1817–1861 - Growth and Turmoil

A political appointee with little military experience prior to the Civil War, Brigadier General John B. Floyd is most famous for abandoning Fort Donelson in 1861 to avoid being captured by Federal soldiers. He served as the 31st Governor of Virginia and U.S. Secretary of War under President James Buchanan.

Approved by Congress on March 1, 1833, and signed by President Andrew Jackson the next day, the Force Bill of 1833, known in South Carolina as the "Bloody Bill," authorized President Andrew Jackson to employ military forces for the purpose of protecting customs officials and for enforcing U.S. tariff laws.

Key facts about the Force Act of 1833.

Forging the National Economy covers the growth and expansion of the United States from the late 18th Century to 1860. It includes the mass immigration from Europe, the impact of industrialization, and the Transportation Revolution — all of which helped the nation move to a Market Economy.

The Free Soil Party was a coalition of Free Soil Democrats, Barnburners, Conscience Whigs, and members of the Liberty Party that strongly opposed the extension of slavery in the American West during the 1840s and 1850s.

Key facts about the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed by Congress as one provision of the Compromise of 1850. The harsh terms of the act angered many Northerners and contributed to the sectional division over slavery that led to the American Civil War.

The Gadsden Purchase was an agreement between the United States and Mexico where the U.S. purchased land. The treaty established the southern border and helped fulfill America’s Manifest Destiny.

The Gag Rule consisted of a series of changes to the rules of the U.S. House of Representatives that prohibited the introduction of petitions related to slavery between 1836 and 1844.

William Lloyd Garrison was a prominent leader of the abolition movement in the 19th century and helped found the American Anti-Slavery Society.

Joshua Giddings was a leader in the founding of the Republican Party and an outspoken opponent of the extension of slavery during his 20-year career as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He also fought in the War of 1812.

The Second Great Awakening was a religious movement that swept through the United States, primarily in the first half of the 19th century. Led by prominent preachers like Charles Finney, the movement contributed to the rise in popularity of social reform movements like Abolition, Prohibition, Civil Rights, and Woman Suffrage.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, also known as the Mexican Cession, was an agreement between the United States and Mexico that ended the Mexican-American War and transferred territory to the U.S.

The first U.S. President to die in office, 9th President William Henry Harrison also served the shortest tenure of any chief executive, passing away on April 4, 1841, just thirty days after his inauguration.

The Iroquois Confederacy — or the Haudenosaunee Confederacy — was a league made up of six distinct Native American Indian nations that spoke the same language. The Confederacy is most well-known for its role in the Fur Trade and the major wars that shaped the American Colonies.

Andrew Jackson was a hero of the War of 1812 and the 7th President of the United States. He served two terms controversial terms as President and oversaw the removal of Native American Indians from the south, which is known as the Trail of Tears.

John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry was an attempt to capture the Federal Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Brown intended to seize weapons and distribute them to enslaved African Americans in the South, in hopes of establishing an independent republic for them. The raid failed, and Brown and his men were captured. In the weeks that followed, Brown was tried, convicted, and executed, ending his violent anti-slavery career. The raid intensified the sectional divide over slavery and pushed the nation closer to civil war.

Key facts about the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 was introduced by Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas to expedite the formation of new territories in the Louisiana Purchase west of Missouri.

Simon Kenton was a Frontiersman, scout, and soldier who is most famous for helping defend Kentucky settlers from the late Colonial Era to the Early Republic. Kenton is one of the most important figures of the early era of Westward Expansion and Manifest Destiny and was associated with Daniel Boone and George Rogers Clark.