American History: The 1800s
Land Acquisitions
After the American Revolution, the United States flourished and the country grew larger and more populated. In 1803, the U.S. acquired land from France, known as "The Louisiana Purchase" that doubled its size. Growth was not always easy though and wars were fought to gain control of lands.
The United States fought four major wars in the 1800s, with the Civil War being the only war fought, not against another country, but against its own people.
American Wars of the 1800s
The War of 1812 (1812-1815)
Fought against: the British EmpireCause: British support of American Indians fighting expansion, trade restrictions by Britain to stop American trade with France and maritime disputes
The Mexican-American War (1846-1848)
Fought against: MexicoCause: the U.S. annexation of Texas in 1845
The Civil War (1861-1865)
Fought against: Each other - The Civil War is also known as The War between the States or The War between the North and SouthCause: 11 southern States declaring their secession from the U.S. and forming the Confederate States of America or the Confederacy
Spanish-American War (1898)
Fought against: SpainCause: To gain Cuba’s independence
The Civil War
Of all the wars in the 1800s, the Civil War was a war that could have broken the union of the United States had it been won by the South. The Civil War began when 11 southern states seceded (separated) from the United States to form their own country, the Confederate States of America.
Slavery was the main cause of the Civil War, but economic reasons as well as states’ rights played a role too. Because the South’s economy was heavily dependent on slave labor, they feared that the United States government would end slavery and this would have a harmful impact on their economy as well as independence.
Abraham Lincoln, who opposed slavery, was the President of the United States from 1861-1865, and led the United States during the Civil War. He felt that the South’s separation from the United States and establishment of a new country was unconstitutional, thus, the Civil War began. He is credited with not only leading the nation during the war, but also with saving the Union and freeing the slaves with the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.
The Emancipation Proclamation
In 1863, right in the middle of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This document declared that slaves living in the southern or Confederate states were free. When the Civil War ended in 1865, southern slaves kept their right to be free.
The Emancipation Proclamation led to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution: ending slavery in all of the United States. There were many people and not just Abraham Lincoln, who spoke out strongly against slavery and sought equal rights, among these, is Susan B. Anthony.
Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) was a campaigner and supporter for women’s rights, for the equal treatment of women in the workplace, for the abolishment of slavery and for civil rights. In 1872, she was arrested for attempting to vote in the presidential election. It would be another forty-eight years before women would be given the right to vote.
In 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed, giving women that right. This amendment is still widely known as the Susan B. Anthony Amendment for her efforts and contributions toward getting women the right to vote.
