Essay about Ten Days that Unexpectedly Changed America Summary

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Ten Days That Unexpectedly Changed America Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1: “Massacre at Mystic” May 26, 1637 was a fateful day in the history of America. The actions of Major John Mason and his Puritan men set a precedent for the next two hundred years of European and Indian relations. On that clear May night near the Mystic River of New England, hundreds of Pequot Indians were killed by the Europeans and their allies, most of the victims being the elderly, women, and children. This massacre was a massive turning point in the Pequot War, effectively ruining the tribe. Already weakened by disease and by competing native tribes, the Pequot were quickly routed and by September 21, 1638 the war ended with the Treaty of Hartford. The treaty
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Although it ended in defeat, Shays’ Rebellion had a major effect on the future of the country. It was a wake up call to the inefficiencies of the current governmental structure. Without Shays, there wouldn’t have been the strong call to replace the Articles of Confederation with a new constitution. Shays was a major talking point at the Constitutional Convention, tipping the scales in favor of the Federalists. Shays exposed the need for change. Also, without the pressure of Shays’ Rebellion George Washington may not have made an appearance at the convention. His appearance was important in garnering support for the reform as well as organizing the delagates.

Chapter 3: Gold Rush John Sutter was a landowner in California. He ordered one of his workers, a carpenter named James Marshall, to start construction of a sawmill in May of 1847. Marshall searched for an appropriate site along the American River. A site was quickly found and construction quickly started. The morning of January 24, 1848 Marshall was inspecting one of the irrigation channels of the mill when he noticed something glittering in the water. He uncovered it and couldn’t believe what he had discovered. Marshall quickly brought the sample back to Sutter, who determined that it was in fact what they assumed it was: gold. Sutter tried to keep the discovery a secret. However, soon people were flocking to his land in search of riches. People from all over