10 Days That Shaped America (History Channel) Summary
Yannic Tschaitschian
January 11, 2008
Mrs. Shelton
4th Block Honors History
Ten Days That Shaped America
1) May 26, 1637-The Mystic Massacre of the Pequot War On May 26, 1637, English settlers under Captain John Mason, and Narragansett and Mohegan allies set fire to a Pequot fort near the Mystic River. The fort only had two entrances, and anybody that tried to flee the fort was shot by awaiting enemies. The only Pequots that survived were those who had followed their sachem Sassacus in a raiding party outside the village. This attack on the fort almost entirely wiped out the Pequot population and resulted in them eventually losing the war. As a result of this the 1638 treaty of Hartford was signed, stating that all remaining Pequots were to be slaves, for the English and other tribes. This could have been the Start of slavery in the united states, and it could have also been an event that led to the enslaving of hundreds of thousands of Africans. This affected the United States greatly because, without this one battle, this country might not be as culturally diverse as it is today.
2) January 25, 1787-Shays’ Rebellion Shays’ Rebellion took place in 1787, when Daniel Shays led a rebellion to seize Federal arsenal to protest debtor’s prisons. Daniel Shays proposed a battle to Luke Day of West Springfield Massachusetts, for a battle on January 5th 1787. Day sent a message to Shays that he would not have his army ready by then, and that the battle should take place January 6th instead. The message never reached Shays, and therefore, he and his army attacked the unarmed, and unorganized army of Day on the 5th. The rebellion shocked and baffled, many U.S. leaders at the time, and eventually led to a few changes to the nations government. It would now become a stronger central government, which was the true basis for what our government is today.
3) January 24, 1848-The beginning of the California Gold Rush. On January 24, 1848, Gold was
January 11, 2008
Mrs. Shelton
4th Block Honors History
Ten Days That Shaped America
1) May 26, 1637-The Mystic Massacre of the Pequot War On May 26, 1637, English settlers under Captain John Mason, and Narragansett and Mohegan allies set fire to a Pequot fort near the Mystic River. The fort only had two entrances, and anybody that tried to flee the fort was shot by awaiting enemies. The only Pequots that survived were those who had followed their sachem Sassacus in a raiding party outside the village. This attack on the fort almost entirely wiped out the Pequot population and resulted in them eventually losing the war. As a result of this the 1638 treaty of Hartford was signed, stating that all remaining Pequots were to be slaves, for the English and other tribes. This could have been the Start of slavery in the united states, and it could have also been an event that led to the enslaving of hundreds of thousands of Africans. This affected the United States greatly because, without this one battle, this country might not be as culturally diverse as it is today.
2) January 25, 1787-Shays’ Rebellion Shays’ Rebellion took place in 1787, when Daniel Shays led a rebellion to seize Federal arsenal to protest debtor’s prisons. Daniel Shays proposed a battle to Luke Day of West Springfield Massachusetts, for a battle on January 5th 1787. Day sent a message to Shays that he would not have his army ready by then, and that the battle should take place January 6th instead. The message never reached Shays, and therefore, he and his army attacked the unarmed, and unorganized army of Day on the 5th. The rebellion shocked and baffled, many U.S. leaders at the time, and eventually led to a few changes to the nations government. It would now become a stronger central government, which was the true basis for what our government is today.
3) January 24, 1848-The beginning of the California Gold Rush. On January 24, 1848, Gold was