west all the way to the Pacific ocean. This Expedition was the first official survey of the large portion of land in the west and began the westward expansion of American settlers.

Increased Voting Rights (1800 - 1840)

7simonichdrew — 2025-10-22 15:05:10 UTC

The United States is rapidly growing as a republic and with this comes more demands from the American citizens on having a say in the government. After the American revolution most states passed a property owning requirement to vote. By the 1820s many states ended up removing the law, and by 1840 most states allowed about 90% of adult white males to vote. In 1828 the election of president Andrew Jackson was the market of the first modernized American election. It had a campaign, and it was actually between two different parties. Now more citizens were able to vote and this made Andrew Jackson a popular choice. While this seemed like a huge win for the United States in modernizing the voting system it had also created a lot of restrictions like banning women from voting and people of color.

The Mexican American war (1845-48)

7simonichdrew — 2025-10-23 01:48:57 UTC

The annexation of Texas into the United States led to border disputes and Mexico and the United States went to war. America wins the war and it comes to an end and come with a peace treaty giving huge amount of territory in the American southwest to the United States. This land is the now day Arizona, California, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico.

Indian Removal Act (1830) & Trail of Tears (1831-50)

7simonichdrew — 2025-10-23 01:58:45 UTC

After the Indian Removal Act, the Cherokee nation was given the opportunity to leave from their home land in Georgia and settle in Oklahoma. Even though some had agreed to go, most people resisted. Andrew Jackson had defied the supreme court in 1838 and got executive power authorized to him by Congress, with this power he chose to remove the remaining indians forcibly to the new Indian territory. During this time referred to as the Trail of Tears 1 in 4 Indians of the Cherokee died. A lot of the survivors had tried to relocate to the west but struggled to adjust to the new unfamiliar land. This disrupted their cultural practices and led to people dying of starvation and disease leaving generations to come trauma and suffering.

Manifest Destiny (Idea or belief that begins around 1840)

7simonichdrew — 2025-10-23 02:10:08 UTC

John O'Sullivan who was an American journalist had come up with the term "Manifest Destiny". This is an idea that described the god given destiny of the United states to occupy the continent from the Atlantic all the way to the Pacific. This idea was not particularly new, but the term, initially used to rally up support for the annexation of Texas, and Oregon country, was. This term began to spread drastically through the United States, eventually becoming a big part of the westward expansion across the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains