In a profound moment of surrender to the U.S. Army, Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce Indians delivered a moving speech in 1877. The tribe had tried to cross into Canada to escape relocation to a reservation. They journeyed over 1000 miles, battling the army throughout their odyssey. Alas, a mere 40 miles from Canada,
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The Bill of Rights, ratified on December 15, 1791, is a foundational document that outlines the primary rights and freedoms guaranteed to American citizens. These ten amendments were added to the Constitution to ensure the protection of individual liberties and place restrictions on governmental power. The Bill of Rights Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Adopted 1789. Ratified 1791.
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Missouri Compromise Washington DC 06 March 1820 With the purchase of the Louisiana Territory and the application of Missouri for statehood, the long-standing balance between the number of slave states and the number of free states would be changed. Controversy arose within Congress over the issue of slavery. Congress adopted this legislation and admitted Missouri
John L. O’Sullivan on Manifest Destiny New York, NY November 1839 In 1839, John L. O’Sullivan, editor of the Democratic Review, referred in his magazine to America’s “manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.” During O’Sullivan’s day, aggressive nationalists invoked manifest destiny to justify
Marshall Plan Speech In the immediate post-World War II period, Europe remained ravaged by war and thus susceptible to exploitation by both internal and external communist threats. In a June 5, 1947, speech to the graduating class at Harvard University, Secretary of State George C. Marshall issued a call for a comprehensive program to rebuild
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Supreme Court of the United States Washington DC 17 May 1954 The Louisiana Purchase has been described as the greatest real estate deal in history. In 1803 the United States paid France $15 million for the Louisiana Territory—some 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River.
Monroe Doctrine President James Monroe Washington DC 02 December 1823 The Monroe Doctrine was enunciated by President James Monroe in his annual message to Congress on the state of the union. “American continents…are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers…” At the time, the influence of Spain, France,
Civil Rights Act of 1964 signed Washington DC 02 July 1964 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the most sweeping civil rights legislation enacted since Reconstruction. Championed by President Johnson, and passed largely along sectional lines (only eight southern representatives and senators combined voted in favor of the original versions of the bill) the
Emancipation Proclamation President Abraham Lincoln Washington D.C. 01 January 1863 Initially, the Civil War between North and South was fought by the North to prevent the secession of the Southern states and preserve the Union. Even though sectional conflicts over slavery had been a major cause of the war, ending slavery was not a goal
The Louisiana Purchase Treaty Paris, France 30 April 1803 The Louisiana Purchase has been described as the greatest real estate deal in history. In 1803 the United States paid France $15 million for the Louisiana Territory—some 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River. The lands acquired stretched from the Mississippi River to
